The assembly format is caught between a rock and a hard place in 2025

Summary

2025 brings new Magic: The Gathering products such as three Magic Universe sets and three Universe Beyond sets.
Universes Beyond sets, once not for Standard, are now legal in all formats starting in 2025.
Players may struggle to manage six closely-launched Standard sets every time, affecting gameplay and financial investment.

2025 will bring a lot of new products and cards for Magic: The Gathering fans to collect – from three Magic Universe sets (Aetherdrift, Tarkir Dragonstorm, and Edge of Eternities) to Innistrad Remastered, including three Universe Beyond sets. MTGHis UB sets are polarizing in terms of design, as the crossovers don't always fit perfectly into the game's setting. More importantly, Universes Beyond installs Magic: The Gathering may be a little controversial, as Wizards of the Coast originally promised that these builds would not affect the Standard deck rotation or be playable in Standard, but this will no longer be the case in 2025.

A lot is changing in Magic: The Gathering right now, and that started in November with the release of Foundations – the first set to enter the Standard rotation for at least five years, if not semi-perpetuity. Then Wizards of the Coast announced their change from four Magic Universe sets and two UB sets at three and three, which was accompanied by the announcement that Universes Beyond will now be legal in all formats. However, this may put a monkey wrench in some fans' plans, as UB sets being standard legal means that to stay current with the format you have to play six sets in a year instead of four.

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Two Magic: Gathering card types can never be reprinted

Magic: The Gathering has many types and subtypes of cards, but two of them are problematic enough that they may never get new printings.

There's an argument to be made that standard-legal six sets are a little difficult for players, both from a news cycle vs. fatigue as well as financially because Magic: The Gathering he has many expensive cards. This means that six Standard sets will be difficult to manage for collectors, who may be forced to choose which sets to open packs and displays and which to skip or limit to a few drafts. Additionally, the new total of six Standard sets means that it can be harder to take breaks from the format if one wants to remain competitive.

This doesn't even take into account that the Universes Beyond sets might not be for everyone, as Magic: The Gathering fans might want to stay Magic The universe sets grounds for ambience, design and tradition. Instead, Standard decks will inevitably have to include cards from Universes Beyond sets with the new release schedule and legalization rules, which can be frustrating if someone doesn't want to see Spiderman or Final Fantasy cards in MTG. This is true of every UB set, but now being legal in any format and releasing more often, it will be difficult to achieve.

Why six standard sets can be difficult for new MTG UB fans to handle

At the other end of the spectrum, new players starting to gather Magic: The Gathering cards because of their favorite IP become part of the game and also plan to start playing Standard, collecting cards from all previous expansions to catch up and make a deck isn't exactly easy. Also, these new players may not like other IPs from Universes Beyond and lose interest in Standard or the game as a whole.

Aetherdrift will launch on February 14th, 2025, followed by Tarkir Dragonstorms on April 11th, Final Fantasy UB on June 13th, and Edge of Eternities on August 1st. The Spider-Man UB set and the unannounced UB set have yet to be assigned release dates. but they are likely to occur between September and October and between November and December respectively.

Magic: The Gathering 2025 release schedule may be too tight

What follows is that for new Standard players and veterans alike, the change to six sets in a year means it may be best to purchase individual cards instead of boosters, or try to use packs with as few new cards in each as possible. set. However, six sets for Standard players may be hard to keep up with given the cadence, as there will only be a few months between each 2025 Magic: The Gathering release. In general, 2025 will be rich in new products, but it can affect players, especially in Standard.