Wizards of the Coast has revealed their first new Magic: The Gathering set of 2025. The newest set, Aetherdrift, brings a singular spin to the favored card sport: a large fantasy racing grand prix unfold throughout three completely different planes. A kind of planes is an previous favourite with a modified title.
The Aetherdrift Announcement
In an official weblog put up, Wizards of the Coast lets gamers know what they will count on in Aetherdrift. The set will revolve round ten racing groups competing in The Ghirapur Grand Prix, essentially the most high-stakes racing competitors within the Magic: The Gathering multiverse.
The race will undergo three completely different planes: Avishkar, Amonkhet, and Muraganda. Moreover, the ten groups featured are as numerous because the premise suggests. They embody The Velocity Demons, whose autos are powered by demonic spirits, the Mad Max-coded Endriders, the chaotic Goblin Rocketeers, and the shark-people group often called The Keelhaulers.
As for the grand prize ready the fortunate winner, it’s an artifact of energy often called the Aetherspark, which might probably grant the person the ability of a Planeswalker.
However amongst all of this worldbuilding and lore is that one of many planes is not a brand new one, however an older one underneath a special title: Avishkar. It was initially often called Kaladesh, the Indian fantasy-themed setting from Magic’s historical past.
So why the change? The in-universe clarification is the airplane was named after the Avishkar Meeting, a newly appointed democratic governing physique which rose to prominence after overthrowing its monarchal Consulate authorities which the Phyrexian Invasion weakened. This ties the world to the occasions of an earlier set, March of the Machine.
The true world clarification is a little more difficult. In a separate weblog put up, Wizards of the Coast explains that the title Kaladesh carried unlucky connotations in some Hindi dialects. On condition that the setting is closely impressed by India, it was a difficulty that needed to be addressed.
In accordance with their consultants, the title Kaladesh will be learn as “kala-” which means “tomorrow” or “artwork” and “-desh” which means “dwelling” or “nation.” On paper, this sounds nice. However, “kala-” will also be related to the which means “black” which carries colorist and racist connotations.
The brand new title, Avishkar, was additionally the results of this session. It comes from the Hindi phrase, “aavishkar” which implies “invention.” All earlier playing cards from earlier Kaladesh units will nonetheless be known as such, however all playing cards launched sooner or later shall be known as Avishkar.
Aetherdrift shall be accessible worldwide February 14, 2025.
