What is Standard rotation in Magic: The Gathering? Why does Standard MTG rotate? Which sets will be legal after the next rotation? And how can you still play with your favorite cards?
By SCG Staff
Editor’s note: As of May 8, 2023, Standard rotation has shifted to a three-year cycle, up from two years. The rotation previously scheduled for September 8, 2023, was canceled to accommodate this shift. The following article has been edited to reflect this change. Read more on this announcement.
What Is Standard?
Standard is one of the formats for competitive Magic: The Gathering. Because Standard only uses cards from specific sets in the past two to three years, it has enjoyed decades of popularity with collectors, and it is a common format for events such as Friday Night Magic.
What Sets Are Legal in Standard?
After the release of Outlaws of Thunder Junction, the following sets are legal in Standard:
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Streets of New Capenna
- Dominaria United
- The Brothers’ War
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One
- March of the Machine
- March of the Machine: The Aftermath
- Wilds of Eldraine
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Murders at Karlov Manor
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Are Any Cards Banned in Standard?
There are four cards currently banned in Standard:
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
- Invoke Despair
- Reckoner Bankbuster
- The Meathook Massacre
What Is the Newest Standard Set? What Is the Next Standard Set?
The newest Standard set is Outlaws of Thunder Junction, release date April 19, 2024. The next Standard set after that will be Bloomburrow, releasing August 2, 2024.
What Is Standard Rotation?
Once every year, Wizards of the Coast (WotC), makers of Magic: The Gathering, change the Standard format by taking out older sets. This is called “Standard rotation,” and it helps keep Standard exciting by giving players a new pool of cards to use.
Standard rotation affects both in-person play with physical cards (“paper” / “tabletop”) and online play through Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) and Magic: The Gathering Arena. On Arena, this process is also called “renewal.”
What Happens During Standard Rotation?
During a Standard rotation, the oldest year’s worth of sets, usually a total of four sets, leave Standard. At the same time, a new set enters Standard.
When Will the Next Standard Rotation Take Place?
The next Standard rotation will take place on August 2, 2024, with the release of the Bloomburrow set.
Which Sets Will Leave Standard with the Next Rotation?
The following sets will leave Standard with the August 2, 2024 rotation:
Which Sets Will Make Up Standard After the Next Rotation?
The following sets will make up the new Standard after the August 2, 2024 rotation:
- Dominaria United
- The Brothers’ War
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One
- March of the Machine
- March of the Machine: The Aftermath
- Wilds of Eldraine
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Murders at Karlov Manor
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction
- Bloomburrow
Can I Use Older Versions of Cards in Standard-Legal Sets?
Yes! Any tournament-legal version or printing of a card in a Standard-legal set is okay to use when playing Standard. For example, a player may use a copy of Broken Wings printed in Streets of New Capenna after it rotates out of Standard because it was also printed in Dominaria United.
Will Any Cards Be Banned in Standard After the Next Rotation?
All cards currently on the Standard Banned List are in sets that will rotate out. There will be no cards on the Standard Banned List after the August 2, 2024 rotation unless WotC bans one or more additional cards.
How Can I Use Cards That Rotated Out of Standard?
While Standard rotates, most Magic: The Gathering formats let you keep using your favorite cards. Examples of non-rotating formats include Pioneer, Modern, and Commander.
