For better or worse, Magic: The Gathering printed a ton of cards in 2022 and fans are weary

Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast produced a massive amount of Magic: The Gathering product throughout 2022, leaving many collectors, fans, and players with product fatigue.

Product fatigue has been a major theme within the MTG community since Hasbro and WotC stepped up product releases in 2020, following positive earnings during 2019. Prices were then raised on select products in 2022, combating production issues that were directly related to the pandemic—despite record-breaking 2021 profits. 

The complaints from players and the community were echoed by the Bank of America analysis report, which noted the increased production of Magic products had the potential to hurt the long-term value of the brand as a whole, according to analyst Jason Haas. And then WotC attempted to sell Alpha and Beta proxies in booster packs for the 30th anniversary of MTG at a price tag of $999, with the sale mysteriously ending shortly after it began.

Hasbro and WotC addressed the concerns over product fatigue following the Bank of America report with a fireside chat, doubling down on the production strategy, with the president of WotC Cynthia Williams saying “There is no evidence Magic is overprinted.”

But according to a Twitter post today from Magic Data Science, a massive number of MTG cards were printed throughout 2022. 

The numbers from the post included all cards, from reprints to variants, of which variants “have really been on the rise,” according to Magic Data Science.

Some of the numbers are potentially disputable, but there’s no denying WotC released a total of 33 products throughout 2022—from tabletop to MTG Arena.

• January: Secret Lair Astrology lands (repeated every month)
• January: Release of Commander Collection: Black 
• January: Release of Innistrad: Double Feature
• Febuary: Secret Lair Superdrop that included Universes Beyond: Street Fighter
• Febuary: Release of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
• March: Neon Dynasty Alchemy release for MTG Arena
• April: Challenger Decks 2022
• April: Release of Streets of New Capenna
• April: Secret Lair Superdrop
• May: Secret Lair Pride Across the Universe 
• June: Streets of New Capenna Alchemy release for MTG Arena
• June: 2022 Starter Kit release
• June: Release of Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate
• June: Secret Lair June Superdrop and Here Be Dragons
• July: Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate for MTG Arena
• July: Release of Double Masters 2022
• July: Secret Lair Fortnite and July Superdrop
• July: Historic Anthology 6 for MTG Arena
• July: Explorer Anthology 1 for MTG Arena
• August: Secret Lair Superdrop and Li’l Giri Saves the Day drops
• September: Release of Dominaria United 
• September: Dominaria United Jumpstart (replaces theme boosters)
• October: Secret Lair October Superdrop and Li’l’ler Walkers drop
• October: Dominaria United Alchemy for MTG Arena
• October: Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks
• October: Secret Lair Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 drops
• November: Magic30 Secret Lair 
• November: Pioneer Challenger Decks 2022
• Nov.: Release of The Brothers’ War
• November: Magic 30th Anniversary Edition boosters
• November: The Brothers’ War Jumpstart
• December: Jumpstart 2022
• December: Starter Commander Decks

Reactions from the MTG community regarding the Twitter post included memes from pro players like Jim Davis and content creators like Tolarian Community College, essentially summing up how the community feels when it comes to product fatigue.

WotC has defended its increase of products throughout the years as a way of expanding its player base, from formats like Commander to collectibles sold through Secret Lairs. And players have the right to say, “this product isn’t for me.”

But, when the numerous MTG products start to affect the meta of a format like Commander, or local game stores, or drive prices on the secondary market—it’s hard to argue that players and collectors aren’t weary.