Wizards of the Coast will change Magic: Gathering tabletop legality for cards during the sets release beginning with Phyrexia: All will be One.
A playing MTG card requires a specific format. In the past, tabletop cards were legal to play in sanctioned events followed the global release of a set. But in recent months, WotC has changed the way players buy a large number of cards from a local game store, allowing sales to occur over prerelease events, which are now taking place before global or digital launches. This led to a little confusion on whether those cards are legal for play in the sanctioned tabletop tournament.
As a result of the launch of Phyrexia: All will be One on Feb. 3, players can use their cards in any sanctioned tabletop tournament if they receive them before the official global launch.
A pioneer tournament being held before the global release of ONE, for example, wouldn’t allow any cards from the Phyrexia: All will be a set to be played within that event. There isn’t much more that happening anymore.
The ONE set will be part 3 of the multiverse battle against the Phyrexians, the ongoing 5th in the MTG. WotC dropped some Phyrexia: All will be one spoilers early in December, showcasing diverse card variants, planeswalkers on the set, legendary creatures and a Praetor cycle.
Prereleases for ONE will begin Feb. 3 to 9 and the digital release will begin on Feb. 7; the digital release will begin on Feb. 7.