MagicCon Atlanta 2026 kicks off today, closing out a big year for Wizards of the Coast. Fresh off the release of the Star Trek Universes Beyond set, the convention is underway. Players are excited to hear more about everything announced at MagicCon Amsterdam, from Nauctis: The Sunken Realm to the return to Kamigawa (it’s getting a book) and more. With over 25,000 people in attendance, this Preview Panel will set the stage for everything coming in 2027.
With this being the last MagicCon Atlanta, with Detroit taking its place next year, the preview panel is setting the stage for a phenomenal gathering. We’ll update this post as each announcement is made, so follow along for more. 2027 is all about The Gathering.
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The Gathering Raises $10 Million for Extra Life
The funds raised through Extra Life go directly to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Through philanthropic Secret Lair drops, donations, and more, Magic players have raised $10 million. These funds help children’s hospitals provide critical care, comfort, research, equipment, and family support when it matters most. The next drop, Rise of the Polygons | Extra Life 2026, is on sale early at MagicCon: Atlanta, and 100% of all purchases will go to Extra Life.
Nauctis: The Sunken Realm
Roy Graham, Mark Rosewater, and Laurel Pratt joined the MagicCon Atlanta 2026 Preview Panel stage to reveal new cards and dive deeper (pun intended) into Nauctis: The Sunken Realm.
Rosewater explained that going underwater has been on the Magic: The Gathering teams’ to-do list for a long time. She also revealed that going underwater means ditching flying. Yulp, there are no flying creatures in the set.
Pratt explained how much research went into developing the world of Nauctis and making sure it isn’t just, well, blue. Even without any dry land. “D&D under the sea” was a focal point in developing the world of the new set, which meant creating different biomes for different creature types that show the depth of the Sunken Realm.
Rosewater also revealed the Sunken Treasures Box Toppers that will include themed reprints and brand new cards for the set. The panel also dove into the three areas in Nauctis, each with its own flavor and creature type: The Shallows, The Grand Marine, and The Abyss.
Pratt also shared that they consulted marine biologists to develop the world. And when it came to revealing new cards, they also revealed the coral frame treatments that players can expect.
Nauctis Keywords:
- Fathomless descent
- Dive
The Shallows
The Shallows is an area where characters live close to dry land, including humans, sealfolk, sharkfolk, and more.
We also learned more about the different creature-types joining the world of Magic, and we have to think about Bloomburrow, but under the sea.
Sealfolk
- Seals, Red/White creatures
- Sharks, Red/Green creatures
The Grand Marine
The Grand Marine in Nauctis is deeper in the water and where you’ll find the Merfolk. Nauctis’ new merfolk are in a different color pie breakdown than just the traditional white, blue, and green. Evoking James Cameron’s Avatar, the Merfolk are a deeply religious people, with their gods swimming the same path and singing the same song.
Whale Gods – Salinae, The Ocean Mother
The Abyss
Moving deeper into the sunken realm, the Abyss is a place of Horrors. At the bottom of Nauctis’ ocean depths, the Desolators exist to destroy all life and consume. Tecton, Malignant Ruin, is the most powerful of the Desolators and is close to a god called the Ruiner.
Abyssal Lotus (Headliner)
The Abyssal Lotus is brand new and in the depths of Nauctis. This lotus will come in three versions: the normal, Raised Foil Headliner, nd Choral Frame.
Card Text: Artifact enters tapped. Descend 8 — {tap}, Exile this Artifact: Add three mana of any one color. Activate only if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Nauctis: The Sunken Realm is set to release in February of 2027.
Magic: The Gathering Publishing
After the Strixhaven novel, Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos, hit the New York Times bestseller list, more novels and comics are coming.
- Kamigawa: Moon Over the Neon City (2027): Kamigawa: Moon Over the Neon City will bring readers to the plane, launching alongside the upcoming set. The book’s first run will also feature a Command Tower promo card for players.
- The Incoming Student’s Guide to Strixhaven (2027)
- Planeswalker Encyclopedia (2027): An encyclopedic look at the world of Magic: The Gathering.
In addition, Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering are partnering with Dark Horse to bring new planeswalker stories to players.
- Chandra
- Jace
- Teferi
- Elsbeth
- Liliana
Magic: The Gathering’s Animated Netflix Series IS HAPPENING, FINALLY
Roy Graham remained on stage to show a small promo clip with storyboards and early animation for the long-awaited MTG animated series. And now, it has a release window. Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker is coming to Netflix, exclusively in 2027.
The Squen and Cragg Show – In Atlanta!
The Preview Panel also featured a section with Brian Henson going into how the Squen and Cragg came to be. He noted that Wizards of the Coast is the top in hiring artists and painters. Henson explained expanding Squen & Cragg from a rock opera into a full-fledged podcast.
What is the MagicCon 2027 schedule?
For 2027, Wizards of the Coast will be expanding to four MagicCon events around the world:
- MagicCon: Detroit – February 26-28, 2027
- MagicCon: Tokyo (Japan) – May 14-16, 2027
- MagicCon: Las Vegas – August 27-29, 2027
- MagicCon: Amsterdam – December 3-5, 2027
