Participants in this event will explore the lore of Baldur’s Gate, with characters from the well-known “Baldur’s Gate 3” and other series staples. Players will start with a Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate Collector Booster to help build their decks. This, along with three Draft Boosters provided at the event, will be the foundation for player card pools, with all cards retained by participants.

The format for the event will be Commander Draft, where players select two cards at a time as packs are circulated, aiming to assemble a 60-card deck that includes a commander or a combination of commander and Backgrounds. Matches will be conducted in four-player pods.

A unique feature of this event will be the inclusion of an exclusive, oversized Baldur’s Gate Wilderness dungeon play aid. This card introduces new strategic decisions and potential rewards that can significantly impact the game.

Character highlights for the event include Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes, Karlach, Fury of Avernus, and the Sword Coast Sailor, adding depth and intrigue to the gameplay.

The buyer of the card, identified as Instagram user Benjamin.be, is an established collector of high-value cards from various collectible card games, including Magic: The Gathering. Benjamin.be has a history of acquiring similar rare items, having previously purchased a Black Lotus rated at 9.5 for $880,000. He remarked that although the $3 million price tag might be high, he believes it to be a fair valuation for such a rare and highly graded item.

CGC, the company responsible for grading the card, first announced the deal on their Instagram account. The company has been actively expanding its presence in the realm of collectible grading, not just for cards but also for vintage video games.

The Magic: The Gathering community has had mixed reactions to the news, with some expressing skepticism about the legitimacy of the sale and others speculating that it may have been orchestrated to enhance the market value of these collectibles. Prior to this transaction, the highest recorded sale price for a Magic: The Gathering card was $2 million, paid for a unique Lord of the Rings crossover card, which was purchased by the singer Post Malone

Over the last two years, Wizards has been at the center of controversy, facing allegations that AI tools were utilized to produce some of their official artwork. The FAQ released by the company explains their approach to managing such allegations and emphasizes their preference for handling matters internally to protect the privacy of the artists involved.

According to the FAQ, Wizards of the Coast acknowledges that mistakes have been made in detecting AI-generated art but also notes that instances have occurred where public accusations have misidentified legitimate art as AI-generated, leading to false alarms. The company outlines its reliance on both public and private channels to identify potential issues, with a reiterative process that involves direct communication with the artists.

One of the more notable points in the FAQ addresses the lack of transparency in their processes, a decision Wizards defends by stressing the importance of protecting individual artists from public backlash and harassment. This stance, however, has not satisfied some fans who would prefer more openness and accountability, particularly when it involves artists who might have violated the company’s guidelines.

Wizards of the Coast also reveals that they have employed specific handbooks for artists working on Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, which detail the expectations and prohibitions against using generative AI tools in their artwork.

The FAQ coincides with instances where AI-generated art was identified in promotional materials for Magic: The Gathering, highlighting the challenges and complexities of enforcing these guidelines.

The dialogue around AI art in gaming continues to evolve, and Wizards of the Coast’s recent FAQ is just one step in addressing the broader concerns about the role of AI in creative industries. Whether this will appease the community or lead to further discussions remains to be seen.

The set includes several Magic: The Gathering cards that have been artistically transformed to include imagery associated with Hatsune Miku. Artists such as Jehan Choo, Justyna Dura, Mandy Jurgens, Dani Pendergast, Yuko Shimizu, and 出利/SYUTSURI have contributed to the designs, merging traditional Magic card elements with thematic inspirations from Miku’s virtual performances.

This series of cards is available in both English and Japanese, reflecting the global reach of Hatsune Miku’s fan base. The pricing for the cards is set at $29.99 for the non-foil version and $39.99 for the rainbow foil version, targeting both collectors and fans of the virtual performer.

This revelation was made public on Friday by PSA, a leading collectibles authentication and grading agency, confirming that the elusive MtG One Ring card had been found and authenticated. This special variant of the One Ring card, from a recent MtG set, is singularly unique, boasting a 001/001 serial number. Its rarity had sparked eager bidding wars, with enthusiasts offering over $2 million even before the card’s discovery.

A tweet from PSA showcased the card safely encased in a PSA grading container, having received a high grading of nine, which signifies it’s in mint condition. The grading container is marked with the serial number 77032826, and collectors can verify its authenticity using the PSA certification verification service.

