WIZARDS OF THE COAST & VIZ MEDIA Announce ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: KALADESH

Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA, May 16, 2016 — Wizards of the Coast and VIZ Media have jointly announced the forthcoming publication of the latest addition to THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING collection. Scheduled for release in January 2017, THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: KALADESH is the third volume in VIZ Media’s ongoing series of hardcover art books presenting the incredible illustrations of Magic: The Gathering™. The 240-page book will feature dozens of full color works by more than 95 artists, including Cliff Childs, Winona Wilson, Christine Choi and Adam Paquette, who also illustrated the cover, and will be complemented with additional in-depth lore by bestselling author and Magic: The Gathering Senior Game Designer, James Wyatt.

Throughout its 22-year history, Magic: The Gathering has visited many richly imaginative worlds through card sets and stories. Developed by Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering has more than 20 million fans, is played in more than 70 countries, and is available in 11 languages. Magic: The Gathering has won numerous notable awards, including a Mensa Award and multiple Origins Awards, the Hobby Game industry’s annual top award.

Optimism, innovation, and the spirit of creativity fill these pages, lavishly illustrated with the award-winning art of Magic: The Gathering™! Welcome to Kaladesh – a vibrant, beautiful plane where anything is possible. Join the heroic Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch as they explore the Inventors’ Fair, and let your imagination soar alongside thopters and airships crafted by the best artificers in the Multiverse.  Come discover the marvels of Kaladesh – its inhabitants, its inventors, and its artifacts. They all await you at the grand Inventors’ Fair!

“On Magic’s newest plane, Kaladesh, we’re exploring a bright world of innovation and creativity that comes to life in THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING – KALADESH,” says Elaine Chase, Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing for Magic: The Gathering. “We are excited to continue working with VIZ Media to bring fans and players more ways to enjoy Magic’s art and detailed lore.”

“THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: KALADESH offers a unique way to explore the captivating home world of Planeswalker Chandra Nallar,” says Beth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director, VIZ Media. “We are extremely happy to continue our close collaboration with Wizards of the Coast to develop this vividly illustrated series of books and we look forward to Magic players and fantasy art fans discovering this beautiful new release early next year.”

THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: 

KALADESH joins THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: INNISTRAD (available July 5^th) and THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING: ZENDIKAR, available now from VIZ Media. Each contains specially curated collections of illustrations from Wizards of the Coast’s popular strategy card game, Magic: The Gathering.  

About Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering is the world's best strategy game, with more than 20 million players and fans worldwide. In this innovative card game, players build personalized decks using cards they have collected from booster packs and by trading with friends. Magic offers a robust gaming experience for its community of passionate fans through face-to-face play events and social gatherings in more than 7,000 hobby game stores around the world, complemented by its Magic Duels and Magic Online digital games. For more information, visit MagicTheGathering.com.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards offers players and fans immersive digital and tabletop gaming experiences through its global brands MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUEL MASTERS and AVALON HILL. Wizards’ games help bring friends, families and communities together through shared imaginative play. Wizards also publishes a fantasy fiction series with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information please visit the website at www.Wizards.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.