MTG Lead Designer reveals time-skipping set that never was and fans love it

MTG’s Lead Designer Mark Rosewater has discussed his original plan for a set block that was vetoed in favor of Theros, and many fans are hoping that the Magic team will further develop this idea.

Theros is an all-time favorite plane among many MTG fans, with the Greek myth-inspired flavor proving to be a real hit, and its story proving crucial to the journey of the planeswalker Elspeth Tirel. That being said, MTG fans have had their curiosity piqued by the original idea for the plane that Theros ended up replacing.

Rosewater recently took to social media, responding to a fan asking what the original idea for the Theros block was.

The designer went into detail, stating: “The first set was prehistoric. Then we jump thousands of years to the second set that was medieval. Then we jumped thousands more years to the third set which was futuristic. The block was all the same world, but seen through three distinct time periods.”

Rosewater went on to say that the main reason this never panned out was that the MTG team at the time didn’t have the staff to effectively create three different worlds at the same time. This admission has particularly caught the attention of players, with one fan on Reddit saying, “I hope that, given their increased resources today, this is something they could revisit.”

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While revisiting the same plane after such significant time skips would be a big swing for MTG, it wouldn’t be unprecedented. When players revisited the plane of Kamigawa in the Neon Dynasty set, over 1000 years had passed.

Neon Dynasty proved to be a truly beloved set among fans, with many players appreciating how Kamigawa had evolved and progressed technologically while remaining true to the world’s spiritual roots.

The biggest hurdle standing in the way of a return to Rosewater’s proposed set design is the absence of blocks in modern-day Magic. At the time of Theros’ design, Magic sets were usually released in blocks, with multiple set releases in a row focusing on the same setting and story.

While blocks were a longtime feature of Magic: The Gathering, they were officially discontinued in 2018. In general, MTG players seem to prefer single sets to blocks, with the game being able to focus on a greater variety of worlds and stories since blocks were phased out.

That isn’t to say that the change came without casualties, however. Standout sets with excellent worldbuilding like Strixhaven: School of Mages and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan left players wishing they could spend a little more time in the setting before moving right along to a different plane.

This issue is exacerbated by the rapid-fire pace of MTG’s card reveals and product launches, with it often seeming as though individual sets don’t get enough time in the spotlight before the next is teased.

Additionally, concepts like Rosewater’s proposed time-skipping sets would be much harder to pull off in MTG’s block-less environment, with players coming to expect a significant change in setting and style between each set.

That being said, it wouldn’t be impossible for this creative plane idea to come to fruition in MTG’s future. Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow prove that it’s still possible to set subsequent Magic releases on the same plane even with the game moving away from the block structure.

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If the majority of a year’s premier sets were to take place on a single plane, albeit one significantly changing and advancing with the years, the setting would have to have real significance to Magic’s ongoing story.

With the addition of the Omenpaths, planes are no longer limited to locals and the odd Planeswalker. Characters from all across the worlds of Magic could be featured in these sets, making for a much more interesting variety of changes to look out for as players revisit the plane years later.

Who wouldn’t want to see what the gifted artificers of Kaladesh and Kamigawa could cook up after years under the same roof?

This set structure would make an excellent fit for the new hub planes springing up in the MTG multiverse. While Ravnica may be too central to the game’s ongoing story to potentially alienate players through significant time skips, multiple sets showing the history of the plane and its development into the City of Guilds would surely fascinate longtime players and new fans alike.

A frontier plane like Thunder Junction would also serve as an excellent setting for this type of time-skipping development. Players could watch families and factions of settlers grow and change through the years, providing a consistent through-line to follow through a full year of set releases.

While MTG would undoubtedly be poorer without the beloved plane of Theros, Rosewater’s original idea is a fascinating what-if that many players are flocking to, and one that the game’s designers will hopefully return to in the future.