While we’re still adjusting to the new cards introduced in Foundations, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has already announced the upcoming release of *Aetherdrift*, the first Standard-legal set of 2025. This set also marks a major shift as the first Universes Beyond Standard-legal set. For those unfamiliar, Universes Beyond sets feature crossover content from popular culture, such as *Lord of the Rings* and *Assassin’s Creed*, bringing non-traditional Magic: The Gathering characters and planes into the game. What’s notable this time is that these Universes Beyond sets will now be Standard-legal, a change from past sets that were largely Commander, Legacy, and Vintage-legal, with *Lord of the Rings* being the exception for Modern. This shift signals a new direction for Magic, but it’s the change in Play Booster Boxes that has really caught the community’s attention.
Changes to Play Booster Boxes
So, what’s the big change? How will this affect Magic players?
Starting with *Aetherdrift*, Play Booster Boxes will now contain 30 packs instead of the usual 36. This decision follows feedback from players and distributors who have expressed a preference for 30-pack boxes, as they offer a proportionally lower price. However, many Draft fans have raised concerns that this change could negatively affect the drafting process.
Drafting has become a well-oiled machine, thanks in part to the current setup of 36-pack boxes. With 24 packs for the draft and the remaining 12 packs used for prize support, everything worked seamlessly. Now, with just 30 packs per box, the process becomes a bit more complicated. At local game stores, it’s not a huge issue, as they can pull extra packs from another box to fulfill prize payouts. But for casual groups looking to draft privately and award prizes, the new setup is less convenient, leaving them with only 6 packs for prizes unless they purchase additional packs.
While it might seem like this is a return to the days of 30-pack boxes, it raises a question: If 36 packs worked so well, why make this change at all? It’s frustrating for some players who feel the process was already functioning just fine.
A Potential Price Reduction?
One potential upside to this change could be a reduction in the price of Play Booster Boxes. Currently priced around $130 USD, a decrease to closer to $100 USD would make these boxes more appealing to new players, creating a cleaner price point that sounds better (the psychological effect of $99.99 over $130). If this price drop happens, it could help offset the reduced pack count and make the product more accessible to the broader Magic community.
Does This Affect Standard Players?
For most constructed players, this change likely won’t have a major impact. Constructed players typically prefer to buy individual cards, so purchasing booster boxes is often seen as inefficient. However, for players who enjoy drafting, this shift may lead to fewer opportunities to play in drafts, especially if some players start opting out of drafting because of the reduced pack count. As a constructed player myself, I’ve found that drafting over the past two years has significantly improved my understanding of the game and my card evaluation skills. If fewer people start drafting, newer constructed players might miss out on valuable learning experiences.
As of now, there hasn’t been much communication from WotC on how this will affect the drafting scene long-term, but we can expect more updates as we approach the *Aetherdrift* release. Hopefully, we’ll see some reduction in prices and more clarity on why this change was made.
Stay tuned to Tako Games & Collectibles for all the latest updates as this situation develops!