MTG returns to its roots with new set focusing on an iconic setting

Zhalfir, Teferi's homeland, will be at the center of a 2027 MTG set

Magic: The Gathering is bringing back Dominaria, or at least a piece of it. Zhalfir, the kingdom that was Teferi's birthplace on Magic's original plane, will be the setting of a new expansion, set to be released in fall 2027. Once a powerful nation in the world of Dominaria, Zhalfir was first lost due to Teferi's meddling with powerful magic, and then returned as a separate plane as a consequence of New Phyrexia's invasion of the Multiverse.

If you're tired of spaceships, mutant ninja turtles, and superheroes, then Zhalfir will be perfect for you. Zhalfir is a fundamental piece of Magic's lore and history, and the set will surely see the return of many iconic characters from the franchise. Chief among these, of course, will be Teferi, the powerful time wizard who has been a witness, and often a protagonist, of the most important events the Magic Multiverse has seen.

Born with an innate talent for magic, Teferi was recruited by Urza in his Tolarian Academy, where he trained wizards to prepare them for the first Phyrexian invasion. After leaving the Academy, Teferi became a Royal Mage of his homeland of Zhalfir. He later awakened his planeswalker spark and further reinforced Zhalfir by creating the five Creeds, each focused on a color of magic. However, when the invasion finally came, Teferi decided he actually did not like his homeland's chances to survive and phased out Zhalfir entirely, using magic that removed the country from normal space and time.

Three hundred years after the Phyrexians were (apparently) defeated, Teferi returned to Dominaria to restore Zhalfir, but due to the instability of the plane, which was wraccked by time rifts, the result was disastrous, and Zhalfir was apparently lost forever. However, during the events of the second Phyrexian invasion, Teferi found a way back to his homeland and, with the help of Wrenn, reunited it with the rest of the multiverse, allowing the Zhalfirian army to play a key role in defeating the Phyrexians. As a result, Zhalfir and New Phyrexia's place in the multiverse was swapped, and the former Dominarian country is now a plane on its own.

The story will continue in Magic's new set, which will also bring back another blast from the past. As a consequence of the swap, the five suns of Mirrodin (the plane that was corrupted by Phyrexian Oil to become New Phyrexia) are now orbiting Zhalfir. The refugees from the original Mirrodin have been welcomed on Zhalfir, meaning we'll see the return of familiar characters, card types, and perhaps even archetypes (for reference, affinity for artifacts was originally introduced in the Mirrodin set).

Karn could also play a key role in the new story, as he was the creator of Mirrodin and labored long and hard to restore the plane. After Magic's frequent forays into Universes Beyond, seeing the original iconic characters of the franchise reunite for the first time since March of the Machine will be a treat for fans old and new.

Zhalfir will be released on Oct. 1, 2027.