Wizards of the Coast showed off new art for upcoming MTG products at SDCC, but players are confused as new Lord of the Rings art appears, despite no one expecting a return.
MTG Lord of the Rings has proven to be a very popular set. Bringing the world of Middle-Earth to decks everywhere seems like it’s been a successful experiment. We’ve obviously seen a Willy-Wonka-esque chase for the 1:1 One Ring card, as well as a lot of hype around the hunt.
Outside of that though, the cards have had some interesting design and flavor. From Nazgul, Sauron, Hobbits, and Elves, alongside the most beloved fantasy characters ever created, there’s been a lot of avenues for fun from the Magic design team.
That said, players assumed we were wrapping up our time in Middle-Earth, readying for Commander Masters and Thrones of Eldraine. That assumption stretched to thinking this would be a one-and-done trip too. However, it seems future Lord of the Rings content could be coming to the game.
Some kind of Middle-Earth return is on the horizon
During a panel at SDCC, MTG head designer Mark Rosewater revealed art for upcoming MTG products. He showed off images from eight new products. However, he explained he would be providing no context for any of them.
Those images have turned up on the MTG Reddit, and you can mouse through them above. However, one that has caught the eye, past a horrifying Goose Hydra, is the seventh. This image seems to confirm a future return to Lord of the Rings. A shield on the floor shows the white hand of Saruman, the Goblin shares a likeness to ones already printed in the set, and the horse riders in the art carry a Rohirrim flag.
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Since this is part of an upcoming product, it’s left players wondering if we’ll see a return to Middle-Earth. One user said, “so does the 7th one confirm another lord of the rings set?”
Another user guessed it could be a Commander-focused set. They said: “My guess is it’s for a full Commander set.
They did the same thing with the DnD set: AFR came out in 2021, and then Commander Legends came out in 2022.”
Another wondered if it was a possible Secret Lair. They said: “Perhaps Secret Lair again? Would be interesting if they’re releasing another full set, though. Or even a half set like Aftermath.”
Right now though, we don’t really know. It’s definitely new art for something Magic and Lord of the Rings related, but other than that, we really have no idea. Rosewater did confirm though that we would be hearing about all eight products in the next two weeks. We’ll have to wait and see on this one.
