Wizards of the Coast is reintroducing "God Packs" to Magic: The Gathering, a special type of booster pack that was previously an extremely rare occurrence. First appearing with the 2014 Theros set, these packs contained 15 legendary gods. Starting with the February 2027 release of Nauctis: The Sunken Realm, God Packs will return with a new configuration: 14 rares or mythic rares. This change will also extend to Universes Beyond releases in 2028.
Blake Rasmussen, Magic communications director, stated that bringing back God Packs as a regular feature was a long-standing goal, aimed at enhancing the pack-opening experience. The timing with Nauctis: The Sunken Realm is significant as it marks the beginning of a new storyline arc for the game.
Contents of New God Packs
Approximately one in every 1,000 regular Booster Packs will now contain a God Pack. These will include one "God Pack celebration card," 10 non-foil rares or mythic rares, two non-foil "Booster Fun" rares or mythic rares, and two traditional-foil "Booster Fun" rares or mythic rares. The celebration card is intended as a keepsake. Collector Boosters will have significantly better odds, with approximately one in 300 packs containing a God Pack. These versions will include one God Pack celebration card, one foil land, three foil default-frame rares or mythic rares, three non-foil Booster Fun rares or mythic rares, and five foil Booster Fun rares or mythic rares. These elite packs can theoretically contain multiple copies of a set's premium card, though the odds are extremely low. God Packs are inserted randomly and can appear in any product type containing eligible Booster Packs or Collector Boosters.
Due to longer production timelines for Universes Beyond sets, God Packs will not be included in these crossover sets until 2028.
Tournament Play with God Packs
If a player opens a God Pack during a sanctioned tournament like a Draft or Sealed event, they are instructed to stop and call for a judge or tournament organizer. Wizards of the Coast recommends that event management celebrate the discovery, remove the God Pack from the event for the player to keep, and replace it with an unopened Booster Pack from the same set. This replacement will be mandatory at competitive events like Regional Championships and the Pro Tour, while local game stores may have discretion.
Booster Pack Overhaul
Beyond God Packs, Magic is also revising its booster pack contents. The game is reverting to the term "Booster Packs" for its default product, replacing the "Play Boosters" introduced in early 2024. This change acknowledges player feedback that while the increased number of rares and alternative art versions resonated, the guaranteed foil common or uncommon did not. Consequently, foil commons or uncommons will no longer appear in Booster Packs, and a foil in every pack is no longer guaranteed. However, any foils that do appear will be rare or mythic rare, with an increased chance of approximately 7% to 10%. Traditional-foil Japan Showcase cards, previously exclusive to Collector Boosters, will now appear in Booster Packs at a rate of about 1%.
Collector Boosters will see a reduction in card count, losing two foil commons and one foil uncommon. Wizards acknowledges that removing these cards does not inherently make opening Collector Boosters more exciting but argues that these specific cards were often skipped by players. The company believes that reducing printing complexity by removing these less-desired cards frees up production capacity for more sought-after features like God Packs and Japan Showcase cards in regular Booster Packs. Wizards is betting that players will find the potential for opening extraordinary packs more appealing than the inclusion of these removed cards.