Set Code
HOB / HOC
Global Release
August 14, 2026
Prerelease
Aug 7-13, 2026
Preorder
Available Now
Wizards of the Coast is returning to Middle-earth, going back to the story that started it all. Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit releases August 14, 2026, bringing Bilbo, Smaug, the dwarves of Erebor, and the full sweep of Tolkien’s beloved novel to the card game. Whether you’re a Commander player, a draft enthusiast, or a die-hard collector chasing the rarest foils, here is everything you need to know.
The Products
Play Booster Box — $6.99 per pack

30 booster packs plus one Box Topper (Middle-earth Classic Artist Card). Each booster: 7 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 wildcard, 1 rare/mythic, 1 traditional foil, 1 land, 1 token. Your go-to for drafting or cracking packs.
Collector Booster Box — $37.99 per pack

12 Collector Boosters plus one Box Topper. Every pack: 5 foil commons, 3 foil uncommons, 1 foil uncommon Booster Fun, 1 foil Journey Land, 2 foil rares/mythics, 2 non-foil Booster Fun, 1 foil Booster Fun rare/mythic, 1 token. The only place to find Dwarven Language Cards and the ultra-rare Gleaming Gold Smaug (~500 copies worldwide).
Bundle — $69.99

9 Play Boosters, 4 traditional foil Seasonal Hobbit Basic Lands (The Shire across Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), 15 foil basics including 5 Journey Lands, 15 non-foil basics, 1 foil promo, 2 reference cards, 1 spindown, and a storage box.
Gift Bundle — $89.99 (September 4)

Upgrades the Bundle with 1 Collector Booster and swaps in 4 surge foil Seasonal Hobbit Basic Lands instead of traditional foil. Releases September 4 — note the separate date.
Draft Night — $119.99

12 Play Boosters, 1 Collector Booster, 90 non-foil basic lands, 10 tokens, and a draft insert. Everything a table of eight needs, with a Collector Booster for the winner.
Scene Boxes — $41.99 each

Crack the Plates

Treasures of Smaug
Two Scene Boxes: Crack the Plates and Treasures of Smaug. Each has 3 Play Boosters, 6 traditional foil borderless panoramic scene cards, 6 art cards, and a display easel.
Prerelease Pack

Available at your local game store August 7-13. Includes 6 Play Boosters, 1 traditional foil rare/mythic, 4 non-foil Seasonal Hobbit Basic Lands, a deck box, and a spindown die.
Special Card Treatments
Gleaming Gold Smaug, the Magnificent
Approximately 500 copies printed worldwide. Collector Booster exclusive. The rarest and most valuable card in the set — if you pull one, hold it.
- Middle-earth Classic Artist Cards — 40 borderless reprints from Tales of Middle-earth with new artwork. Box Topper in every booster box.
- Dwarven Language Cards — 5 cards in Tolkien’s Dwarvish script. Non-foil and traditional foil. Collector Booster exclusive.
- Book Cover Cards — 10 borderless cards in a fantasy novel cover frame. Play and Collector Boosters.
- Dragon Hoard Frame Cards — 25 cards with a dragon-scale frame; red variant has a missing-scale design. Multiple foil finishes.
- Middle-earth Journey Basic Lands — Full-art landscape basics in traditional foil. Play and Collector Boosters.
- Seasonal Hobbit Basic Lands — The Shire in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Exclusive to Prerelease Packs, Bundles, and Gift Bundles.
Key Cards to Watch
The first confirmed cards from MTG The Hobbit, with official preview art.

Smaug, the Magnificent
Chase mythic. Treasure-focused. The Gleaming Gold version has ~500 copies worldwide.

Thorin, Mountain-King
Leader of the Company. Strong Dwarf tribal Commander potential.

Bilbo, Luckwearer
The protagonist — and the Commander Party promo card.

Bilbo, Thief in the Night
Bilbo’s second card — his ring-bearer stealth identity.

The Arkenstone
Half-adventure, half-artifact. Also gets a Book Cover alternate treatment.

My Precious
The Ring’s corrupting pull. Expected to have significant gameplay impact.

An Unexpected Party
Heart of the Mountain event promo — traditional foil, art by Tomas Duchek.

Wood Elves
Standard Showdown promo — traditional foil, art by Ramza Psyru.

Riddles in the Dark
The iconic riddle battle between Bilbo and Gollum under the Misty Mountains.
Box Toppers & Special Treatments

Gleaming Gold Smaug
~500 copies worldwide. The rarest card in the set.

Arkenstone — Book Cover
One of 10 Book Cover cards with a fantasy novel frame.

The One Ring — Box Topper
One of Magic’s most powerful cards returns as a Box Topper.

Tom Bombadil — Box Topper
The endlessly mysterious figure returns as a Box Topper.
Full Event Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 17-19, 2026 | MagicCon Amsterdam — first previews |
| July 30-Aug 2, 2026 | Gen Con |
| August 7-13, 2026 | Prerelease at local game stores |
| August 14, 2026 | Global Release |
| Aug 14-Sep 24, 2026 | Standard Showdown (Wood Elves promo) |
| August 21-27, 2026 | Commander Party Round 1 (Bilbo, Luckwearer promo) |
| September 4, 2026 | Gift Bundle releases |
| September 4-10, 2026 | Heart of the Mountain (An Unexpected Party promo) |
| September 18-24, 2026 | Commander Party Round 2 |
| 2027 | Battle of Five Armies Co-Op Kit |
Format Legality
HOB is legal in all formats (Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander). HOC is legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage only. If you are building Standard decks, confirm the HOB designation before buying in.
Where to Preorder
Preorders live now at your local game store (locator.wizards.com), TCGPlayer, or Amazon. Collector Booster supply will be tight — do not sleep on the preorder.
NerdSnack Bottom Line
The Hobbit is shaping up to be the most collectible Magic set since Tales of Middle-earth. Gleaming Gold Smaug at ~500 copies, Seasonal Shire Lands, and Dwarven Language Cards give collectors targets at every price point. August 14 needs to be on your calendar.
TCGPlayer has the best prices on Magic, Pokemon, Dragon Ball, and Riftbound singles — with seller ratings and buyer protection.








