Wizards of the Coast unveiled a new MTG Arena digital-only Standard format today called Alchemy, expanding gameplay options for digital players.
Scheduled to release via MTG Arena on Dec. 9, Alchemy is the first digital-only Standard format. All cards legal within Standard are playable within the Alchemy format, along with Arena digital-only cards. The goal behind creating Alchemy wasn’t to take away from tabletop play, according to WotC, but to provide space within Magic for creativeness that can’t take place within tabletop while also keeping the meta fresh through regular balance changes to cards.
A total of 10 new digital-only cards were revealed by WotC today out of the 63 that will be added with the launch of Alchemy on Dec. 9. New A22 cards will be available via Alchemy booster packs. All Arena digital-only cards obtained through booster packs will have duplicate protection.
In addition to new digital-only cards, WotC is balancing a number of existing cards within Standard for the Alchemy format. Players don’t have to open booster packs to obtain rebalanced cards if they already own that card. Any card owned in MTG Arena will contain all versions of that card.
The creation of Alchemy opens up the Standard meta, keeping it from becoming stale. It also creates design opportunities that can’t exist within tabletop via digital-only cards like Begin Anew, an A22 wrath that pumps cards in hand with +1/+1 stats.
Similar to Historic, Alchemy is a Live format that will get tournament representation in the future. Cards that rotate out of Standard will also rotate out of Alchemy, remaining playable within the Historic format.
Players can test out the digital-only Standard Alchemy format and all of the new A22 cards via MTG Arena on Dec. 9.