What remains shrouded in mystery is the identity of the person who discovered the card. The need for anonymity is quite understandable given the extremely high demand for the card among affluent collectors. Ownership of such a sought-after piece could signify a windfall of life-changing proportions or potentially bring about considerable liability and risk of theft.

The pre-emptive bidding for the One Ring started off with an offer of $100k by collector Dan Bock, followed by bids of $150k from American footballer Cassius Marsh and $190,000 from Mystery MTG, a card store. As of the most recent update, Spanish card store Gremio de Dragones pushed the bidding to an astounding $2 million, adding a humorous offer of paella to sweeten the deal.

The initiative is more than just a celebration of Pride; it’s also a mission to support the artist community and The Trevor Project, an organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth. Despite the project and Original Magic Art LLC not being affiliated or endorsed by The Trevor Project, Wizards of the Coast, or Hasbro Inc., donations will independently be made to The Trevor Project, highlighting the company’s commitment to making a positive impact.

The playmats in the collection come with unique features: extended artwork, premium stitched edges, and a guarantee of limited edition. Original Magic Art promises that it will never reprint any of these playmats with a stitched edge, offering backers an exclusive opportunity. However, they clarify that Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to reprint these playmats in the future.

The artwork on each playmat extends beyond the card frame, a feature that Original Magic Art feels perfects the playmat format. And in a nod to the gamers, the company has also worked to ensure that logos have minimal impact on the playmat designs.

With the Pride Playmat Collection, Original Magic Art not only offers unique playmats to supporters but also a chance to contribute to a worthy cause, and support the creators of the art. In a move towards transparency, the company plans to provide proof of donation in an update once all rewards have been fulfilled.

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Each deck is dedicated to a specific Doctor, with the Classic Doctors getting their own deck, and the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Doctors getting their own as well. There’s even a deck dedicated to the villains of Doctor Who. Each deck contains 50 new cards and a new set of Planechase cards featuring famous locations from the Doctor Who universe.

In addition, Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who will also include Collector Boosters with special treatments for cards found in the decks. Fans can get a first look at the upcoming release on July 28, with the official debut set for October 3 and the global launch on October 13.

The set will feature timeless artwork from renowned artists such as Luisa J. Preissler, David Auden Nash, Pauline Voss, Lenka Šimečková, Simon Dominic, and Syd Mills. Fans can already pre-order the set on the official Magic: The Gathering® – Doctor Who website.

Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who promises to be a must-have for fans of both franchises, as they can now experience the adventures of the Doctor and his companions in a whole new way. So mark your calendars and get ready to travel through space and time on October 13 with Magic: The Gathering® – Doctor Who. Allons-y!

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The set features fan favorites like Jeweled Lotus, The Ur-Dragon, and Capture of Jingzhou, and several other amazing reprints, including Personal Tutor and Selvala, Heart of the Wilds. The set also reintroduces the textured foil treatment, along with foil-etched cards in Collector Boosters, to showcase some of the coolest cards in Commander Masters.

One of the most exciting aspects of Commander Masters is the new-to-Magic cards found in the four ready-to-play Commander decks. Each of these 100-card decks features ten new-to-Magic cards, including new commanders to lead the way. The decks include Eldrazi Unbound (Colorless), Enduring Enchantments (White-Black-Green), Planeswalker Party (White-Blue-Red), and Sliver Swarm (White-Blue-Black-Red-Green).

While the Display commander cards are not for sanctioned gameplay, extended-art versions of these Commander Masters commanders are available in Collector Boosters.

Fans can preorder Commander Masters now through online retailers such as Amazon or at their local store using the set code CMM. The set is tabletop-legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander formats, but unfortunately, it is not available on MTG Arena.

The Commander Masters launch is set to debut on July 11, with previews starting on July 17-20. The complete card image galleries will be available on July 21, and the set will be featured in a pre-prerelease with Loading Ready Run on July 22. WPN Premium Store Preview Events will take place on July 28-30, and the Command Zone Podcast’s Extra Turns Gameplay will be held on August 2. The global tabletop launch is set for August 4.

Commander Masters is expected to be a must-have for Magic: The Gathering fans, offering a unique draft experience with friends, a chance to build out their collections, and the opportunity to level up their coolest Commander decks.

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The game’s lore, tactics, and community have resonated with people from all walks of life, and celebrities are no exception.

