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Most of us know that Classic is an awesome format (and for those who don’t know, Classic is an awesome format!) and Wizards of the Coast is committed to its success. Releasing classic sets, creating Masters Edition sets, and hosting events are just part of that commitment.
In the past we have treated classic set releases just like standard ones. A set is released, has release events, and then is available for sale until some time after the block is completed. With new Magic: The Gathering blocks, this usually takes place in a two year cycle, with all of the sets being released in about eight months. With our classic releases on Magic Online, however, we don’t have that same luxury.
Magic Online classic set releases must fit into a packed build schedule that includes all the standard development work for Magic Online and the digital version of the paper releases. We need time to build the set, test it, take care of any legal obligations, and leave enough time for release events. This occasionally translates into a long wait in between some classic set releases, or as Weatherlight showed, a REALLY long wait.
Looking specifically at the Mirage block, we saw that the Mirage and Visions releases were far more successful than the Weatherlight release. Several factors play into this, but one of the largest was the time between set releases. When Weatherlight was released, Mirage and Visions had been on sale for many, many months (24 and 19 respectively, in case you didn’t want to count). With set releases to match paper Magic and other high priority issues cropping up, Weatherlight’s release kept getting delayed. And delayed. And delayed. We can’t blame you for a lack of excitement when it finally hit the ol’ digital shelf.
This year, the Tempest block will have a similar problem, though not nearly as pronounced, with the Exodus set releasing late in the year (or early next year). The same thing would happen next year with the Urza’s Saga block as well. Looking at these long delays between sets, we decided we need to do something different.
Starting April 13th with the Stronghold release, Classic sets will only be available in the Magic Online Store a limited time, either to support set release or support a special event. These releases will be short, but sweet, and filled with all the cool stuff you expect for a set release or big event. Afterwards, we will remove the sets from the store until the next release period. For Stronghold (and Tempest), the off-sale date will be April 27th.
This change supports our classic releases in a few ways. First, short release windows ensure that classic releases are unique and exciting. It also allows us increase the duration of classic set release events, often for the entire release period. Second, a tighter activity focus improves the Magic Online experience for newer players by limiting the number of products they can buy in the store but cannot readily use. We have seen that after the release window, classic based limited events don’t fire regularly and this can make players feel like the bought the ‘wrong’ product. By selling classic packs only during release event periods, we can limit how often this happens. Finally, it gives us the flexibility to have special classic block events in the future. We plan on bringing back classic blocks for limited engagements so newer players and classic players alike can experience these great sets long after they would have been gone.
While this change means you won’t be able to buy classic packs from the Magic Online store whenever you want – don’t worry, we plan on making these classic packs available in other ways between releases (stay tuned for more details on that soon)– we are confident it makes our classic set releases even better. We look forward to the Stronghold release April 13th and hope you do to.
Good gaming and have fun!
The Magic Online Team
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