I'll Never Look At MTG The Same After Attending MagicCon

It’s easy to become swept up in the seemingly endless online discourse surrounding Magic: The Gathering these days. Whether it’s outrage over powerful cards and archetypes, the state of specific formats, or the general existence of Universes Beyond, it’s often easier to be negative about the state of Magic rather than appreciate the game and everything it offers.

However, at MagicCon Amsterdam, like any good Planeswalker, I found my spark. Living in the moment around an incredible community of players helped me push past the constant negativity fed to me by Reddit and other social media sources, and it reminded me why Magic is my favorite TCG of all time.

More importantly, MagicCon showed me that the Magic community is more than capable of having intelligent discussions about hot topics in the game without resorting to baseless claims and accusations.

Magic Isn’t Perfect, And That’s Absolutely Fine

I’m guilty of letting Universes Beyond cloud my opinions, and while I’m still not thrilled that these sets are Standard-legal, it’s becoming increasingly hard to argue with their effectiveness given how successful they are in terms of revenue and bringing new players into the fold. The Magic market is also pretty messed up right now, with product and cards being scooped up at MSRP and resold for extortionate prices on a daily basis.

Despite this, there are still countless ways to play and enjoy the game, some of which are targeted towards low-budget cards. There was no better example of this than at MagicCon, where games of all formats are being played both as ticketed events and in the many free play areas.

No one at MagicCon is using their time to moan about minor gripes with the game, or push their beliefs onto other players. In fact, it’s the ultimate playground for healthy, constructive discussion about the game we all love.

In the games I played with random players, controversial topics did come up in discussion, but it was always cordial. I stuck to my guns on Universes Beyond: I appreciate the product but am not a fan of it being Standard-legal, and the response I got was typically either supporting this point of view or arguing that they’re a net positive because they help grow the game and introduce it to new players.

Rarely did anyone I talk to at MagicCon show disdain towards Universes Beyond, and this supports Mark Rosewater’s recent comments suggesting that the number of players who are unhappy with Universes Beyond is approximately seven percent. Of this very small minority within the Magic community, most of the noise is made online, and while it’s extremely loud noise, the truth is that the average player doesn’t really give it a second thought.

Magic players love seeing the game grow, and while we all have little things we’d like to fix or change about it, when looking at the big picture, Magic’s never been in such good shape from a community perspective.

MagicCon Remains The Ultimate Pilgrimage For MTG Players

If you’re struggling with Magic despite being a fan, be it for any of the already mentioned reasons or something entirely different, the best advice I can give you is to get yourself to a MagicCon event. It’s a passion-affirming experience to enter a space filled with so many like-minded people, and you’ll come away with a renewed love for the game.

On top of this, MagicCon also made me realize that who you play with is half the battle. Magic is a game best played with those who are in the same mindset as you when it comes to the state of the game.

I’ve wasted time playing with players who moan about Universes Beyond only to unironically play a deck featuring cards from Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy, and Fallout. Worse still are players who show up to casual Commander games then start pulling cards off the top of their deck to see when they would have won the game right after they were knocked out first.

At an event like MagicCon, these behaviors are left at home or at least called out as being in bad taste in the moment, and you can instead focus on playing for the love of the game. Magic is a fantastic vehicle for making new friends, too, and the countless free play areas are some of the most welcoming and inclusive environments I’ve ever experienced at an event like this. It never mattered who you were, where you are from, or how you identify; you are welcome to sit at any table with a space and shuffle up and play.

Even if I look at other aspects of MagicCon, like the panels, there’s also plenty of reason to feel great about the future of the game. During the Reality Fracture and MTG 2027 panel, the audience's reception to new cards and sets rivaled that of giant sporting events. This didn’t come through on the live stream because audio controls dampened the audience's volume, but it was one of those “had to be there” moments for sure.

There’s no longer a space for rampant and never-ending negativity in Magic: The Gathering. If you find yourself unable to cope with the fact that the game today is not the same game you started playing five, ten, 20, or even 30 years ago, then that’s okay, but had Magic tried to persist without change, it would not be around today.

Based on the most recent revenue reports, Wizards of the Coast is making the right calls to grow the game in every aspect, so the voices of a small angry mob aren’t going to change this. However, if you want to give the game another chance to win you back, head to a MagicCon; it just might be the fix for all your problems.

Magic: The Gathering