Magic: The Gathering is set to launch its newest expansion, Reality Fracture, worldwide on October 2. The set centers on the Planeswalker Jace Beleren, who, believing the current multiverse is flawed, attempts to construct a new one in his image, dubbed the Echoverse. This endeavor forms the thematic foundation of Reality Fracture, exploring a variety of "What If?" scenarios that could arise from such a multiversal crisis.
According to designers at Wizards of the Coast, Reality Fracture will put a unique spin on existing game mechanics. For instance, the Amass mechanic, typically used to create an army creature token, will instead generate a Planeswalker token, specifically a Jace token. This alteration is designed to be a significant element in gameplay, with Jace himself expected to appear in nearly every limited game.
The "What If?" theme extends to the composition of booster packs. Players may encounter the same character represented twice within a single pack, but in different colors, signifying their altered reality counterparts. An example provided is opening a pack that includes both a red and a blue Chandra, with the Echoverse version marked by a special watermark. Similarly, cards like Way of the Pyromancer and Way of the Cryomancer, or Return to the Light Realms and Rise of the Dark Realms, might appear as their alternate reality versions.
Wizards of the Coast has stated that lessons have been learned from previous multiverse-centric releases, and Reality Fracture will maintain the integrity of the color pie despite these altered reality variants. The narrative driving the set involves Jace's former allies uniting to oppose his plan, with the story concluding in a ten-episode arc available via The Magic Story Podcast on Friday, September 11.