MagicCon
MagicCon is series of festivals, introduced by Wizards of the Coast in 2023.
History
Initially, MagicCons were part of Magic's 30th anniversary celebrations that started with Magic 30.[1] Organizing partners are ReedPop and Pastimes. The event was expanded to include Dungeons & Dragons starting with MagicCon Chicago 2025.[2]
By the time of of MagicCon Las Vegas 2025 (Final Fantasy) several problems around the organization of the festivals came to the forefront, all related to to scalpers using Black Lotus VIP passes buy up product and to make high profits at the expense of regular convention visitors by abusing event systems and merch limits. It was noted that bribery and policy loopholes were rampant — people walking away with dozens of Collector Boosters while others waited for hours and got nothing - while badge technology and purchase limits existed but weren’t enforced. Con-exclusive merchandise and major events sold out instantly, leaving most attendees out of core experiences.[3]
List of MagicCons
| Title | Dates | Featured Set | Key Art |
|---|---|---|---|
| MagicCon: Philadelphia[4] | February 17-19, 2023 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |  |
| MagicCon: Minneapolis[5] | May 5-7, 2023 | March of the Machine |  |
| MagicCon: Barcelona[6] | July 28 – 30, 2023 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth |  |
| MagicCon: Las Vegas 2023 | September 22–24 2023 | Wilds of Eldraine |  |
| MagicCon: Chicago 2024[7] | February 23-25, 2024 | Murders at Karlov Manor |  |
| MagicCon: Amsterdam 2024[7] | June 28-30, 2024 | Modern Horizons 3 |  |
| MagicCon: Las Vegas 2024[7] | October 25-27, 2024 | Duskmourn: House of Horror |  |
| MagicCon: Chicago 2025[8] | February 21-23, 2025 | Aetherdrift |  |
| MagicCon: Las Vegas 2025[8] | June 20–22, 2025 | Final Fantasy |  |
| MagicCon: Atlanta 2025[8] | September 26–28, 2025 | Edge of Eternities |  |
| MagicCon: Las Vegas 2026[9] | May 1-3, 2026 | TBA | |
| MagicCon: Amsterdam 2026[9] | July 17-19, 2026 | TBA | |
| MagicCon: Atlanta 2026[9] | November 13-15, 2026 | TBA |
Events
Each MagicCon features:
- Pro Tour Qualifiers for the next Pro Tour
- A Cosplay contest
- A Command Zone
- The Art of Magic — artist booths
- Panels
- The Unknown Event — a surprise event hosted by Gavin Verhey.[10]
- A Black Lotus VIP Event
- Planechase Unknown — a Commander event hosted by the Casual Play Design team.
- Dedicated On-Demand Events
- Dungeons & Dragons events (since 2025[11])
Festival in a Box
Festival in a Box promotions are MagicCon content delivered at home. The concept was introduced for Magic 30 in October 2022.[12]This is usually a combined package of products and promos offered at the relevant MagicCon, available through the Wizards of the Coast webshop secretlair.wizards.com. A Secret Lair Drop is often also part of the package.
Pro Tour
Each MagicCon features a Pro Tour tournament as the main event.
Secret Lair Showdown
In 2023 and 2024, a Secret Lair Showdown was played at each MagicCon. Players had four opportunities to compete in Secret Lair Showdown Qualifiers leading to 32 qualified players experiencing the Sunday Secret Lair Showdown Championship. These events feature several exclusive Secret Lair Prize cards only available through these events.[13][1]
SL Showdown prizes
| Year | Participation | Top 32 | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fatal Push | Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer | Brainstorm (only four in existence[14]) |
| 2024 | Spell Pierce | Murktide Regent | Dark Ritual (only four in existence[7]) |
Open Events
Starting in July 2023 with MagicCon: Barcelona, Open Events were added to the line up, replacing the Pro Tour Qualifiers.[15] For MagicCon: Las Vegas the total prize pool was increased to $100,000.[16] The 2025 line up saw Pro Tour Qualifiers return in favor of the Open Events, which coincided with the introduction of the separate Spotlight Series opens.
Magic: The Gauntlet
Magic: The Gauntlet was a new funky format added in 2025.[11] In this format you build a sealed deck to play, draft a different deck to play, and then mash them both together for a final round of play.
The Secret Lair Spectacular
The Secret Lair Spectacular was also added in 2025, replacing the Secret Lair Showdown.[11] This event features a unique experience with the wild, wacky nature of Secret Lair. It is played with Modern decks. As a special action, once during your turn, you can call a judge to use your redemption challenge item to enter the Secret Lair. Entering the Secret Lair adds a specially designed deck of planechase cards to help turn the tide of the game. This variant uses all the rules for the Planechase format. Special promos are distributed over six rounds of play.
Savvy Pin Trader's League
Also new in 2025 was the Savvy Pin Trader's League.[11] It is Sealed with a twist. You can trade cards you open with other players inside the event and develop your deck throughout the league. You get an event pin just for playing.
