Wizards Announces 7 New Secret Lair Drops, Including a Crossover with Stranger Things

Wizards of the Coast has just announced an upcoming Secret Lair October Superdrop. The featured drop is a crossover with non-MTG characters from the Netflix series Stranger Things – something that has been a source of contention in the community.

The limited-run Secret Lair drop series has been a somewhat controversial product line in the Magic community since it was first announced. Each drop contains a special set of cards that typically have special, new art and are usually based around a theme of some kind. The product has been criticized in the past based on its time-limited availability and difficulty to purchase for those not living in the United States.

None were so controversial, however, as The Walking Dead Secret Lair drop – a product that introduced new, mechanically unique Magic cards from the popular comic books and AMC television series. There was a vicious backlash from many players in the Magic community who felt that having cards from other pop culture IPs was immersion breaking at best.

In spite of the negative reception on social media, The Walking Dead was a significant commercial success: Wizards themselves stated that TWD drop was the best-selling Secret Lair to date. In the time since then, Wizards has addressed the controversy with some concessions for upset fans, but has continued to move forward with crossover products.

In July, Adventures in the Forgotten Realms was released as a premier set based on the lore of Dungeons and Dragons. During the Magic Showcase 2021, where Wizards announced many of the products that will be coming in 2022, several products were announced from Universes Beyond (the product line featuring non-Magic IPs) with MTG crossovers ranging from Lord of the Rings to Fortnite.

As an attempt to appease players that have been upset by the MTG crossovers, Wizards has made a few specific promises aimed at resolving some of the reasonable complaints. For one, MTG Head Designer Mark Rosewater stated on his blog that there would not be any non-Magic IPs in future premier (Standard Legal) sets. We published an article discussing the controversy when Rosewater first made the announcement; you can read more about it here:

Secondly, Wizards addressed one of the most common concerns from players by stating that all mechanically unique cards introduced through Secret Lair drops would be reprinted with Magic-flavored versions. These cards will be added to “The List,” a collection of cards that have a chance to appear in Set Boosters. Recently, both Rosewater and MTG spokesperson Blake Rasmussen have confirmed that this will apply for the Stranger Things cards, which will be included in The List in New Capenna Set Boosters.

The Product: Secret Lair October Superdrop

The October Superdrop consists of seven separate Secret Lair drops with various themes, including the Secret Lair x Stranger Things drop and some spooky-themed seasonal drops. Each drop is available in a non-foil version for $39.99 US or $49.99 for the foils. Some of the drops have an etched foil option as well, which is also priced at $49.99. Additionally, there are a number of bundle options available for those looking to buy several or all of the drops – see Wizard’s product announcement page for more details.

Images of the cards from each of the drops can be found below:

Secret Lair x Stranger Things

Mirrodinsanity

Monster Anatomy 101

Monster Movie Marathon

Read the Fine Print

Showcase: Midnight Hunt

Thrilling Tales of the Undead

It seems like Universes Beyond is going to be a part of Magic for the foreseeable future. What do you think of Secret Lair, and the new Stranger Things drop specifically? Is it enough to have Magic equivalents for the new cards in The List, or do you think Wizards should do more? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.