Gatherer
Gatherer is the official Magic: The Gathering website where the Oracle card database can be consulted. It is part of the Wizards of the Coast's wizards.com website.
History
Gatherer was first made available in September 2004.[1]
The interface and basic functionality were created by web developer Doug Beyer. The Gatherer's interface graphics were created by Jen Page.
2008 update
A redesign of Gatherer, with increased functionality, was first shown to the public through an open beta starting November 11, 2008.[2] After a beta period of five months, Gatherer received its major update, titled "The New Gatherer", on April 16, 2009.[3] The change introduced expanded search functionality, new card results views, and community features allowing for public card ratings and card comments. Functionality of the card ratings and comments remained active until a site-wide redesign update during June 2014.[4]
Criticisms
Over time, Gatherer was increasingly criticized for its lack of feature development and its slow inclusion of new sets, especially from non-Standard-legal products.[5] Many Universes Beyond cards have not been included in the database, with only 122 of 1,720 Secret Lair drop cards in the database as of February 2, 2025. Gatherer does not include Alchemy designed-for-digital cards introduced on Magic: The Gathering Arena. While its functionality had been eclipsed by the community-developed Scryfall in the late 2010s, it was slow to include Universes Beyond and Alchemy's digital-only cards, further reducing its relevance for players.[6]
2025 update
In June 2025, Gatherer received a visual refreshment, as the first step in a series of improvements that were promised to be delivered throughout the year.[7]
References
- ↑ Doug Beyer (September 23, 2004). "Announcing Gatherer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Scott Johns (November 11, 2008). "New Gatherer beta launch!". magicthegathering.com Forums. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (April 16, 2009). "The New Gatherer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009.
- ↑ Trick Jarrett. "Welcome to the New Magic Site!". Archived from the original on June 21, 2014.
- ↑ u/GIANTintheNIGHT (December 27, 2015). "The Gatherer - Why Does No One Use It?". Reddit.
- ↑ u/TheIdget (August 9, 2024). "Is Gatherer being deprecated? Where else can you find official rulings / official oracle text for cards?". Reddit.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 2, 2025). "A Fresh Look for Gatherer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.