As 2024 starts to wind down, there's one more Standard release coming today! This set, named Foundations, is an introductory-focused set that feels nearly identical to the Core Sets of previous years. This set will play a massive role in the Standard format, and is full of tools to help both new and returning players learn the basics of the game.

Foundations Key Info: 

• Prerelease Events: November 8-10, 2024

• Foundations Set Code: FDN

• Foundations Jumpstart Set Code: J25

• Special Guests Set Code: SPG

Like with most releases these days, Foundations cards are legal from Prerelease weekend onwards, which is something that began with Streets of New Capenna. 

As Foundations is the next Standard release, cards are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Commander. Foundations also sees a Jumpstart release, with cards legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage. The Special Guests cards you might be lucky enough to open in your packs are not immediately Standard legal, but instead follow the legality of the card’s prior printings. 

Standard Rotation

Foundations has been announced to have a 5-year rotation, meaning that the set will remain legal in Standard through 2029!

Standard has historically followed a 2-year rotation schedule to keep the format fresh and exciting – this changed to a 3-year rotation last year with the release of Wilds of Eldraine, meaning that there were no set thats fell out of Standard in 2023. This was a change meant to strengthen the format by allowing more diversity and longevity amongst various archetypes; you can read more about this change in the announcement here.

There is another change coming down the pipeline for Standard rotations. Although we don’t have to worry about it just yet, it felt important to mention here: Starting in 2027, Standard rotation will happen at the beginning of the calendar year instead of in the fall, as it has historically been. This does not effect the 2025 rotation, which will see Dominaria United (DMU), The Brothers' War (BRO), Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE), March of the Machine (MOM), and March of the Machine: The Aftermath (MAT) all rotate out with the release of Edge of Eternities. There will be no Standard rotation in 2026. Then, with the release of the first set of 2027, all 2024 sets will rotate out – leaving all sets from 2025, 2026, and 2027 Standard legal.

Standard at Gamers XP

We want to do our part to help Standard thrive. While we already have free Release Drafts for each set and free Standard Showdowns every Saturday, we felt that there was more we could do.

Starting with Foundations, we’re adding a new event to our rotation: Set Constructed. This event will take place the Friday AFTER Release Draft and will be FREE if you participated in the Release Day Draft (otherwise, it’s a $10 event). This means that you can play in for any Prerelease Event on November 8th or 9th and get a Free Release Draft pass, then show up on November 15th to get a Free Set Constructed pass for November 22nd. The best part is, you can use your Prerelease and Draft cards to build your deck for the event – and even use it to play in our free Standard Showdown event afterwards, or the Store Championship taking place on November 23rd!

To add on to that: starting in December, Standard Showdown will be moving to a regular $10 event instead of a free event. This allows us to offer more prizing to our Standard community. However, the first Standard Showdown after a Set Constructed event will still always be a free event – just with more prizing!

We’re adding support for our competitive players, as well. Each Standard RCQ in the upcoming season will have $1,000 in guaranteed cash prizing, with our first event taking place on November 30th. Keep an eye out for an official event announcement!

But that’s not all we’re doing. We are also raising our trade-in rates for any Standard legal singles! We’re doubling our rate for bulk rares (from $0.10 to $0.20 per card), increasing the rate for bulk commons and uncommons to $5 per 1k, and offering 70% in Store Credit for all cards over $4. This change is to help make sure that we always have the hottest new singles in stock!