Starting with the 2027 set Nauctis: The Sunken Realm, Wizards of the Coast is overhauling its Magic: The Gathering booster pack structure. The update introduces “God Packs“—bundles containing exclusively rare and mythic rare cards—while simultaneously removing foil commons and uncommons from standard boosters and reducing the card count in Collector Boosters.
The Arrival of God Packs
These packs contain only high-rarity cards, though the specific contents differ by pack type. In Play Boosters, these packs will feature one “God Pack celebration card,” 10 non-foil rares or mythic rares, two non-foil “Booster Fun” variants, and two foil “Booster Fun” cards, IGN reported. Collector Boosters will contain one foil land, three foil default-frame rares or mythic rares, three non-foil “Booster Fun” variants, and five foil “Booster Fun” variants.
Varying Odds Across Formats
The probability of opening a God Pack varies significantly.
Wizards of the Coast Reduces Booster Card Counts
The transition to Nauctis: The Sunken Realm marks the end of foil commons and uncommons in standard Play Boosters. Furthermore, Collector Boosters are shrinking; Wizards of the Coast is removing two common slots and one uncommon slot from these packs without replacing them, reducing the total card count to 12.
Wizards of the Coast stated that the removal of commons and uncommons from Collector Boosters is intended to make room for cards that players are more excited to open, citing that many players frequently skip over these lower-rarity cards during pack-opening videos, as noted by IGN.
Safeguarding Organized Play
To prevent God Packs from disrupting the balance of Draft and Sealed events, Wizards of the Coast has established a policy for organized play.
This rule is set to apply to Pro Tours and Regional Championships, with the company recommending that local game stores adopt the same practice for casual drafts and prereleases.
Booster Changes Begin with Nauctis in 2027
When do these booster pack changes take effect?
The new structure begins with the release of Nauctis: The Sunken Realm in 2027. These changes will apply to all in-universe Magic: The Gathering sets thereafter, while Universes Beyond sets will transition to this model starting in 2028, per IGN.
Are there still guaranteed foil cards in standard boosters?
No. The shift to the new formula includes the permanent removal of guaranteed foil cards from regular boosters, although Wizards of the Coast has stated they are increasing the overall drop rates for foil rare and mythic rare cards to compensate, according to IGN and MTG Rocks.
Why are Collector Boosters being reduced in size?
Wizards of the Coast claims the reduction is intended to focus the Collector Booster experience on higher-rarity cards that players are more likely to value. By removing three slots previously dedicated to commons and uncommons, the company aims to allocate printing capacity toward content that generates more player interest, as reported by IGN.
These adjustments follow a series of shifts in product distribution, including the earlier removal of Collector Booster sample packs from Commander preconstructed decks.
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