NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—On January 16 and 17, local comic shop Comic Sanctuary is hosting a pre-release event for the next installment of the highly popular trading card game Magic: the Gathering.

Magic cards were first published in 1993 and have endured as a game that now has approximately 20 million players as of 2015.

The cards which all feature unique artwork are so popular that there is a thriving secondary market that have rare cards selling for thousands of dollars to serious collectors.

Magic is a big deal in the gaming and comic book community and as such Comic Sanctuary is looking to give fans an event to celebrate the release of a new deck. The Comic Sanctuary facebook event page elaborates,  

“Join us for a two-day event as we host a pre-release event for the new Magic: The Gathering set “Oath ofthe Gatewatch” Players will be able to try out new cards and abilities from the set in a sealed ‘Two Headed Giant’ tournament format, consisting of two player teams squaring off against each other for four games.

So pick a partner, choose a team name and prepare yourself for battle against four other teams! There will also be casual games, using only the new pre-constructed 60 card Intro Decks.”

The event will run during normal business hours on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th. We will have three events, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Saturday’s first session began at 2:30 PM, and sold out,  and the second session will be at 7 PM.

Players are asked to arrive a half an hour before the scheduled start time so their information can be input into the system and begin on time.

The “Two Headed Giant” tournament entry fee is  $25.99. With entry players will get Four “Oath of the Gatewatch” booster packs, Two “Battle for Zendikar” booster packs, a special date-stamped premium mythic or rare promo card, a spindown life counter and an deck box that is exclusive to the pre-release event.

Each pre-release kit will have a chance at a different promo card!

If you have no experience with Magic: The Gathering there is a casual intro deck tournament as well. That entry fee is $14.99 and players get: One pre-constructed 60 card deck and two additional 15 card booster packs.

This event is a great opportunity for a growing community to meet and celebrate the worldwide release of an expansion to a hugely popular card series.

Whether you want to participate in the tournament or just hang out at the local comic shop Saturday and Sunday will be entertaining at Comic Sanctuary.