Magic: The Gathering’s Cards ‘May’ Change Due to MTG Arena, and That’s a Problem

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The game Magic: The Gathering, known for its complex history, constantly grapples with aspects like card balance, deck construction, format adjustments, and overall gameplay implications. For instance, the ban on certain cards in Standard format this June garnered positive feedback from many players due to its resolution of long-standing concerns about the format’s direction based on its previous meta. However, these bans did not please everyone as they made certain decks practically unplayable. Wizards of the Coast also handles errata changes, and a recent case illustrates how game balance might consider its online version.

Historically, “Magic: The Gathering” set releases have predominantly been paper prints. However, as games transition towards digital platforms like desktops and screens, having an online version like “Magic: The Gathering Arena” has become more of a necessity than a luxury. Despite the online game’s controversies, such as the Spider-Man set not being available in its entirety on Arena but only in generic versions within the multiverse, it remains a significant part of the game.

Recently, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) announced some changes with the launch of Edge of Eternities, and one of these changes involves an errata to a popular card called Rampaging Baloths. The likely cause of this change is “MTG Arena“.

MTG Arena May Be The Culprit For a Popular Card’s Nerf With Edge of Eternities

In the strategy deck of World Shaper Edge of Eternities for MTG, the card Rampaging Baloths plays a significant role, focusing on playing lands and triggering effects related to those lands being played, often brought back from the graveyard via recursion. Specifically, this 6-mana, 6/6 creature with trample (4 generic, 2 green) has a landfall ability that used to allow players to generate a 4/4 beast token when playing a land. However, it now states that “players may” create the token instead.

How Magic: The Gathering is ‘Nerfing’ Rampaging Baloths

The modification to the Rampaging Baloths card raises the question: Is it beneficial to adjust cards for a more seamless experience on MTG Arena, especially since the “may” clause doesn’t cause problems in physical games? Furthermore, not activating an ability without the “may” clause can result in a warning during official competitions, which could be frustrating for those who bought MTG’s Edge of Eternities Commander decks and discovered a minor discrepancy in their Rampaging Baloths replica.

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2025-09-09 01:05