Magic: The Gathering‘s upcoming Nauctis: The Sunken Realm set is officially bringing back the Black Lotus, one of the game’s most powerful cards of all time, but with a major nerf. The newest Magic set whisks players to an underwater kingdom with a variety of different sea creatures.
The Wizards of the Coast card game is set to kick off 2027 with a bang, debuting a brand-new plane in its first set. Nauctis: The Sunken Realm will introduce players to the underwater kingdom of Nauctis, inhabited by Merfolk, seals, sharks, and much more swimming within its depths. The first expansion of 2027 will bring core changes to the game’s booster packs following its debut, adjusting the framework of packs and introducing Magic: The Gathering‘s first official god packs. Now, Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that the iconic Black Lotus is getting a new nerfed version in Nauctis: The Sunken Realm.
Abyssal Lotus is Magic: The Gathering’s New Nerfed Black Lotus
Wizards of the Coast officially revealed Abyssal Lotus as one of the biggest chase cards available in Nauctis: The Sunken Realm. Much like the original Black Lotus, Abyssal Lotus is a 0-cost Artifact card that players can play for free, featuring the ability to exile the card to add three mana of any one color. The card features two notable drawbacks that were not present in the original Black Lotus, with Abyssal Lotus entering the battlefield tapped and requiring the player to have eight or more permanent cards in their graveyard to activate its ability. Magic: The Gathering‘s Nauctis: The Sunken Realm will officially release on February 5, 2027.
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Image via Wizards of the Coast -
Image via Wizards of the Coast
Abyssal Lotus is also getting multiple special versions that players can pull from Nauctis: The Sunken Realm booster packs. The card will receive a “Coral Frame” showcase version similar to other cards in the set, featuring coral reef designs around the frame of the artwork. Abyssal Lotus will be featured as the headliner chase card in the set as well, showcasing a special textless version of the card with gold trim on the frame and artwork that will only be available from Magic‘s Collector Booster packs.
Magic‘s newest chase card calls back to one of the TCG’s most iconic cards of all time. Black Lotus was one of the first Magic: The Gathering cards ever released, debuting in the Alpha set and becoming its most sought-after collector’s piece. Black Lotus has not received an official tournament-legal reprint since the release of Magic‘s Unlimited Edition in 1993, only appearing in collector’s versions and oversized tournament promo versions. Official copies of Black Lotus often fetch exorbitant prices on the secondary market as well, selling for tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Abyssal Lotus is far from the only exciting card coming in Nauctis: The Sunken Realm. The official preview for Nauctis: The Sunken Realm during the recent MagicCon Atlanta gave fans a first taste of the aquatic kingdom, including a powerful new Whale God card in Salinae, the Ocean Mother. Ring of Unity is also expected to be a powerful new Artifact card, giving Artifacts the ability to tap for two Colorless mana, essentially turning any Artifact into Magic: The Gathering staple Sol Ring. Magic fans should have plenty to look forward to from the game’s first set of 2027, with a wealth of powerful cards in Nauctis: The Sunken Realm.
