Has Magic: The Gathering become too expensive?

Almost every week I get the question: "Omèr, hasn't Magic become incredibly expensive?" My honest answer is: yes and no. There's some truth to it, but the complete picture is more nuanced than "Hasbro is greedy." Let me explain what's really going on — and why, as a retailer, I sometimes roll my eyes just as hard as you do.

Why it FEELS more expensive (and partly is)

It starts with the pace. Until a few years ago, Standard received four new sets per year. In 2026, there will be seven — roughly one new release every two months. Every set means new staples, new must-haves, and a new wave of "I need this."

On top of that comes Universes Beyond: crossovers with brands like Final Fantasy, Marvel, and Avatar. These are extremely popular — the Final Fantasy set became the best-selling Magic set ever in June 2025, with about $200 million in revenue on a single day. For comparison: the Lord of the Rings set took six months to achieve that. The problem? Such sets are often priced as premium products, even though they are perfectly Standard-legal. You're paying Masters prices for cards you want to play in your normal deck.

And then there's the hype and scalping. Popular sets fly off the shelves, scalpers jump on them, and before you know it, you're paying top dollar on the secondary market for something that was readily available just a few weeks earlier. I previously wrote a separate piece about this phenomenon — feel free to read my opinion on scalping in MTG.

Hasbro benefits from it. Magic is now a billion-dollar brand, and 2025 was a record year. The business model works, so don't expect it to get cheaper on its own. One bright spot: head designer Mark Rosewater now openly acknowledges "product fatigue" and explicitly calls 2026, with its seven sets, an outlier — after that, the pace will slow down slightly again.

The other side — what it means for us as a store

Let's take a look behind the scenes, because people often misunderstand this. We don't get rich from it. Margins on sealed products are tight — tighter than you think. Purchase prices from distributors rise accordingly, and for hype sets, we often only get a limited allocation, while demand goes through the roof.

In addition, we compete not only with other stores but also with scalpers and wholesalers who operate on volume. I don't set the recommended retail price of a set — Wizards does. What I can do is price fairly and not let players bleed dry. That's exactly why I'm writing this piece: I'm on your side of the table, not the shareholder's.

But has playing Magic truly become more expensive?

And this is where the nuance comes in, because this is where the discussion goes wrong. The price of a pack has gone up, yes. But playing Magic doesn't have to be expensive at all. A few truths that the hype likes to conceal from you:

• You don't have to buy everything. Even Rosewater says it: not every product is meant for everyone. Seven sets a year doesn't mean seven purchases.
• Commander is "buy once." A precon is a complete, ready-to-play deck that lasts for years. One purchase, endless fun — for example, check out the best precons for beginners.
• Singles are your friend. Do you want a specific card? Buy it individually instead of tearing open packs in hopes of finding it. Almost always cheaper for exactly what you need.
• Draft is super cheap entertainment. A few boosters, a fun evening, and you get to keep the cards. Calculate the fun per euro.
• Reprints push down prices. As annoying as "too much product" may feel — more prints mean that expensive staples will eventually become cheaper. Good for the player.
• The kitchen table has no price tag. Among friends, proxies are fine (Rule 0). If you just want to have fun, you can do it for next to nothing.

My honest opinion

The real problem isn't the price of a booster. It's the FOMO — the fear of missing out. The whole machine is built to make you feel like you have to buy everything, now, before it's gone. That's where the pain in your wallet comes from, not from a single pack.

So my advice, as a player and as a retailer: ignore that pressure. Choose the two or three things a year that truly bring you joy, and leave the rest. Magic is only too expensive if you let yourself be rushed. Play consciously, and it remains one of the most fun — and per hour of enjoyment, one of the cheapest — hobbies out there.

Also read:

• Scalping in MTG: my honest opinion
• The best Commander precons for beginners
• All MTG Booster Types Explained
• Protecting and Storing Cards

Written by Omèr Cremers
Owner of SpellArmory, social worker and full-time father. Avid MTG player and collector from Maastricht — Commander is my favorite format. Questions about which product suits you? Feel free to send me a message.