Hasbro: “let’s focus on THE GATHERING”
Hasbro: releases sets on Arena three weeks before they’re available on paper
Hasbro: “do as i say, not as i do”
This is kind of what has led to me being less engaged with the game as a whole recently, feeling a little burnt out. I mean, just look at the set release schedule we've had thus far in 2021:
February: Kaldheim
March: Time Spiral Remastered
April: Strixhaven
June: Modern Horizons 2
July: Adventures in Forgotten Realms
I mostly just keep up with the game via EDH and Cube nowadays, but even then that's quite a bit to keep up with. I have no idea how other players do so for Constructed Magic nowadays, it seems utterly insane to me. I played Modern for a good chunk of late 2019 but the rapid releases of format shifting staples have just upended the format for me over the last 18 months. Hell, I haven't had a chance to stop by for a Modern FNM yet even with stores reopening near me in the last month and the meta is apparently already settled with MH2 stuff that's only been officially released for a little over a month, but have been available online since early June. Hell, my only interactions with actual paper Magic over the last year have been via EDH games over the webcam and a handful of times with a few friends in person in recent weeks.
I still enjoy theorycrafting cube and coming here for discussions, but my engagement with the game is MUCH reduced compared to where I was about 18 months back. Like I got back into the game around 2013 and it was a large part of my entertainment in my college years with a dedicated playgroups and close friends I still keep up with, but the last 2 years of rapid product churn have just been turning me off more and more. Part of it is the pandemic, but another part is just missing that engagement that I used to have, the fascination and immersive experience you'd get with having a new set and cards to digest for a few months. Right now it feels like by the time I can actually play with physical cards, everything has been solved ranging from Limited to an established meta. We've already had weeks of discussion, playtesting information from those on MTGO and Arena (I play zero digital Magic myself), and loads of threads on places like reddit detailing key cards and strategies. All before anything is out!
It's just a completely different game than the one that enticed me into coming back. It's still a great game and all, and I'll probably be loosely keeping up with it just on a Cube basis for the long haul, but I don't think I'm the target audience any longer. That's been kind of tough to accept over the course of this year, but it seems to be reality with each new release.
