Last weekend, the launch of Shadows over Innistrad began a new era in Standard. Going forward, there will be two blocks per year, and each block will trigger a rotation in the Standard format.

The Old Standard

Under the old paradigm, there was one three-set block per year, plus a Core set. Standard only rotated once.

The New Standard

Under the new paradigm, core sets are gone, and each year there are two blocks made up of two sets each. Standard will always be made up of the three most recent blocks, meaning either five or six sets at a time.

As a reminder, it's a bit unusual this time: Khans of Tarkir and Fate Reforged are rotating out, but Dragons of Tarkir and Magic Origins remain legal until this fall's set launches.

This change was announced way back in August 2014, and the feedback was near unanimous—players are excited about the new model.

Will There Still Be "Big Sets" and "Small Sets"?

Yes. Going forward, the plan is to release big sets in spring and fall, small sets in summer and winter.

Still have questions about the new Standard? Contact your local support team.

By Matt Neubert