Gate to the Afterlife

Teasing Future Cards

If or when: Another card like Gate to the Afterlife that teases a card in an upcoming set?

When.

Afterlife Afterlife Gate to the Afterlife Gates If/When

Future of Set Blocks

With 2 and 3 set blocks gone, does that mean we won't be able to see cards like Gate to the Afterlife or Eye of Ugin again?

We just had Ravnica over three sets. Two and three sets in a row on the same world are not off the table.

Afterlife Afterlife Eye Eye of Ugin Gate to the Afterlife Gates

Mechanical Naming Rules

"The early rules allowed looking at card names mechanically, but that went out the window when we started printing in other languages." This is something I've been wondering for a while: Why can't cards say "if you control a permanent named [name]" for cards like Desert or the Urzatron lands, thus requiring subtypes; but cards can still say "search your library for a card named [name]," for example on Gate to the Afterlife, or the Herald cycle from Alara?

Cards can refer to a name when it’s one specific card. It can’t care about a name as part of a larger list. You can affect Lightning Bolt, but not cards with “lightning” in the name.

Afterlife Card Names Card Printing Gate to the Afterlife Gates Lands Lightning Bolt Rules Search Subtype The Library

Spoiler Card Perspective

Hi Mark, the Desert debate made me wonder what R&D's position on "spoiler" cards like Gate to the Afterlife was, from my perspective they feel very similar to a non-functional subtype, (especially for new/young players who expect interacting cards to be in the same set) but I was curious if R&D had a different thought process.

The question is where to draw the line. Spoiler cards are designed to get the community talking and tease the next set. We don’t do it often and usually do it at a higher rarity, so newer players are less likely to run across it.

Afterlife Game Design Gate to the Afterlife Gates Rarity Spoilers Subtype

Future Teasing

What was the design ideology behind having Gate to the Afterlife mention a card in its ability that had not been printed yet (God Pharaohs Gift)?

It’s called “building some hype”. A little future teasing can make players excited to speculate.

Afterlife Card Printing Gate to the Afterlife Gates God

Designing Dual Cards

when you make cards like gate to the afterlife and god-pharoahs gifts ,do you make them both and then put them in different sets ,or make one for 1 set and then the other one later?

We usually make them at the same time, but not always.

Afterlife Gate to the Afterlife Gates God

Displeasure Over Future References

I just wanted to write to voice my displeasure for cards that refer to other cards that don't exist yet, namely Dark Intimations and the new Gate to the Afterlife. I didn't really mind it as a plant for the next set, but now making us wait 2 sets for a pay off, while simultaneously adding another 'lame duck' card that only has half of it's intended functionality is just downright annoying. No realistically printable Bolas card is going to make up for the fact I had to wait 6+ months for it.

How do others feel?

Afterlife Card Printing Dark Intimations Gate to the Afterlife Gates Plant

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