Where to Play Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™

Set out with an adventurous spirit and your thirteen closest Dwarven friends for Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™ events! Magic's return to Middle-earth is full of wonder and whimsy, and you can experience all those joys in person at your local game store and more. There's something for every player, so join us at the events that speak to you!

Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit releases worldwide on August 14, 2026, and is available for preorder now from your local game store, TCGplayer, Amazon, and elsewhere Magic is sold.

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Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit at Gen Con
(July 30–August 2)

Enter the story-rich halls of Indianapolis and experience Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit at Gen Con! This is your first chance to play with the set and see everything our return to Middle-earth has to offer. Join us for Pre Prerelease events featuring Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Sealed, including a special family brunch event.

Players who participate in a Pre Prerelease event at Gen Con will receive a traditional foil Tom, Bert, and William promo card with art by Narendra Bintara Adi while supplies last. Players can also obtain this through other challenges taking place on-site. More details will be found at the Gen Con website! Beyond your usual play events, we'll also be hosting several learn-to-play demos for new players, a behind-the-scenes panel featuring the set's designers, and much more! There are experiences for Humans, Hobbits, and Elves of all ages, so bring your friends and family along for the fun.

If you're headed to Gen Con, register for these events today.

Prerelease Events
(August 7–13)

They say a Wizard is never early, but you can play with this set ahead of schedule at Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Prerelease events! Held at local game stores ahead of the set's official tabletop release, Prerelease events are a casual, friendly environment where players of all skill levels can gather to celebrate a new release.

You'll receive a Prerelease Pack and construct a 40-card sealed deck from its contents and any number of basic lands. Then, you'll play casual games of Magic against your fellow attendees. Don't worry about playing the most precise, optimized deck. This is about having fun and finding what speaks to you! Talk to your fellow Prerelease players, learn about their favorite parts of Middle-earth, and by the end of the event, you'll walk away with new cards and possibly new friends!

We'll publish a guide to building a Prerelease deck for Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit before events kick off at local games stores on August 7, 2026. Register for your store's Prerelease event today and secure your spot in the battle for Middle-earth!

Learn to Play with Magic Academy
(August 14–September 24)

Take your friends and family on an unforgettable adventure by teaching them to play Magic! You don't need an ancient Wizard to guide you—all you need is your local game store's Magic Academy events. Held at local game stores, these events will give brave adventurers the tools and knowledge they need to start playing Magic—or if they're returning to the game after a break, reignite their love for the world's premier trading card game.

There are two types of Magic Academy events. Learn to Play events are for players who are just starting to play Magic. These events use the Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Welcome Decks, featuring all your favorite Hobbits, Dwarves, and more. Deck Building events teach players to construct a deck of out of six Play Boosters. They'll watch a short tutorial video at the start of the event, then they'll build a deck of your own from the contents of their Play Boosters.

If you have someone in your life who you know would love Magic, this is your chance to show them the best parts of this game. Contact your local game store for more information on their Magic Academy events and how you can teach your friends to play Magic!

Two-Headed Giant Commander Night
(August 14–September 24)

A journey with a friend is twice as exciting, and we're bringing that spirit of companionship to Two-Headed Giant Commander Nights! Register with a friend or be paired with a fellow attendee at your local game store, and you can start playing casual multiplayer games of Commander.

Participants will receive a Bilbo, Luckwearer promo card with art by Yigit Koroglu while supplies last. Non-foil copies will be available at most WPN retailers, while traditional foil copies will be available at WPN Premium locations. Additional prizes will be awarded at your local game store's discretion, so contact them for more details.

Standard Showdown
(August 14–September 24)

Do you think you have what it takes to triumph over unfathomable odds? Bring your finest Standard deck and heroic spirit to your local game store's Standard Showdown for a chance at glory and a special promo card! These events feature Standard Constructed and cultivate a more competitive environment than your average event.

Wood Elves is back in Standard! We're celebrating the return of this land-fetching friend with this season's Standard Showdown promo card. The winner of each Standard Showdown event will receive a traditional foil Wood Elves promo card with art by Ramza Psyru while supplies last. Contact your local game store for more information on their Standard Showdown events.

Commander Party
(August 21–27, September 18–24)

For those brave (or foolish) enough to tempt Dragon Smaug's wrath, head to your local game store's Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Commander Party events! These events combine the gameplay of Commander that you know and love with a special set of rules that will take your games into Middle-earth.

When the game begins, you and your party of adventurers will encounter notable locations from The Hobbit. You'll be able to make a choice at each of these locations, reaping special rewards to assist you in the game. Once you reach The Lonely Mountain, you'll start stealing from the hoard of Dragon Smaug, slowly accruing value while risking his wrath.

Players will receive the Bilbo, Luckwearer promo card described above while supplies last. Don't miss out on your chance to seize treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Sign up for your local game store's Commander Party events today.

Magic Spotlight: The Hobbit
(August 28–30 in Brisbane, Australia; September 4–6 in Dallas, Texas)

The next two stops on our journey are Brisbane and Dallas, where Magic Spotlight: The Hobbit will take over the weekend and offer competitive players a chance at exciting prizes. The main event features Modern Constructed, so bring your cards from both of our visits to Middle-earth.

Each open-field event features a $50,000 prize pool, Pro Tour invitations, and an especially thematic promo card. Each competitor will receive a non-foil Riddles in the Dark promo card featuring artwork by Tomas Duchek. The Top 128 players at each event will also receive traditional foil copies of this promo card.

