With Core Set 2020, the new WPN gets going in full swing. That's a lot of change. Universal Promo Packs, flexible scheduling, new metrics, and on and on and on.

Likewise, when it comes to Prerelease allocations (which will be in your inbox next week—schedule your Prerelease right away!), there's a lot of change coming—but a lot of stays the same.

Let's dive in:

Buy-a-Box/Prerelease Early Sale Promotion: Allocations are Based on Tickets and Engaged Players

At M20 Prerelease, you'll once again have the chance to sell advance boxes in quantities equal to the number of Buy-a-Box promo cards you receive. The difference this time is, you'll get an allocation of promo cards that's better tailored for your community.

Going forward, you'll get Buy-a-Box promos in quantities based on your Tickets and Engaged Player totals (quantities were previously based on store level). We expect this new, more precise paradigm to get more product into the places where demand is highest.

You'll see your Buy-a-Box/Early Sale Promotion numbers in your allocation email, which should be in your inbox next week.

Prerelease Allocations: Based on War and Allegiance (And M19 in Europe)

Prerelease allocations remain as they were: your numbers are based on attendance at the last two Prereleases for Standard sets (War of the Spark or Ravnica Allegiance—not Modern Horizons. In Europe, we'll also consider Core Set 2019.). The only difference is that you might see a slight reduction, probably in your "growth product."

If you've been running Prereleases for a few years, that won't be too surprising. Core set allocations have always been a pinch lower. 

Preferred Distributor: Change Before May 13

Unless we hear otherwise, we'll make your Prerelease product available through the whomever we have listed as your "preferred distributor." If you want to change your preferred distributor, you can do it here before May 13.

Once distributor selection is locked in, it gets tough to make any changes to your allocation. So if you have concerns with your numbers, get in contact with us before May 13.

Final Allocation: No Email = No Changes

The allocation numbers you'll see next week are a forecast—final numbers will arrive around May 20. However, if you don't get an email, that means your allocation didn't change. You're all set to call up your distributor.

But here's something you should know in advance: the number most likely to change between then and now is your Buy-a-Box/Prerelease Early Sale Promotion allocation.

The reason is that it's based your Tickets and Engaged Players between May 13, 2018 and May 13, 2019—so it won't include numbers from Dominaria Prerelease, which was on April 14, 2018.

It will, however, include numbers from War of the Spark. Which means that any change you see in your final allocation will most likely depend on the disparity between those two Prereleases.

You should have your initial allocation in your inbox next week. Log into WER and schedule Prerelease to make sure you get your product!