Magic veteran Dan Frazier and Wizards of the Coast issued a joint apology on 2 May after fans spotted that his One Ring card for the upcoming Hobbit set was a near-mirror of Marta Nael's 2023 illustration from Tales of Middle-earth. Frazier confirmed he had used Nael's piece as reference and "painted over" it, then sent the result back to Wizards, who printed it without catching the duplication.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeThe two rings sit in the same composition. The same reflection runs along the inner band, the same lighting falls on the gold, and only the elvish script, blurred out and laid over Frazier's familiar marbled background, hides the lift. Frazier, who has illustrated Magic cards since the original 1993 print run, said: "I made a mistake, and I feel awful. I especially feel for Marta, whose work I adore."
Wizards owned the failure of its review process and committed to compensating Nael financially, crediting both artists on digital versions of the card and updating any future printings. "None of this was intentional, but we are going to make it right," the publisher said, adding that its internal review chain should have caught the issue.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeThe Hobbit set is another Universes Beyond release on Wizards' 2026 schedule, still pencilled in for 14 August with Smaug already announced as the showpiece card. The row has not pushed back the date, but it has handed ammunition to fans already wary of how Wizards is sourcing art for its biggest crossovers, particularly as Universes Beyond keeps wading into licensed properties that have their own artist communities.
Sources: Gizmodo | The Gamer | Bleeding Cool
