Magic: The Gathering, commonly known as MTG or simply Magic, is a trading card game created by Richard Garfield and first published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. Players take the role of powerful wizards called planeswalkers and use decks of cards to cast spells, summon creatures, and use magical effects to defeat opponents. Each card represents a discrete game element, such as a creature, spell, resource (called land), ability, or artifact.
The core gameplay revolves around resource management and tactical decision-making. Players build decks in advance, typically with at least 60 cards in standard formats, and draw from those decks during the game. The primary objective in most formats is to reduce an opponent’s life total from 20 to 0 by attacking with creatures or using damaging spells.
With more than 20,000 unique cards, deck construction is a crucial part of Magic: The Gathering gameplay. Each card has its strengths and, sometimes, weaknesses. The outcome of the game is significantly determined by the players’ deck-building strategies. These strategies can be loosely divided into four types:
- Aggro: Aggressive and focused on overwhelming the opponent.
- Control: Focused on slowing down the game and taking advantage of more powerful cards.
- Combo: Using card combinations to create a powerful effect.
- Midrange: Playing defensively against aggro and proactively against control.
MagicCon was launched in 2023 as part of MTG’s 30th anniversary celebrations. That year, the series consisted of four events: MagicCon: Philadelphia in February, MagicCon: Minneapolis in May, MagicCon: Barcelona in July, and MagicCon: Las Vegas in September. These inaugural events were successful, and MagicCon became an annual occurrence. Beginning with MagicCon: Chicago in 2025, the event expanded to include Dungeons & Dragons alongside MTG.
MagicCon is essentially a hybrid of a competitive tournament circuit stop and a fan convention. Designed as a weekend-long event, it brings together players, collectors, artists, and fans to engage with every aspect of the game. Each MagicCon features exclusive product reveals, presentations, panels, special guests, high-level tournaments (notably Pro Tour Qualifiers), large casual play areas, immersive experiences, cosplay contests, artist alleys featuring card illustrators, meet-and-greets with pro players and content creators, art and craft workshops, vendor halls, and more.
The MTG-themed MagicCon should not be confused with another fan convention of the same name held annually in Bonn, Germany. The German convention is a FedCon spin-off targeted at fantasy and mystery fans. Previously known as Ring*Con and HobbitCon, it was originally focused on The Lord of the Rings and other works by J. R. R. Tolkien set in Middle-earth.
Photo: mtgfestivals.com
