MTG Arena Is Getting A New Remastered Set!

During a recent Livestream celebrating Magic’s 30th anniversary, Wizards of the Coast made no end of mind-blowing announcements. With details about The Brothers’ War, Dominaria Remastered, and the reveal of Magic’s most expensive proxies, this Livestream show was indeed a blockbuster event. The only downside to this big event was its somewhat baffling timing considering it’s a 30th-anniversary event. As Blake Rasmussen notes, however, “it’s our party, we’re gonna throw it for a year and a half if we want to.” To get everyone excited for this milestone anniversary year, Wizards of the Coast even announced new products for MTG Arena. Much to the delight of Historic, Explorer, and Draft players, MTG Arena is getting another remastered set next year! 

Shadows over Innistrad Remastered 

As the title of this section somewhat gives away, Shadows over Innistrad Remastered has been announced for MTG Arena! Due to arrive sometime in “the first half of 2023,” this remastered set has been a much-requested addition to MTG Arena for over two years. Unfortunately for excited MTG Arena players, however, Wizards of the Coast was typically coy with the all-important details. Thankfully, previous remastered sets on MTG Arena give players some baseline of what to and what not to expect. 

First off, while there is a lot to be excited about, it’s important to note that Shadows over Innistrad Remastered won’t include all the block’s cards. Instead, this set will be a curated amalgamation of both the Shadows over Innistrad and Eldrich Moon sets from 2016. While you’d expect all the block’s most notable cards to make the cut, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Mere moments after the set’s announcement, for instance, players already doubt the inclusion of Emrakul, the Promised End Emrakul, the Promised End This spell costs {1} less to cast for each card type among cards in your graveyard.
When you cast this spell, you gain control of target opponent during that player's next turn. After that turn, that player takes an extra turn.
Flying, trample, protection from instants .

By taking control of your opponent for a turn, Emrakul, the Promised End presents an immense challenge for the MTG Arena development team. Subsequently, many players are already claiming that “it probably won’t be in the set.” While this would be a deeply disappointing missed card, Shadows over Innistrad Remastered has much more to offer. Anguished Unmaking Anguished Unmaking Exile target nonland permanent. You lose 3 life. , Grim Flayer Grim Flayer Trample
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, surveil 3. (Look at the top three cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.)
Delirium — This creature gets +2/+2 as long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. , and Thing in the Ice Thing in the Ice Defender
This creature enters with four ice counters on it.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, remove an ice counter from this creature. Then if it has no ice counters on it, transform it. for instance, are also much adored cards from this block. 

As if that wasn’t enough, Shadows over Innistrad Remastered will also likely feature Meld cards. While beloved, this fan-favorite mechanic was probably another huge development hurdle for Wizards to overcome. Thanks to The Brothers’ War, however, Wizards needed to implement the mechanic anyway, making this remaster much more appealing. 

Explorer Anthology 2

As if Shadows over Innistrad Remastered wasn’t enough to get excited about, Wizards also casually announced Explorer Anthology 2. While Wizards didn’t reveal much, thankfully, players won’t have to wait long to find out more, as Explorer Anthology 2 is planned to release “later this year.” Unfortunately, after announcing the vague release date, Wizards quickly changed topics, so there’s no telling what might be in store. That little detail, however, isn’t going to stop us from engaging in some rampant speculation about what could be in store. So without any further waffling, here are some of our high hopes for Explorer Anthology 2. 

• Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {T}: Add {C}.
  {2}, {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.)
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Each land is a Swamp in addition to its other land types.
• Knight of the White Orchid Knight of the White Orchid First strike
  When this creature enters, if an opponent controls more lands than you, you may search your library for a Plains card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
• Chained to the Rocks Chained to the Rocks Enchant Mountain you control
  When this Aura enters, exile target creature an opponent controls until this Aura leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner's control.)
• Kytheon, Hero of Akros Kytheon, Hero of Akros At end of combat, if Kytheon and at least two other creatures attacked this combat, exile Kytheon, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
  {2}{W}: Kytheon gains indestructible until end of turn.
• Dig Through Time Dig Through Time Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
  Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
• Treasure Cruise Treasure Cruise Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
  Draw three cards.
• Temporal Trespass Temporal Trespass Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
  Take an extra turn after this one. Exile Temporal Trespass.
• Bloodsoaked Champion Bloodsoaked Champion This creature can't block.
  Raid — {1}{B}: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate only if you attacked this turn.
• Lifebane Zombie Lifebane Zombie Intimidate (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.)
  When this creature enters, target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a green or white creature card from it and exile that card.
• Abrupt Decay Abrupt Decay This spell can't be countered.
  Destroy target nonland permanent with mana value 3 or less.
• Monestary Swiftspear
• Eidolon of the Great Revel Eidolon of the Great Revel Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value 3 or less, this creature deals 2 damage to that player.
• Rending Volley Rending Volley This spell can't be countered.
  Rending Volley deals 4 damage to target white or blue creature.
• Satyr Wayfinder Satyr Wayfinder When this creature enters, reveal the top four cards of your library. You may put a land card from among them into your hand. Put the rest into your graveyard.
• Oath of Nissa Oath of Nissa When Oath of Nissa enters, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal a creature, land, or planeswalker card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
  You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast planeswalker spells.
• Sylvan Caryatid Sylvan Caryatid Defender, hexproof
  {T}: Add one mana of any color.
• The Chain Veil The Chain Veil At the beginning of your end step, if you didn't activate a loyalty ability of a planeswalker this turn, you lose 2 life.
  {4}, {T}: For each planeswalker you control, you may activate one of its loyalty abilities once this turn as though none of its loyalty abilities have been activated this turn.
• Dreadbore Dreadbore Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
• Spell Queller Spell Queller Flash
  Flying
  When this creature enters, exile target spell with mana value 4 or less.
  When this creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card's owner may cast that card without paying its mana cost.

Unfortunately, while Explorer Anthology 2 has been confirmed, there’s no word on Historic Anthology 7. Considering that Explorer Anthology 1 was released alongside Historic Anthology 6, there is some hope for another joint release. This, however, has not been confirmed, so we’ll have to wait and see to find out what’s in store. 

The Pioneer Promise

Throughout 2021 and much of 2022, many Arena players weren’t entirely convinced by Wizards’ promise of evolving Explorer into Pioneer. Thankfully, this started to change following the launch of Explorer Anthology 1 in July. Despite players’ fears that this might be an infrequent treat, Wizards appear to be doubling down their efforts. With both Remastered sets and Explorer Anthologies, players may not have to wait until 2028 for Pioneer to be complete. For better or worse, however, that’s pure speculation based on this latest announcement. Following Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, it’s equally possible that Wizards seriously slows down once again, keeping players waiting for a year, if not longer, for another Remastered set. 

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