MTG Lead Designer responds to fans’ identity concerns 

Mark Rosewater, MTG’s Lead Designer, has tackled fans’ concerns that the game may be pushing itself too far away from the styles and settings that have made it great for so long. 

Magic: The Gathering has featured a hugely developed roster of settings over its 30+ years on the market. While these settings ranged from the magic-infused cityscape of Ravnica to the Gothic Horror nightmare of Innistrad, Magic has generally hewed closer to fantasy than any other genre. 

The team at Wizards took a big swing for the fences with the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set, making the bold decision to pay homage to cyberpunk while further developing the plane of Kamigawa. 

Thankfully, the fan response to this new direction for Kamigawa was rapturous, which opened the floodgates for MTG to feature whole new genres and tones. 

From the art-deco mobster glitz and grime of New Capenna, to the six-shootin’ wild west trappings of Thunder Junction, Magic has pushed the envelope in terms of what fans can expect to see when clapping eyes on a new plane for the first time, or even when revisiting an old favorite years down the line. 

While many MTG players have embraced the possibilities brought about by Magic dipping its toes into different settings and styles of storytelling, others have been more hesitant, fearing the game’s unique identity is being diluted. 

In response to comments on the 80s-style dress and technology present in the upcoming Duskmourn: House of Horror set, MTG Lead Designer Mark Rosewater took to his personal blog.  

Rosewater worked to assuage fan fears that Magic may be stretching too far from the design elements that have kept the game beloved for so many years. He started out by responding to a longtime fan of the game who was growing disenfranchised from the launch of Universes Beyond onwards. 

The fan said “When I saw the first spoilers for Duskmourn, I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” They enjoyed the interconnected worldbuilding Magic has built up over the years, with many worlds and settings all fitting congruently into the same universe. 

The fan went on to say that “when I see cards with televisions and smartphones in them, with modern clothing and internet references, I just can’t fit them together in my mind.” 

Rosewater responded at much greater length than his often to-the-point replies. He started off by focusing on how Magic’s variety is one of its greatest strengths, and the main avenue by which its audience can grow: “History has shown us, the wider we spread the potential of what Magic can be, the more people find something they enjoy and are attracted to the game.” 

Rosewater made no attempt to downplay the fan’s response to Duskmourn, confirming that “we might make choices that don’t connect with what you personally enjoy, and I respect that.” 

Ultimately, Rosewater acknowledged the fan’s complaints while still leaving things on a positive note, stating that MTG is constantly changing and evolving as a game. “Magic might not be what you need right now, but maybe a few years from now you’ve changed in ways which makes it something you will enjoy. Or maybe Magic will evolve in a way that speaks to you.” 

MTG is constantly pushing forward into new frontiers, with the relentless pace of set releases creating a demand for new worlds and experiences. 

Magic built itself a dedicated fanbase in part thanks to its top-notch worldbuilding, with stories unspooling across unforgettable settings for decades. 

It would be far too easy for the game to rest on its laurels, returning to the nostalgia well and foregrounding repeat visits to old settings over finding genuinely new ground to cover. 

Given the oversaturation of crossover content like Fortnite, it’s understandable that MTG fans would be wary of their beloved game going the same way. But as long as the team at Wizards is still genuinely passionate about worldbuilding, big swings like Duskmourn’s semi-modern aesthetics should be embraced, not feared.