Magic: The Gathering’s Lorwyn Eclipsed May Finally Reset a Long-Running Pattern

by

As a devoted fan, I find myself reflecting on the abundance of exciting updates in the world of Magic: The Gathering. With Edge of Eternities set to launch on August 1, Spider-Man previews just around the corner, Avatar: The Last Airbender spoilers already circulating online, and even product details for Lorwyn Eclipsed emerging five months ahead of schedule – it’s safe to say that the news is coming fast and furious!

While this rich schedule may pose a challenge for keeping up-to-date, the past year has indeed been marked by significant changes in the Magic: The Gathering universe. With Universes Beyond now a permanent fixture of Standard play, thanks to the introduction of Final Fantasy, we’ve witnessed some key developments.

And here’s where things get particularly interesting – Lorwyn Eclipsed might just shake up one of these features, potentially giving us a fresh start in the game we love so much!

This year, the game Magic: The Gathering has seen significant transformations, extending beyond UB sets. For instance, the Edge of Eternities expansion introduced spacecraft cards that can double as commanders in Commander decks. This might be due to creative decisions for collaborative expansions under Universes Beyond or simply a trend when adapting contemporary, renowned properties into card games. Interestingly, all three UB sets share one common trait – an excess of human characters, a staple in most Magic: The Gathering sets. However, for those seeking variety, Lorwyn Eclipsed is expected to introduce a human-free set for the first time since August 2024.

Magic: The Gathering’s Lorwyn Eclipsed Breaks a 17-Month Trend

Last year in August, Wizards of the Coast launched the highly successful “Bloomhaven” MTG set, focusing entirely on animal-like creatures and their distinct tribes. This set was a massive success, leading to an oversupply relative to demand, causing the cards’ value to plummet shortly after release. Notably, it had no human characters but only adorable animal figures. Following Bloomhaven, every major set subsequently introduced humans.

  • Duskmourn added 44 human cards
  • Aetherdrift added 21 human cards
  • Tarkir: Dragonstorm added 44 human cards
  • Final Fantasy added 77 human cards
  • Edge of Eternities added 33 human cards
  • Spider-Man already has 29 human cards confirmed
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender already has 39 human cards confirmed

Bloomburrow was completely devoid of any human presence, but the Magic: The Gathering collector booster packs for Bloomburrow and the Commander decks incorporated some human characters as reprints within them.

The high number of human-subtype creatures in each set is a logical development given the crossover with intellectual properties predominantly centered around human stories, or those that involve humans to some extent. For instance, if a “Universes Beyond” Magic: The Gathering set for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were to occur, it would primarily feature non-human characters, but there would still be a significant number of human characters overall.

It’s quite possible that when we revisit the Lorwyn plane with Lorwyn Eclipsed in January 2026, humans won’t make an appearance in the main set, as they were absent from the original set. However, even if humans do show up, they probably won’t be the central characters; instead, they might play a supporting role in the larger narrative.

Lorwyn Eclipsed marks the start of MTG’s 2026 release schedule. Besides this, there are two other sets confirmed for the following year. Secrets of Strixhaven and one with the codename “Ziplining” are both expected to include human creatures.

Why Lorwyn Eclipsed May Be a ‘Ceckpoint’ for Magic: The Gathering

Given that Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is likely to have three UB sets next year, with WotC’s Mark Rosewater stating that the split will remain 50/50 indefinitely, it seems unlikely that there won’t be any human cards included. Consequently, Lorwyn Eclipsed might mark a significant gap since the last set without them, which could also mean a prolonged absence of human cards. Whether this is viewed as positive or negative depends on individual preferences among players.

Read More

2025-08-27 22:04