Magic: The Gathering's new set, Reality Fracture, slated for release on October 2, will bring back the Lorwyn Five, a group of iconic characters first introduced with the 2007 Lorwyn set that also debuted the Planeswalker card type. This marks the first time in approximately 20 years that all five original Planeswalkers will appear in the same set.
The reunion is orchestrated by Jace Beleren, who now operates as The Theorist and serves as the set's central antagonist. According to principal story lead Roy Graham, Jace is attempting to construct a new, improved multiverse devoid of suffering and loss. However, this new reality, known as the Echoverse, is unstable and requires Jace to overwrite the existing reality.
The Echoverse has resulted in alternate versions of the Lorwyn Five, each with different color identities and narrative arcs. Ajani, once a seeker of his brother's killer, becomes Ajani Unrelenting, an avatar of vengeance driven by anger. Liliana's brother's survival in this reality means she pursued healing magic and became a noble in Benalia, abandoning her previous necromantic studies. Garruk, on the other hand, has embraced the Chain Veil, transforming into a ruthless killer who consumes souls and summons monsters.
Other characters also receive Echoverse counterparts. Tinybones, a skeletal rogue from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, is reimagined as Titanbones, a giant druid. When an Echoverse equivalent exists for a legend, both cards will be included together in booster packs to highlight the contrast.
Reality Fracture introduces Hexhaven, a corrupted version of Strixhaven, serving as The Theorist's headquarters. This location is described as a cutthroat environment where the strong are further empowered and the weak are discarded, with high stakes tied to Jace's objective of overwriting reality. Unlike Strixhaven's opposing color schools, Hexhaven's five schools are based on allied color combinations: Fatehold (blue-white), Theorex (blue-black), Stingerquill (red-black), Constrari (red-green), and Vigorbloom (green-white).
Head designer Mark Rosewater stated that the development team learned from the complexities of the 2006 set Time Spiral, particularly regarding its timeshifted cards that altered color identities. For Reality Fracture, the team scaled back ambitions to avoid replicating past issues, opting against a multiversal scope similar to March of the Machine. They also focused on ensuring that the Echoverse cards would be compelling on their own, even for players unfamiliar with Magic's deep lore. Examples of reimagined cards include Enlightened Confidant, a new take on Dark Confidant, and Craterclaw Colossus, a giant puppetbeast inspired by Craterhoof Behemoth, created by Constrari students.