<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drought" href="#" target="_blank">Drought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <strong><a href="https://www.nenethomasart.com/">NeNe Thomas</a></strong></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For the past few sets, <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> has had a profound lack of flavor text. Compared with expansions sets from the 2000s and 2010s, the past year or so suffered from a distinct level of <a href="https://commandersherald.com/solitaired-study-declares-magic-worlds-most-complex-tabletop-game/">rules complexity</a> and mechanical creeping. But according to <em>Magic</em> Head Designer <strong>Mark Rosewater</strong>, the end of the flavor text drought is just beyond the horizon.</p>
<h2>Mark Rosewater's Statement on Flavor Text</h2>
<p>On Wednesday, August 6th, a Tumblr user asked Rosewater about the current lack of flavor text on most cards in recent years. This was noted especially for "fancy cards" that lacked reminder text. Rosewater replied, "We are making a conscious effort to prioritize having more cards with flavor text."</p>
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/791164763967242240/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791164763967242240/is-it-possible-that-we-could-see-more-flavor">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791164763967242240/is-it-possible-that-we-could-see-more-flavor</a></div>
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<p>The present reality is that yes, flavor text is on a strict decline. With the game growing more and more complex with each passing year, there's so little room for flavor text now. However, if this is to change, it will only do so slowly and gradually overall. After all, the <em>Magic</em> Design team works roughly two and a half years ahead of a set's release.</p>
<h2>Thoughts in the Notes Section</h2>
<p>Nevertheless, this statement, as brief as it is, bodes well for fans of the story of each set. One especially grateful Tumblr user left a note on this statement, saying to Mark Rosewater directly, "I don’t have all the thanks this deserves, but take all the thanks I can give. Regardless, I’ll be sending more on a daily basis."</p>
<p>Another Tumblr user added, "Please add more flavor text. It is especially annoying for me when one card out of a cycle of five doesn’t have flavor text because it is wordier than the other four. It breaks the feel of the cycle." This is a sentiment that rings true to many <em>Magic</em> players, to be sure.</p>
<p>So now, let's hear from you, dear readers. Do you want <em>Magic</em> to eschew complexity in favor of lore and flavor text? Sound off below!</p>


Mark Rosewater: Flavor Text Drought Will Soon Lift

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omniscience" href="#" target="_blank">Omniscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.jasonchanart.com/"><strong>Jason Chan</strong></a></em></p>
<p><em>Magic: The Gathering</em> Head Designer <strong>Mark Rosewater</strong> is a valuable source of information about the game's design process from the back-end. Rosewater has stated plenty of interesting factoids that turned out to be cleverly disguised hints at the game's future. On Wednesday, August 6th, Rosewater replied to a Tumblr user on <a href="https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/">Blogatog</a>, his personal Tumblr account:</p>
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/791123005432610816/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791123005432610816/since-universes-beyond-sets-dont-usually-have">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791123005432610816/since-universes-beyond-sets-dont-usually-have</a></div>
<p><script async src="https://assets.tumblr.com/post.js?_v=38df9a6ca7436e6ca1b851b0543b9f51"></script></p>
<p>The user asked Mark if we will soon be receiving more planeswalker cards in the future to compensate for the distinct, decided lack of them in the <em>Universes Beyond</em> crossover sets. Rosewater replied with a simple, direct, telling "Yes.".</p>
<p>A single-word answer doesn't always give quite a lot of details as to the process behind the answer. However, note that this question was direct and was answered directly as well. This is good news for fans of the card type and fans of the Planeswalker characters in the story.</p>
<h2>A Caveat About Mark Rosewater's "Yes." Response</h2>
<p>However, as <em>Universes Beyond</em> sets are due to release with the same frequency as Universes Within sets, it is entirely possible that the number of planeswalker cards won't increase per year. Even so, it's fun to think about this. Furthermore, not all Planeswalkers in the <em>Magic</em> story will necessarily get cards associated with them.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this news may not come as a surprise to anyone, but it's a good reminder of the backbone of <em>Magic</em>'s overarching story. The game is nothing without the original concepts behind Planeswalkers, either in the story or within the game's mechanics. Love them or hate them, planeswalker cards are here to stay, and Mark Rosewater's "Yes." answer makes that distinctly clear.</p>
<p>And now, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you a fan of the planeswalker card type? Do you want Wizards of the Coast to print more planeswalkers in the future? And furthermore, who are you favorite Planeswalker characters in the story? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Mark Rosewater: Planeswalker Cards To Be More Frequent Again

