MTG has revealed three new sets for 2027, featuring both fan-favorite and unfamiliar settings that will arrive alongside as-yet unnamed Universes Beyond products.
Revealed as a part of Magic Con 2026, these three new sets will launch between February and October of next year. They divide attention between long-requested ideas like an underwater setting and the return of beloved realms – in this case, Kamigawa and Zhalfir. Fans of the best card games will likely recognize the latter two as they've been part of MTG lore for a long time, but these upcoming appearances drastically shake things up. For Kamigawa, it's being beset by giant monsters… forcing citizens to armor up in powerful mechs. As for Zhalfir, it's getting a full set for the first time and will dive deep into rich Afrofantasy lore we've not seen before.
So, what about those Universes Beyond releases? It's certainly a hot topic right now (especially after MTG head designer Mark Rosewater says fans must adapt or "walk away" if they don't like Universes Beyond), but publisher Wizards of the Coast is staying quiet for now. All we know from Magic Con 2026 is that three unnamed sets will launch in April, August, and November – with more details to follow.
Nauctis The Sunken Realm – February 5, 2027
This water-world takes us beneath the waves of a brand-new setting, charting welcoming shallows to the deepest abyss. While we've seen plenty of underwater creatures and locales throughout Magic's history, this is the game's first purely ocean-bound set.
That means a host of new species beyond the merfolk you're likely to expect, ranging from lobster folk and strange penguin sages to walrus warriors. (Humans are the minority here, requiring diving gear to get anywhere.) Taking place under the sea also makes this the first set in a long while, if ever, to ditch MTG's 'flying' mechanic. You can't fly underwater and positioning isn't such an issue when you can swim in any direction, after all. While we don't know much about it, MTG devs are promising an evasive replacement.
A unique challenge of Nauctis was apparently working out how all five mana colors look – and operate – underwater. MTG's solution includes the likes of green-adjacent kelp forests, black-themed whale carcasses on the ocean floor, and hot springs to represent red.
Kamigawa Titanbreach – June 4, 2027
We're going back to the Japan-inspired plane of Kamigawa next summer, but it's not quite as you remember – and that probably has something to with it being invaded by Ikoria, the plane of monsters. The result is basically Pacific Rim; kaiju are rampaging across the world, and mechs are deployed to stop them. Chunks of Ikoria itself are also tumbling into Kamigawa like meteors, so it's very unlikely either setting will come out of this the same.
According to the design team, a lot of focus has been placed on how the people of Kamigawa cope with the invasion of monsters that literally dwarf everything around them – and you quickly get a sense of that from artwork where heroes are tiny specs on artwork featuring larger-than-life foes. What does it mean for these two worlds to combine, and what happens to the citizens stuck in the middle? It feels like we may end up with an MTG Lorwyn Eclipsed situation going forward, where both realms are entwined together.
Zhalfir – October 1, 2027
One of Magic's older locations is finally making a triumphant return toward the end of next year, and this is the first time we're seeing it explored as its own setting (Zhalfir was originally located on Dominaria but phased out during the First Phyrexian War, and has come back as a plane in its own right). It's divided between a world of endless day lit by five suns and the spirit realm, a place of eternal darkness that's home to ancestors… but also monsters.
This Afrofantasy world is heavily inspired by African culture and mythology. With that in mind, the team worked to make sure it was as authentic and Afrocentric as possible, using cultural consultants, Afro-futurist authors, and African historians to ensure it stayed true to that ideal. (It's also worth noting that the trailer for the set featured a predominantly Black development team.)
"I hope the people who see this and haven't seen themselves represented in such a way, I just hope they feel empowered, excited, energized, and inspired to also know that they are represented, their body-types are represented," says senior art director and concept artist for Zhalfir, Lauren Brown.
Want something to play while we wait for these new sets? Try the best board games.
