Roscoe Wetlaufer, Wizards of the Coast

Theros Beyond Death is close—closer than you think. Final Prerelease Early Sale Promotion allocations just locked in (call your distributor!) and the first preview cards are just around the corner.

We expect big things from the return to Magic’s Greek-mythology-inspired plane. Here are a few reasons why—and what you can do to prepare.

A Historic Return

The first “return” set in the modern era, Return to Ravnica, delivered the largest Prerelease Magic had ever seen. That weekend held the record until Battle for Zendikar, which was then usurped by Dominaria. Then all those records were blown out of the water by Guilds of Ravnica.

Ravnica, Zendikar, Dominaria, and Ravnica again. See the pattern?

Returning to beloved worlds brings players out of the woodwork. And just like Ravnica, just like Zendikar, the plane of Theros occupies a special place in the minds of countless players. It's the backdrop for a thousand memories, and the warm associations that accompany them.

Here's how we know.

Unprecedented New Player Growth

We all know that your first plane—wherever the current Magic set was based when you first started playing—always feels special. And for countless fans out there, that plane is Theros.

Theros was a heyday for new player growth: Theros season set a record for bringing new players to in-store play back in 2013—more players joined their first in-store event during those four months than during any previous season in Magic history.

And you might think the set was merely riding that era's wave of new player growth, but that's not the case.

It's true that Magic was on a stellar trajectory after the Innistrad and Return to Ravnica blocks, and there's no doubt Theros had the wind at its back. But it took nothing less than Dominaria to break the record four years later—not even Khans of Tarkir or Battle for Zendikar matched it.

Prepare Now, Rest Easy Later

Here's a good rule of thumb to help prepare for any given set: be ready when cards start previewing.

That's usually about a month before the set lands. Preorders, event preregistration, Store and Event locator traffic—that's when it all gets fired up, when players get their first peek and the new cards.

But WPN members work on a different timeline—you need to get a head start to be ready when Theros hype kicks in.

Here are four critical steps you can take right now.

1. Schedule your events. If you haven’t already, open Wizards Event Reporter and schedule your events. Our data shows stores that the later you schedule Prerelease the more your attendance suffers.
2. Know your dates. Go here for a quick look at when digital marketing assets drop, when Buy-a-Box promos will land, and more.
3. Download marketing materials and advertise your events. We already have a few key assets available online, including the set symbol and logo, and there's more coming on January 6.
4. Order your Prerelease Early Sale Promotion allocation. Allocations locked in last week, so now's the time to reach out to your distributor.

Theros Beyond Death is waiting for us just on the other side of the holiday season. Make sure to advertise your events and preorder everything the set has to offer!