Magic: The Gathering will travel back to Middle-earth this month with the release of a new set of tabletop gaming cards based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. Variety has the exclusive first look at a card from the collection featuring a key character in the plot against the dragon Smaug.
Releasing Aug. 14, “The Hobbit” set will feature cards “from the time-honored tale, blending rich storytelling with strategic play as players adventure alongside familiar friends and formidable foes,” including the gold Smaug the Magnificent headliner card, Middle-earth classic artist cards, and Dwarven language cards.
Per the description for the set, “Journey from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain alongside Bilbo Baggins in a set that captures the whimsy and heart of one of fantasy’s most beloved adventures. Players will encounter trolls, ponder riddles in the dark, and come face-to-face with Smaug himself—brought to life through Magic’s gameplay and design.”
Variety has an exclusive look at two variants of one new card from “The Hobbit” set, titled “Glóin the Mighty.” In this card, the “dwarf warrior” Glóin is seen battling with an goblin during an iconic scene from the book where he and Thorin Oakenshield’s defend their dwarf brethren and Bilbo on their journey. Glóin goes on to be the father of Gimli, one of Frodo’s fellowship members, in “The Lord of the Rings.”
“The Hobbit” set is part of Magic’s “Universes Beyond” collection, which adds in third-party IP to the popular tabletop trading card game. Magic previously released a “The Lord of the Rings” set in June 2023 and took inspiration from those cards to continue the adaptation work with “The Hobbit” collection.
Earlier this month, Magic: The Gathering maker Wizards of the Coast announced plans for its 2027 sets, which will include three mainline Magic sets and a trio of unannounced Universes Beyond collections done in collaboration with outside IP, like “The Hobbit.”
The subjects of those UB collections have not been revealed, but Wizards has confirmed the sets will be releasing in April, August and November of next year. Additionally, Magic will release three mainline sets that start a new story arc within MTG’s own universe, including “Nauctis: The Sunken Realm” (releasing in February 2027), “Kamigawa: Titanbreach” (June 2027), and “Zhalfir” (October 2027).
See below for Variety‘s exclusive first look at two variants of the “Glóin the Mighty” cards from the upcoming “The Hobbit” Magic: The Gathering set.