Magic: The Gathering’s game-changing War of the Spark set has more planeswalkers than ever before

Avengers: Endgame isn’t the only epic showdown between superpowered beings and a god-like tyrant landing at the end of April. Magic: The Gathering’s War of the Spark expansion is coming, and it could prove to be one of the biggest shifts for the collectible card game in years.

What makes War of the Spark so significant is the number of planeswalkers – Magic’s powerful spellcasters who represent the battling players – in the set.

36 Planeswalkers will be included in the expansion as a whole, with one planeswalker guaranteed to feature in every booster pack – a massive shift from their ‘mythic rare’ appearances in boosters for the last ten-plus years.

As some of the most formidable cards in the whole of Magic, the sheer quantity and commonality of planeswalkers in War of the Spark could radically change Magic’s current meta in the Standard format, leading pro players to overhaul their decks to defend against their reusable abilities.

War of the Spark’s story is the culmination of a year-long battle between the heroic Gatewatch and the dragon Nicol Bolas, one of Magic’s most iconic and powerful beings. Like Endgame, the epic showdown has the potential to see several fan-favourite characters offed – and has been teased with a suitably cinematic trailer soundtracked by Linkin Park’s In the End.

All of the characters shown in the trailer’s stained glass windows have been confirmed to appear in War of the Spark, including the return of several planeswalkers after a good while out of the spotlight. One popular planeswalker who won’t be making an appearance will be Garruk Wildspeaker, as confirmed by lead designer Mark Rosewater on Tumblr.

War of the Spark will be released on Magic: The Gathering Arena, the card game’s digital app, on April 25th, followed by a pre-release in shops on April 27th and 28th. get a look at its trailer below.

We have a fight to finish.

War of the Spark features 36 Planeswalker cards and a story experience unlike anything before. The multiverse is at stake. Will you join the fight? #MTGWAR

Play it first on @MTG_Arena April 25th
Prerelease April 27-28th pic.twitter.com/vYCzSRpdZU

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) 31 March 2019