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The Lord of the Rings Officially Returns This August With New Crossover
Wizards of the Coast has unveiled Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit, a standalone Standard-legal expansion focused entirely on Bilbo Baggins' journey rather than the events of The Lord of the Rings. The set marks the first time the Magic franchise has given The Hobbit its own dedicated release, following on from the success of 2023's The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth crossover, and addresses the fact that Tolkien's original story has long been overshadowed by its more famous sequel in games and collectibles.
The expansion launches worldwide on 14 August and features characters including Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Smaug and Elrond, alongside locations and scenes from the novel. Collectors can chase Dragon Hoard showcase cards, Surge Foils, Dwarvish-language cards and an ultra-rare Gleaming Gold Smaug the Magnificent, plus seasonal full-art Shire Plains lands. The release also includes two collectible Scene Boxes (Crack the Plates and Treasures of Smaug), four-player Draft Night boxes, Bundles, Gift Bundles and Collector Boosters.
In short
- Magic: The Gathering launches a standalone Hobbit expansion on 14 August
- First Magic set dedicated solely to Bilbo's story, not Frodo's
- Includes rare Smaug card, foils, Scene Boxes and draft products
Explained simply
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game where players build decks to compete against each other. Wizards of the Coast, which makes Magic, has been releasing expansions based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional works, following the 2023 success of The Lord of the Rings expansion. The latest release is a dedicated expansion for The Hobbit, Tolkien's earlier novel about Bilbo Baggins' unexpected adventure.
The Hobbit has historically received far less attention than The Lord of the Rings in popular culture, games and merchandise, despite being Tolkien's original story. This new Magic expansion marks the first time the card game has devoted an entire release to The Hobbit's characters and setting. It represents a shift in how the gaming industry treats the two works.
The expansion features characters and locations from Tolkien's novel, including Bilbo, Gandalf and the dragon Smaug. It will be released in various formats for both casual players and dedicated collectors.