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm, Force of Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Storm, Force of Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magali_villeneuve/?hl=en">Magali Villeneuve</a></h6>
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<p>A few days ago, <em>Magic</em> Head Designer <strong>Mark Rosewater</strong> addressed some concerns about the <a href="https://commandersherald.com/spider-man-set-confirmed-to-have-no-commander-decks/">lack of Commander decks</a> for <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em>. According to Rosewater, <em>Spider-Man</em> was too small of a set initially to make a Commander precon tied to the set. However, this doesn't rule out any chances of future Marvel properties getting a Commander tie-in.</p>
<p><a href="https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/790142262356099072/why-doesnt-spider-man-have-any-commander-decks">On a Blogatog post</a> from Rosewater dated Saturday, July 26th, 2025, a Tumblr user asked the designer why we weren't getting Commander decks for the upcoming <em>Marvel's </em><em>Spider-Man</em>. To this, Rosewater replied:</p>
<blockquote><p>As I’ve explained in other posts, it started as something different than what it ended up. We had some ability to adapt it, but there simply wasn’t the ability timewise to add additional products that weren’t originally planned. There will be Marvel-themed Commander decks made in the future.</p></blockquote>
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/790142262356099072/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/790142262356099072/why-doesnt-spider-man-have-any-commander-decks">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/790142262356099072/why-doesnt-spider-man-have-any-commander-decks</a></div>
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<p>This dispels many doubts of there being thematic Commander precons based on Marvel in the future. However, it also sheds more light on <em>Spider-Man</em>. The interaction shown above highlights that the set was much smaller than it is now. This, in turn, gives the implication that <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em> was slated to have Beyond Boosters. Because <em>Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed</em> was largely seen as a commercial failure for players, players today speculate that this upcoming set changed its tune at the last minute to accommodate that shift.</p>
<p>While we won't be getting Commander decks for your friendly neighborhood web-slinging superhero, Rosewater has assured players that Marvel Commander decks will come in some capacity. Below is a very short shortlist of possible Marvel properties we may get Commander decks for:</p>
<ul>
<li>Avengers</li>
<li>X-Men</li>
<li>X-Force</li>
<li>Fantastic Four</li>
</ul>
<p>So now, with this in mind, we'd love to open the floor to you, dear readers! Are there any specific Marvel properties that you'd like to see get Commander decks? And while anything is mutable until release, do you stand by Mark Rosewater's statement regarding these precons? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Mark Rosewater Confirms Future Marvel Commander Decks

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><em>Magic</em> Head Designer Mark Rosewater | Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
<p>It's not surprising to many that <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em> is selling quite well right now. The sales data that Wizards of the Coast has access to seems to give credence to that idea. However, a few questions happen to spring from this well-received set, one of which we will cover here. In short, <em>Magic</em> Head Designer <strong>Mark Rosewater</strong> is busy on social media answering questions about <em>Magic</em>'s design process and its reception. Very specifically, on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater">Blogatog</a>, Rosewater's work-oriented Tumblr blog, he has been addressing inquiries about exactly why <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em> has sold so well.</p>
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781025267501137920/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to</a></div>
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<p>In his most in-depth reply, posted on Thursday, April 17th, Rosewater addressed a slight inaccuracy within his previous answers. In earlier replies, he mentioned the need for <em>Magic</em> sets to push boundaries. However, upon users such as the one in the embedded Tumblr post above calling Rosewater out on this, Rosewater admitted he misspoke. The crux of his point was that players want <em>Magic</em> to feel like <em>Magic</em>. Pushing bounds is still a valid design choice when designing for the game, and that holds true for "in-Multiverse" <em>Magic</em> sets.</p>
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781082769582358534/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly</a></div>
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<p>But this brings us to why this all came together the way it did, from all this discussion of bounds and nostalgia to the roaring success of <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em>. During this whole discussion thread, Rosewater mainly tried to say that in-Multiverse <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> sets should, appropriately, feel like <em>Magic</em>.</p>
<p>This is something that <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em> has done exceptionally well in many players' eyes. It is entirely plausible that, to use a bit of redundant speech, <em>Magic</em> players want <em>Magic</em> cards. Many of those players are not particularly enthused by the <em>Universes Beyond</em> initiative or its many tie-ins. And to reuse a slight cliche, they often just want <em>Magic</em> the way its creator <strong>Richard Garfield</strong> originally intended.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div></div>
<h2>Mark Rosewater's Response Is A Good Sign</h2>
<p>Rosewater, addressing these accolades and questions, feels like a good step towards this goal. It at the very least means that the good people at Wizards of the Coast are listening to players' concerns. Does this mean that in the next 2.5 years, we will start getting in-Multiverse sets that definitively feel more like <em>Magic</em> of old? This may be true. At the same time, it could be a shorter span, or even a longer one, until we get that again. Furthermore, some in-Multiverse <em>Magic</em> sets may end up missing the mark on that concept. Such is the way of design-based experimentation. But suffice it to say, we should focus on the here and now and continue to celebrate the critical and commercial successes of <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em>.</p>
<p>Let's open the floor to you. How do you feel about the new set? Do you think it "feels" like <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>? Additionally, what is your opinion of <em>Universes Beyond</em>? Sound off below!</p>


blogatog

Mark Rosewater: Flavor Text Drought Will Soon Lift

Mark Rosewater: Planeswalker Cards To Be More Frequent Again

Mark Rosewater Confirms Future Marvel Commander Decks

Mark Rosewater: In-Multiverse Sets Should Feel Like Magic