The Power Creep Debate: Is Magic Growing Too Fast?
Magic: The Gathering has always evolved, but in recent years, power creep—the gradual increase in card strength—has become a central topic of discussion. Some argue that stronger cards keep the game fresh and exciting, while others fear that excessive power creep threatens format balance and accessibility. So, is Magic growing too fast for its own good?
Understanding Power Creep in Magic
Power creep isn’t new to Magic. From the early days of Alpha to modern sets, card design has consistently evolved to meet the demands of new formats, playstyles, and competitive environments. However, the rate at which powerful cards are introduced has accelerated significantly in the last decade.
Consider the difference between classic creatures like Serra Angel (Alpha, 1993) and modern creatures like Questing Beast (Throne of Eldraine, 2019). Where Serra Angel was once a premier creature with evasion and vigilance, Questing Beast packs a massive stat line, multiple keywords, and a damage prevention clause—all for just one more mana. This shift exemplifies how creatures and spells have been tuned for efficiency over time.
Recent Examples of Power Creep
Modern Horizons Sets: Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has released sets like Modern Horizons and Modern Horizons 2, which introduced cards like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and Urza’s Saga—powerful enough to reshape formats. These direct-to-Modern sets push the game’s power level further without the usual Standard balancing constraints.
Eldraine’s Impact: Throne of Eldraine is often cited as one of the most overpowered sets in recent history, introducing dominant cards like Oko, Thief of Crowns, Once Upon a Time, and Fires of Invention, all of which were quickly banned in multiple formats.
FIRE Design Philosophy: WotC has openly discussed the FIRE (Fun, Inviting, Replayable, Exciting) design philosophy, which emphasizes making cards feel powerful and dynamic. While this leads to thrilling gameplay, it also results in a meta where older, lower-power cards struggle to compete.
The Downside of Power Creep
While power creep can make Magic more engaging in the short term, it creates long-term issues:
Format Rot – Older cards become obsolete faster, leading to high player turnover and constant spending to keep up with new releases.
Bans and Restrictions – More powerful cards often lead to emergency bans, disrupting formats and frustrating players who invest in decks.
Expensive Deckbuilding – Power creep drives up secondary market prices, making it harder for new players to enter competitive formats.
The Argument for Stronger Cards
Not everyone sees power creep as a negative. Some argue that stronger cards lead to:
More Dynamic Gameplay – Higher-powered cards create new strategies and prevent stagnation in formats like Standard and Modern.
A Faster Game – Games end more decisively, reducing slow, grindy matches that can turn off casual players.
Greater Accessibility for New Players – Modern card design focuses on making cards more immediately impactful, reducing the reliance on niche or outdated mechanics.
Can Wizards Balance Power Creep?
To maintain a healthy game, WotC will need to strike a balance. Some potential solutions include:
More Thoughtful Playtesting – Avoiding overpowered mistakes like Throne of Eldraine’s dominance.
Limiting Direct-to-Eternal Sets – Keeping Modern Horizons-style releases in check to prevent eternal formats from becoming too volatile.
Stronger Set Rotation for Standard – Ensuring that Standard remains balanced and approachable for newer players.
Final Thoughts
Power creep is an inevitable part of Magic’s evolution, but its current trajectory is a double-edged sword. While it makes the game more thrilling, it also risks alienating long-time players and destabilizing competitive formats. Whether Magiccan maintain this delicate balance or if we’re heading toward another Eldraine-level reset remains to be seen.