The Black Lotus trophy from Magic Spotlight: Eclipsed

The Top 8 players in each main event will receive invitations to an upcoming Pro Tour. The winner of each event will also receive a stunning Black Lotus-themed trophy with the set symbol for Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit.

Spotlight Series events are open to everyone, making this a great way to jump right onto the Pro Tour. But you do have to register, and spots are filling up fast. Contact your event's organizer and get your Modern deck ready for action!

• Brisbane, Australia: August 28–30, 2026 — Hosted by Let's Play Games
• Dallas, Texas: September 4–6, 2026 — Hosted by Star City Games

Magic Presents: Heart of the Mountain
(September 4–10)

The Arkenstone is a powerful, highly coveted artifact that can tempt even the most valorous hearts. Wrestle for control of the Arkenstone at Magic Presents: Heart of the Mountain, a special Commander event held at participating local game stores! Bring your Commander deck or build a new deck with a Middle-earth theme.

The first time a player deals combat damage during this event, they claim The Arkenstone, which offers powerful rewards turn after turn. If a player controls The Arkenstone for three turns, they win the game outright. But remember: if someone deals damage to The Arkenstone's controller, that player will claim The Arkenstone.

Regardless of who wins, all participants will receive a promo card of An Unexpected Party with art by Tomas Duchek. Non-foil copies will be available at most WPN retailers, while traditional foil copies will be available at WPN Premium locations while supplies last. For more information on these events, contact your local game store!

CommandFests Return to Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Italy
(Starting August 21)

There's a celebration on the horizon. Four of them, in fact, as we prepare for CommandFests to return to four beloved venues across the world. These events are full of vendors, content creators, and (of course), players looking to play Commander!

Non-foil and traditional foil Fyndhorn Elves promo cards with art by Julie Dillon will be available at 2026 CommandFests. These promo cards are available with the purchase of a badge while supplies last, and event organizers may offer their own bonuses with badges, so contact your event's organizer for more details.

While CommandFests will be held throughout the year, we wanted to highlight the CommandFests that will be held during the release season of Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit. For more information on these events and other CommandFests, check out this article.

• August 21–23, 2026, in Toronto, Canada — Presented by Face to Face Games
• August 30, 2026, in Yokohama, Japan — Presented by Hareruya
• August 29–30, 2026, in Mexico City, Mexico — Presented by Necrotower
• September 4–6, 2026, in Bologna, Italy — Presented by 4Seasons

Upcoming Regional Championship Qualifiers
(August 15–November 29, 2026)

Are you looking to take your first steps toward the Pro Tour and the adventure of a lifetime? Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs) are the perfect way to begin that quest. For this round, RCQs at WPN game stores can be held as Standard Constructed or Limited events. Larger events that are designated as "destination" qualifiers may be run as other Constructed formats.

Beyond invitations to your Regional Championship, you can also earn special promo cards! All Regional Championship Qualifier participants during this round will receive a non-foil Sunpearl Kirin promo card with art by kelogsloops. Top Finishers will also receive a non-foil Pinnacle Starcage promo card with art by Princess Hidir. Players who qualify for a Regional Championship will also receive a traditional foil Pinnacle Starcage promo card. These promo cards are available while supplies last.

Contact your RCQ's organizer for more information on what formats they'll feature, promo card details, and more!

Regional Championships for the First Pro Tour of 2027
(Starting September 11)

After you've proven your worth at an RCQ, the next stop on your competitive journey is your Regional Championship. Here, qualified players face off for special prizes and invitations to the Pro Tour. Starting on September 11, we're kicking off the next round of Regional Championships, which will offer invitations to Pro Tour Nauctis, the first Pro Tour of 2027.

These Regional Championships will feature Modern Constructed. Eldrazi Tron players rejoice, because the promo card for this round of Regional Championships puts Magic's favorite eldritch horrors front and center. All participants at this round of Regional Championships will receive a non-foil textless Kozilek's Command promo card with art by Mike Burns, with Top Finishers receiving traditional foil copies. These promo cards are available while supplies last.

Start testing your Modern deck, because these events will be stacked with some of Magic's fiercest competitors. For more information on these events, check with your Regional Championship organizer.

• China — Hosted by Kadou
  • September 11–13 in Hangzhou
• United States — Hosted by Star City Games
  • September 11–13 in Baltimore, Maryland
  • October 9–11 in Los Angeles, California
• Canada — Hosted by Face to Face Games
  • October 2–4 in Ottawa, Canada
• Japan — Hosted by BIG MAGIC
  • October 3–4 in Yokohama, Japan
• EMEA — Hosted by Fanfinity
  • October 9–11 in Ghent, Belgium
• Mexico/Central America/Caribbean — Hosted by Necrotower
  • October 9–11 in Mexico City, Mexico
• South America — Hosted by Devir Brasil
  • October 23-24 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Australia/New Zealand — Hosted by Let's Play Games
  • October 23–25 in Sydney, Australia
• Chinese Taipei — Hosted by Game Square
  • TBA
• Southeast Asia — Hosted by Oracle Events
  • TBA

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There are many paths to follow on your travels with Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit, whether you're pursuing casual games of Commander or invitations to the Pro Tour. If you're looking for more information on our return to Middle-earth, check out our guide to Collecting Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit, which details all the exciting products and Booster Fun treatments in this release. For the latest reveals, explore the Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Card Image Gallery and find your new favorite cards.

Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit releases worldwide on August 14, 2026, and is available for preorder now from your local game store, TCGplayer, Amazon, and elsewhere Magic is sold.