The Doctors Who are coming to Magic: The Gathering — all of them

Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the BBC’s Doctor Who by releasing a themed set of cards in the third quarter of 2023. The announcement was made Thursday during the Wizards Presents streaming event.

The collaboration is part of Magic’s Universes Beyond product line, which has previously released crossovers with other major franchises such as The Walking Dead and Fortnite. The set will include four Commander decks, collectors boosters and limited-time print-on-demand Secret Lair cards featuring doctors, companions, villains and locations from throughout the show’s 60-year history. That will include content from the new Doctor Who series kicking off next year, which will see Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa playing The Doctor.

The event provided updates on two other Universes Beyond sets. The Lord of the Rings: Tales from Middle-earth is also releasing in Q3 of 2023, but it will be a fully draftable booster set and legal in modern format of competitive play. The set’s digital release through Magic: The Gathering Arena will include a new battlefield, mastery pass, player avatars and pets.

Individual cards portray familiar heroes and villains including Frodo, Gandalf and the Balrog. In order to capture the scale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy battles, the set will also feature new borderless scene cards. Each has a piece of art that can stand alone, but 18 of them will come together to produce a particularly epic scene from the trilogy — such as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields from The Return of the King. The art from Tyler Jacobson, who’s provided illustrations for more than 100 Magic cards and for Dungeons & Dragons books including The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, is full of small details including the Dark Tower Barad-dûr in the background.

Wizards also shared new information on the Warhammer 40,000 set releasing on Oct. 7. Each of the four Commander decks will embody the strategies of one of the wargame’s armies. The Imperium of Man will try to control the tide of battle and overwhelm their enemies. The Forces of Chaos harness unpredictable energies and ruinous power. The Tyranid Hive feeds on everything they touch, ramping up to produce a massive threat. The Necron Dynasties try to overrun their opponents with an unending hoard of soulless living metal. Each Commander deck will include a unique version of Sol Ring with art themed for its faction.

Dominaria United

• $128

Prices taken at time of publishing.

• $128 at Amazon (Draft Booster Box)
• $130 at Amazon (Set Booster Box)
• $286 at Amazon (Collector Booster Box)