Promos
Starting in 2023, special promotional cards were given to participants of MagicCons:
| Year | MagicCon | Frame / art | Promo | Information below the text box | Festival in a Box |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Minneapolis 2023 | Alternate art | Arcane Signet | Festival | 
|
|
| Barcelona 2023 | Alternate art | Relentless Rats | Secret Lair Promo |
|
Art by GodMachine. | |
| Las Vegas 2023 | Alternate art | TARDIS | MagicCon Las Vegas 2023 | For taking a Doctor-worthy selfie at the Doctor Who event. | ||
| Las Vegas 2023 | Alternate art | Relentless Rats | Secret Lair Promo |
|
Art by Graham Yarrington. Also for attendees who spend over $150 at the show store on-site. | |
| 2024 | All 2024 MagicCons | Textless | Counterspell | Festival | For all 2024 MagicCon attendees | |
| Las Vegas 2024 | Alternate art borderless | Ponder | Secret Lair Promo |
|
Also for attendees of MagicCon Chicago 2024 who spend over $150 at the show store on-site. | |
| Las Vegas 2024 | Alternate art | Swords to Plowshares | Secret Lair Promo |
|
Also for attendees of MagicCon Amsterdam 2024 who spend over $150 at the show store on-site. | |
| Las Vegas 2024 | Full-art | Plains | Secret Lair Promo |
|
||
| Las Vegas 2024 | Test card | Convention Maro | Test card |
|
||
| New York 2024 | Alternate art | Counterspell | Promo | For panel attendees. Also distributed at World Championship 30 in Las Vegas. Depicts Doctor Strange.[17] | ||
| 2025 | All 2025 MagicCons | Textless | Avacyn's Pilgrim | Festival | For all 2025 MagicCon attendees | |
| Chicago 2025 | Retro frame | Serra the Benevolent | 1 Promo |
|
||
| Chicago 2025 | Futureshifted | Ponder | 2 Promo |
|
||
| Chicago 2025 | Futureshifted | The First Sliver | 3 Promo |
|
||
| Chicago 2025 | Test card | Second City | Test card |
|
Mark Rosewater illustrates a test card built around the hosting city, for each MagicCon.[18] | |
| Las Vegas 2025 | Skinned borderless | Torgal, Clive's Companion | FFXVI | Skinned Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful. For all Las Vegas 2025 attendees.[19] | ||
| Las Vegas 2025 | Alternate art borderless | Tifa Lockhart | FFVII | All PTQ participants | ||
| Las Vegas 2025 | Alternate art borderless | Swords to Plowshares | FFXIV | Select Final Fantasy side events.[20] | ||
| Las Vegas 2025 | Retro frame | Ugin, the Spirit Dragon | 1 Promo |
|
||
| Las Vegas 2025 | Retro frame | Sliver Hive | 2 Promo |
|
||
| Las Vegas 2025 | Test card | All-You-Can-Eat Buffet | Test card |
|
Art by Mark Rosewater. Whatever you do, don’t eat the delicious cards | |
| Atlanta 2025 | Futureshifted | Lightning Bolt | 1 |
|
||
| Atlanta 2025 | Retro frame | Scourge of Valkas | 2 Promo |
|
||
| Atlanta 2025 | Futureshifted | The Ur-Dragon | 3 |
|
||
| Atlanta 2025 | Test card | Spaghetti Junction | Test card |
|
Art by Mark Rosewater. | |
| Atlanta 2025 | Alternate art | J. Jonah Jameson | All MagicCon Atlanta attendees |
References
- ↑ a b Blake Rasmussen (November 11, 2022). "MagicCon Philadelphia and the 2023 MagicCon Schedule". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Diana DiMicco (November 12, 2024). "MCChicago brings in a new era of MagicCon!". Bluesky.
- ↑ ghostwriter77 (June 23, 2025). "The Ugly, the Bad, and the Good: MagicCon Las Vegas & the Final Fantasy Greed Monster: An honest breakdown of a broken con experience.". Coolstuffinc.com.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (November 11, 2022). "MagicCon:Philadelphia and the 2023 MagicCon Schedule". Magic.gg. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 7, 2023). "MagicCon Takes Minneapolis!". Magic.gg. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 10, 2023). "Dive into Details for MagicCon: Barcelona Tickets, Panels, and More!". Magic.gg. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023.
- ↑ a b c d Wizards of the Coast (November 17, 2023). "The 2024 MagicCon Schedule". Magic.gg.
- ↑ a b c Wizards of the Coast (October 16, 2024). "The 2025 MagicCon and Pro Tour Schedule". Magic.gg.
- ↑ a b c Wizards of the Coast (June 20, 2025). "Announcing the 2026 MagicCon Schedule and Beyond". Magic.gg.
- ↑ My 62 Secret Magic Playtest Cards! (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (February 20, 2023).
- ↑ a b c d Wizards of the Coast (December 2, 2024). "MagicCon: Chicago 2025 – Race into the Gathering". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 9, 2022). "Magic 30 Virtual Tickets and Festival in a Box Details". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Billy Jensen on MagicCon and Secret Lair Prize Cards (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (November 11, 2022).
- ↑ Magic: The Gathering (December 15, 2022). "We're thrilled". Twitter.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July 24, 2023). "Barcelona $75,000 Limited Open". MagicCon: Barcelona. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 3, 2023). "100k Limited Open". MagicCon: Las Vegas. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023.
- ↑ Brian David-Marshall (October 18, 2024). "Panel attendees will get one of two special variant comics and a foil Dr. Strange Counterspell.". Bluesky.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 8, 2025). "a quick question about Festival in a Box.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (April 14, 2025). "Celebrating Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ at MagicCon: Las Vegas". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 5, 2025). "Play Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ and Earn Special Team-Up Promos!". Magic.gg.