A MTG Arena Commander game mode might be in the works, based on hints given by Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks during the firm’s Q1 earnings call with investors. Answering a question about the ongoing development of MTG Arena, Cocks states that since “social based play like Commander” has driven the growth of paper magic, that’s what the firm will be investing in “on the digital platform in the long term”.
This isn’t a full and firm commitment to implement the MTG Commander format exactly as we know it on MTG Arena, and there’s a very big gap between Hasbro identifying an area it wants the platform to develop into and what may eventually be realised by game developers. But it’s clearly part of the firm’s strategy.
Cocks also cites “collectibility” as another driver of earnings for paper Magic that Arena might attempt to emulate. Exactly how Arena could become more collectible, when it’s already a free to play game that sells blind purchase card packs and premium cosmetics, is unclear to us at this time, and isn’t discussed in Wednesday’s earnings call.
Cocks made the remarks while responding to an investor concerned that revenues on Arena appear to be lagging behind tabletop Magic. Cocks attributes this to Arena simply having one fewer set compared to last year – Innistrad Remastered launched early in 2023, and there was no equivalent in 2024. Otherwise, Arena is “roughly in line” with paper Magic. Cocks affirmed a commitment to “refresh the platform” over “the coming couple of years”.
Financial data were released along with the earnings call. Once again, Wizards of the Coast is the most profitable part of Hasbro, with an operating profit of $122.8 million. Magic the Gathering sales, plus licensing fees from both Baldur’s Gate 3 and Monopoly Go were the big drivers of income.
Much of the investment call is dedicated to discussions of Hasbro’s ongoing efforts to improve margins by cutting costs and reducing the amount of stock its toy business warehouses. Last year’s redundancies at Wizards of the Coast were part of the cost-cutting measures, and that segment of the business is now operating with almost a 40% margin.
To keep up to date with the latest Magic the Gathering news, follow Wargamer on Google News. And if you want to bolster your Arena collection in anticipation of it one day getting Commander (fingers crossed), check out our guide to MTG Arena codes.