Magic: The Gathering Releases Official Statement On Return Of God Packs

Published Oct 7, 2026, 11:17 AM EDT

Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

Magic: The Gathering is officially going all-in on God Packs, and Wizards of the Coast has released a statement on how the packs will affect future Magic: The Gathering events. God Packs are basically what they sound like, cutting out common and uncommon cards to contain nothing but rares and mythic rares.

Opening up a God Pack has the potential to be a very exciting experience, but it could also threaten to derail certain Magic: The Gathering events. While Wizards of the Coast isn't offering a one-size-fits-all solution to potential problems, it is providing some guidance as to the best way to handle them.

In an information page for Wizards Play Network retailers, Wizards of the Coast includes a section on "Handling God Packs at Your Events." In Limited format events, where players are only able to use cards obtained by opening a limited number of packs, players who open God Packs should "stop and call for a judge or tournament organizer."

Wizards ultimately leaves the ruling over whether an opened God Pack should be allowed in play to the judge or organizer, but recommends the following:

• Celebrate the moment
• Remove the God pack from the event (allowing the player to keep it for their collection)
• Replace it at no charge

For competitive events with products provided by Wizards of the Coast, like Regional Championships and the Pro Tour, this recommended advice will be the official ruling. In casual events, there won't be any hard Magic: The Gathering rules, leaving it up to individual discretion.

Like many other changes, the new embrace of God Packs has divided the Magic: The Gathering community. Opening one should be exciting, but many Magic: The Gathering players may never get to experience it. Only one in every 1,000 Booster Packs will be a God Pack, offering 10 rare or mythic rare cards, two Booster Fun rare or mythic rare cards, and two traditional foil Booster run rare or mythic rare cards. Collector Boosters increase the odds to one in every 300 and offer up a different array that focuses more on foils.

At the same time, Magic: The Gathering is removing foil common and uncommon cards from Booster Packs, along with axing the guarantee of a foil card in every pack. For Magic: The Gathering collectors who felt that foils were being devalued, this may be a change for the better, but those who simply enjoyed having a lot of shiny cards in their collection may be disappointed.

Either way, it's clear that opening Magic: The Gathering packs will feel a little different in the future. Hopefully, Wizards of the Coast will continue to listen to fan feedback and adjust things again if the new approach doesn't win over the community at large.