Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering (MTG), is making several changes to MTG cards for sensitivity reasons in the upcoming release of Khans of Tarkir on MTG Arena. The Tribal card type will be renamed ‘Kindred’, and the totem armor mechanic will be called ‘umbra armor’. Additionally, Rakshasa demons will have their cat creature type removed, and nagas will be replaced with ‘snake’.
While Wizards has not provided a detailed explanation for these changes, they stated in a November 3 article that they aim to make the game more inclusive and welcoming. As a result, Magic fans have been left to interpret the reasoning behind these changes, leading to lively online discussions.
The change from Tribal to Kindred aligns with Wizards’ recent decision to use the term ‘typal’ instead of tribal for MTG creature type decks. The replacement of ‘totem’ with ‘umbra’ seems to be connected since all totem armor cards have umbra in their name.
The removal of the cat creature type from Rakshasa demons may seem puzzling at first, but it appears to be based on their depiction in Hindu mythology as shapeshifters rather than cat-like creatures. This association may have been influenced by Rakshasa’s portrayal in Wizards’ other game, Dungeons and Dragons.
The decision to replace naga with snake is less clear, but it could be driven by gameplay considerations. Snake is an established creature type in MTG, while naga-themed decks are unlikely to be successful.
These changes will be implemented in both the digital and physical versions of the game. While some players may be disappointed by the removal of Rakshasa from cat tribal decks, snake players will have new options to explore.
The changes will take effect on December 12, 2023, with the release of Khans of Tarkir. For more information on MTG, players can explore favorite MTG commanders, the best MTG cards ever made, and the MTG release schedule for 2023.
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