MTG Head Designer Has Had Complaints From "Many Players" Over Product Fatigue

One of the biggest issues facingMagic: The Gatheringplayers over the past couple of years has been product fatigue, as many feelWizards of the Coasthas been releasing too many sets at far too fast of a pace for Magic fans to keep up with. That could be due to financial reasons, or simply because fans feel like they’re not getting enough time with a new set before the next one is on their tables.

It’s a common complaint among fans and high-profile streamers, and one that finally seems to be getting to Magic: The Gathering head designer Mark Rosewater. In a recent post on hisBlogatog blog, an MTG fan recently asked Rosewater whether the current release schedule is planning on slowing down over the next couple of years, and wondered how to communicate the desire for one to Wizards of the Coast without “voting with my dollar”.

In response, Rosewater claimed that he’s been receiving complaints about the current release schedule from “many players”, and that using social media is actually quite helpful. He also claims that he and other social media-facing individuals at Wizards of the Coast have been passing on these complaints to the higher-ups who decide the release schedule and how many products are released in a calendar year.

Complaining here is helpful. This is a message that is being communicated by many players, and it is being conveyed (by me and others that interact most with the public) to the people making the calls about how many products we produce.

Whether comments from Rosewater and others will be enough to persuade Wizards of the Coast to slow down with the new MTG sets remains to be seen, but it should be seen as a positive sign that the company is being poked about it and is aware of the problem. Until we see the release schedule slow down, it seems as though Rosewater is encouraging fans to take to social media with their concerns to ensure their complaints are seen.

Unfortunately, we won’t actually know whether these complaints have successfully reached the ears of higher-ups at Wizards for a while, as products are designed and planned several years in advance in some cases. 2024 is looking just as busy as 2023 right now, withFalloutandAssassin’s CreedUniverses Beyond sets thrown on the pile for good measure. Hopefully, 2025 will be the year we start to see Wizards slow down a little.