From actors to musicians, let’s dive into the world of Magic and discover which stars are just as passionate about the game as we are. We also asked the notorious A.I image generator Midjourney what the celebs might look like as a Planeswalker, with some hits and misses. Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Acclaimed actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is no stranger to the world of Magic: The Gathering. The star of movies like Inception and 500 Days of Summer has been spotted at various Magic events and tournaments, proving that his love for the game goes beyond just a casual hobby.

Felicia Day

Felicia Day, best known for her work in web series like The Guild and as a recurring guest on Supernatural, has a deep love for all things geeky, including Magic.

She’s shared her passion for the game on social media and often discusses it with fans.

Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello, known for his roles in True Blood and Magic Mike, is an outspoken fan of Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons.

He has been known to host game nights for his fellow celebrity friends.

Seth Rogen

Comedian and actor Seth Rogen, famous for movies like Pineapple Express and The Interview, and of course Freaks and Geeks, is a self-professed Magic enthusiast.

He’s often seen playing the game with friends and has shared his love for it in interviews.

Patton Oswalt

Stand-up comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, known for his work on The King of Queens and Ratatouille, has been an avid Magic: The Gathering player for years.

Post Malone

Grammy-nominated musician Post Malone has been open about his love for Magic: The Gathering. Post Malone is the celebrity that is the most active in the MTG community. In a interview with Howard Stern he admitted to buying an artist print Christopher Rush signed Black Lotus for an astounding $800K.

Key and Peele

Comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, known for their sketch comedy show Key & Peele, are both Magic: The Gathering players. They once hijacked a comment on Reddit and went on a tangent about MTG.

Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk, known for his roles in Firefly and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, has a passion for Magic: The Gathering and there are several videos on Youtube of the start playing and talking about the game.

Wil Wheaton

Actor, writer, and tabletop gaming enthusiast Wil Wheaton, best known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Big Bang Theory, has a love for all things nerdy, and that includes Magic the Gathering.

Brandon Routh

Superman Returns and Legends of Tomorrow star Brandon Routh is an active MTG player. He has even been cast as the voice actor for Gideon in an upcoming Magic: The Gathering animated series on Netflix.

Jason Alexander

Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander, better known as George Costanza, is another celebrity Magic fan. He spoke about the game as early as in 1997 in an interview in InQuest magazine, and Magic deck can even be seen laying around on set in scenes of Seinfeld.

Nathan Fillion

Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion is also a avid gamer and active participant in the community. He often Tweets about MTG. His first MTG related tweet read as follows: “Learning to play Magic the Gathering. The only game with more rules than game”

Seth Green

Actor, comedian, and producer Seth Green, known for his work on Family Guy and Robot Chicken, is also a Magic fan. It is uncertain if he still can afford to buy more cards or if he’s blown all his money on NFTs.

Magic: The Gathering has a diverse and passionate fan base, and it’s no surprise that celebrities are among its ranks. These stars prove that the appeal of Magic transcends professions and backgrounds, uniting players with a shared love for the game’s strategy, artwork, and community.

So the next time you sit down to play a round of Magic, remember that you’re in good company with some of Hollywood’s finest.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth features multiple representations of iconic characters, with more details to be revealed later. The set will be legal in Modern and Commander formats, and playable in both Draft and Sealed Deck formats. Commander decks for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth will also be available, featuring 20 new-to-Magic cards legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage, and each card with artwork set in Middle-earth.

But perhaps the most exciting feature of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is the inclusion of a promotional card for the One Ring itself. Serialized as the only one of one, this “Precious” is a traditional foil card printed in the Black Speech of Sauron using Tengwar letterforms, and can only be found in a single English-language Collector Booster. Versions of Sol Ring themed after the Rings of Power crafted for the Elves, Dwarves, and mortal men of Middle-earth will also be available in limited quantities, with serialized double rainbow foil versions and non-foil versions.

Fans who want it all can also look forward to Collector Boosters, which include multiple rare or mythic rare cards and feature beautiful Booster Fun treatments, including full-art map basic lands, borderless lands depicting key locations of Middle-earth, and borderless scene cards that feature artwork that stretches across multiple cards seamlessly.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth will also arrive on MTG Arena on June 20, with the set legal in both Alchemy and Historic formats.

For fans new and old across Magic and The Lord of the Rings, the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth promises to be an unforgettable adventure through one of the most beloved fantasy worlds ever created.

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