Prereleases are often the most anticipated events on the Magic: The Gathering calendar for players and stores alike. As a Wizards Play Network store, hosting Prerelease events is both an exciting opportunity and a responsibility. It’s your store’s chance to be the community’s first experience with a brand-new set – a week before that set officially launches. To make the most of Prerelease week, you’ll want to run smooth events. This article will walk you through how to plan and execute a great Prerelease event.
Planning and Scheduling Your Prerelease Event
Prerelease is a special event where players get to play with a new Magic set before it’s widely released. For each Magic: The Gathering expansion, Wizards designates a Prerelease week (usually the week before the set’s release date). As a WPN store, you’ll receive an allocation of Prerelease materials (Prerelease Packs, prize support boosters, promos, etc.), and you’ll be expected to run events during that window. Here’s how to plan for it:
Scheduling in Wizards EventLink
All Prerelease events should be scheduled and reported through Wizards EventLink, the official event management tool. Wizards typically opens up event scheduling for a new set’s Prerelease in advance, giving you time to set the date and time for each event you’ll host. Commonly, Prereleases run from Friday through Thursday of the designated week. You can run multiple events across those days depending on your community’s size and interest. It’s a good practice to schedule at least one event on Prerelease Friday evening (the day Prerelease starts) and additional events throughout the week if you anticipate demand. EventLink will also let you mark if an event is in-store or at-home. Once scheduled, your events will appear on Wizards’ event locator so players can find them.
Prerelease Pack Allocation
Prior to the event, Wizards will inform you how many Prerelease Packs you’re getting for that set. A Prerelease Pack is a kit each player uses to build their deck, typically containing 6 booster packs of the new set, plus some extras like a date-stamped premium promo card (often a foil rare or mythic from the set) and a spindown life counter die. Your allocation is usually based on your past attendance for Prerelease events (if you consistently sell out previous Prereleases, you’ll get more kits in future). It’s important to note that Prerelease Pack allocation is separate from your general product allocation – it doesn’t directly depend on general metrics, but rather on historical Prerelease participation at your store. This means building a strong track record of well-attended Prereleases will help ensure you get enough kits next time around. When planning events, do not advertise more seats than you have kits. If you have 60 Prerelease Packs, you can’t run an event for 75 players. It’s wise to set a player cap in EventLink equal to the number of kits you have per event, or manage sign-ups accordingly.
Event Formats –Sealed Deck and Beyond
The default format for a Magic Prerelease is Sealed Deck. In a sealed event, each player gets one Prerelease Pack (6 boosters) and builds a 40-card minimum deck from those cards plus basic lands you provide. This format gives everyone an even starting point and showcases the new cards. Wizards strongly supports sealed as the main Prerelease format. Many stores run each Prerelease event as a sealed tournament (with Swiss pairings, usually 3 or 4 rounds depending on time).
Two-Headed Giant (2HG) Prerelease
Two-Headed Giant is a multiplayer format where teams of two players work together. Wizards often explicitly allows and even encourages one of your Prerelease events to be run as a Two-Headed Giant sealed event. In a 2HG Prerelease, each team gets two Prerelease Packs (one per player, so 12 boosters total) and the teammates build two decks to battle other teams. This format is very popular for couples, friends, or parent-child pairs who want to play together. If your community has interest, consider scheduling a 2HG event (commonly on Saturday afternoon or evening). EventLink has an option to run an event as Two-Headed Giant, which will pair teams instead of individuals. Just remember that each team uses two kits, so plan your kit usage accordingly (i.e., if you have 18 teams, that’s 36 kits used).
Casual Play and Learn-to-Play
In addition to formal tournaments, Prerelease is meant to be fun and accessible. Some players might not want a competitive event but still want to experience the new cards. You can accommodate them with more casual offerings. For instance, you can allow players to purchase a Prerelease Pack and play casually in the store (this is often called an “At-Home Prerelease” if they just take it home, or an open play event if in-store without a set tournament structure).
At-Home Prereleases
Wizards allows “At-Home Prerelease” events. This usually means you can sell a Prerelease Pack to a customer on Prerelease weekend for them to play at home (with their family or friends) rather than in a store event. You would still report it in EventLink as an At-Home event, which essentially logs that the pack was used by a player that weekend. Each Prerelease kit sold should have an attendance entry into EventLink to ensure future Prerelease Allocations.
Event Start Times
Wizards has a policy regarding the earliest start time for Prerelease events. Prerelease Friday events should not start before 12:00 PM (noon) local time. If your store opens earlier, you are allowed to start selling products (see Prerelease Early Sales Policy) when you open, but organized play waits until noon.
Create a Welcoming Atmosphere
On the day of the event, set up your space to be welcoming. Have clear signage where players should go to get their Prerelease Pack when they arrive. Plan on a deck construction period (usually about 45 minutes is given to open packs and build decks), announce that and maybe play some thematic music to set the mood. Encourage players to mingle and share their cool card pulls. Prerelease is not a high-stakes tournament; it’s more of a celebration of the new set. Emphasize fun, good sportsmanship, and enjoying new cards over pure competition. This is the best time to hook new players on the joy of events – so make sure your staff and regulars are being friendly and helpful to newcomers.
Prerelease is a cornerstone of the WPN program, combining the thrill of new cards with the camaraderie of in-store play. Embrace the early sales period as a chance to boost your store’s sales and give players what they want right away. A well-run Prerelease can create lifelong customers and set the tone for your store’s success with that new set. Good luck, have fun, and may your Prerelease be a full house of happy gamers cracking packs and sharing stories!