Editor's Note: This article previously stated that the Color Challenge reward decks would change with rotation. This has been corrected; the Color Challenge reward decks will not change with rotation.

The Road to Renewal

It's that time of year again: MTG Arena's Renewal season is just around the corner! As we approach this time of change and new beginnings, we'll be rolling out celebratory gifts for all our players, as well as some guidance for the coming year. It will all culminate with the release of Edge of Eternities this July.

Unlike last year, Alchemy and Standard will both feel the impacts of rotation. Standard says goodbye to the sets that left Alchemy last year, and Alchemy will continue to stay a year ahead.

To help break down rotation and Renewal, we've assembled everything you need to know about each and how they will affect MTG Arena. Let's take a look!

Rotation is the scheduled move of older Magic sets out of rotating formats, such as Standard and Alchemy. This makes room for cards from new set releases in these formats, keeping them fresh and exciting.

On July 29, 2025, in MTG Arena, the sets from the 2023 Magic year will rotate out of Standard and the sets from the 2024 Magic year will be rotating out of Alchemy. Cards rotating out of Alchemy will still be legal in Standard, and all rotating cards will remain legal in MTG Arena's nonrotating formats: Historic, Pioneer, and Timeless Any formats that utilize the same card pools as those formats, like Historic Brawl, will also still have access to those cards.

Everything else remains legal in their current formats, and as the Magic year progresses, new sets will be added to formats, starting with Edge of Eternities, then other future releases.

We know change can be tough, especially for newer players, so to ease the burden, we've got a few things coming to help you along.

Live Now with Edge of Eternities Preorder Bundles

Color Challenge Deck Rewards

New players will receive these new decks from the Color Challenge and the onboarding quest line. As always, when a new player unlocks one of these decks for the first time, they will also receive all cards from that deck in their collection.

For existing players, these decks will simply appear in the Starting Decks folder in the Decks tab. Players will receive any cards from the new decks that they haven't already collected to make sure they can take these decks out for a spin.

Transaction Warnings

When you attempt to buy packs, craft a card, or purchase a card style for cards that are rotating out, you will get a reminder that these cards will soon rotate, and you'll be prompted if you still want to complete the transaction. You're still welcome to, of course—this is just to make sure that you're getting what you want.

Renewal Egg

At this point, players will see the Renewal Egg when they open their inbox. This is both a reminder that rotation is coming up and that there will be a package containing some special rewards to help you kick off the new Magic year. Rotation happens in MTG Arena on July 29, which is when the egg will open and you can claim the rewards!

Log in before rotation to make sure you get your Renewal Egg!

Coming July 29: Edge of Eternities Release and Rotation

Alchemy

With the release of Edge of Eternities, these sets will rotate out of the Alchemy format:

  • Wilds of Eldraine
    • Alchemy: Eldraine
  • The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
    • Alchemy: Ixalan
  • Murders at Karlov Manor
    • Alchemy: Karlov Manor
  • Outlaws of Thunder Junction
    • The Big Score
    • Alchemy: Thunder Junction

Cards from these sets will no longer be playable in Alchemy unless they are reprinted as part of a future release. They will still be allowed in Standard, Explorer, Historic, and Timeless as they are currently allowed.

At Edge of Eternities's release, Alchemy will include the past Magic year of sets, plus Edge of Eternities, the first set of the coming Magic year:

  • Bloomburrow
    • Alchemy: Bloomburrow
  • Duskmourn: House of Horror
    • Alchemy: Duskmourn
  • Magic: The Gathering Foundations
  • Aetherdrift
    • Alchemy: Aetherdrift
  • Tarkir: Dragonstorm
    • Alchemy: Tarkir
  • Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™
  • Edge of Eternities

With Alchemy rotating following the release of Edge of Eternities, the format is losing access to several mana-fixing lands. This makes the mana for two- and three-color decks challenging and is undesirable for the gameplay experience we want to promote in Alchemy.

To address this, we will make an additional existing cycle of lands legal. The entire check land cycle will be playable in Alchemy as they are being included in Alchemy: Edge of Eternities. All of these lands (plus any other cards from the main set) will be legal in Alchemy starting with Edge of Eternities:

  • Clifftop Retreat
  • Dragonskull Summit
  • Drowned Catacomb
  • Glacial Fortress
  • Hinterland Harbor
  • Isolated Chapel
  • Rootbound Crag
  • Sulfur Falls
  • Sunpetal Grove
  • Woodland Cemetery

Since these cards are already on MTG Arena, we didn't want players to have to wait several weeks for the Alchemy release to use them, so they will be playable as soon as rotation occurs. In addition to crafting them, players will be able to acquire them by opening Alchemy: Edge of Eternities packs. They are considered part of the set and will rotate normally with Alchemy: Edge of Eternities.

Standard

With the release of Edge of Eternities, these sets will rotate out of the Standard format:

  • Dominaria United
  • The Brothers' War
  • Phyrexia: All Will Be One
  • March of the Machine
  • March of the Machine: The Aftermath

Cards from these sets will no longer be playable in Standard unless they are reprinted as part of a future release. They will still be allowed in Explorer, Historic, and Timeless formats.

At Edge of Eternities's release, the Standard format will include the past two Magic years of sets, plus Edge of Eternities, the first set of the coming Magic year:

  • Wilds of Eldraine
  • The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
  • Murders at Karlov Manor
  • Outlaws of Thunder Junction
  • Bloomburrow
  • Duskmourn: House of Horror
  • Magic: The Gathering Foundations
  • Aetherdrift
  • Tarkir: Dragonstorm
  • Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY
  • Edge of Eternities

Renewal Rewards

The Renewal Egg that players received before rotation will open on July 29 with the release of Edge of Eternities. First, you'll receive ten individual card rewards to get your post-rotation collection off to a strong start. This will include five rares from nonrotating sets and another four rares plus one mythic rare from Edge of Eternities.

In addition, you'll get more Edge of Eternities cards and packs added to your Set Mastery track. As you earn Mastery XP during the Edge of Eternities set period, you'll unlock these extra rewards.

Quick Drafts

Starting with the Edge of Eternities release, Quick Draft events will feature sets that are remaining in Standard following next year's rotation, so there's no need to avoid drafting for fear your cards will rotate out soon.

Jump In!

The packets in the Jump In! event will also be rehauled for the new Magic year. Packets using themes from the rotating Standard sets will be retired, while remaining packets will be revised to contain only cards that won't be rotating out of Standard.

Individual Card Rewards

Individual card rewards (ICRs) for daily win bonuses and Standard-focused events will also be updated to remove cards rotating out. These cards will instead be included in ICRs for Historic-focused events.

A New Year of Magic Is Coming

Rotation is always an exciting time for Magic. Every rotation brings new and invigorating changes, and this year will be no different. The face of Magic will shift with new cards and decks to experience. We hope this has helped you get ready for this year's Renewal season and all the excitement that comes with it.

Have fun in the new Magic year!