Sonic x Magic: The Gathering Drop Causes Long Queues

Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair collaboration with Sonic the Hedgehog launched this morning and was, unsurprisingly, met with massive demand. Within minutes, collectors attempting to purchase the special card run encountered extended queue times and uncertainty.

Secret Lair is Magic's premium line of cards, frequently featuring artistic reinterpretations or fresh takes on classic designs. These limited releases have previously included everything from reimagined artworks and experimental layouts to full franchise crossovers. Final Fantasy, which received its own highly popular crossover main set, also had a Secret Lair drop that sold out rapidly.

Given Sonic the Hedgehog's iconic status as the Blue Blur, significant interest was anticipated. This expectation proved accurate—eager buyers flocked to purchase the Sonic-themed Secret Lair collection this morning, causing queue times to skyrocket.

Waiting yet another hour to find out I can’t buy the sonic secret lair because I was .01 seconds too slow to checkout

(And I once again do not receive an email notification that it’s going live despite signing up to be “notified” about 12 times now)

— Arin Hanson (@egoraptor) July 14, 2025

Social media platforms quickly filled with complaints as both Magic and Sonic fans patiently awaited their opportunity to acquire the cards. While some cards are reprints of Magic classics—such as Unexpected Windfall, Sol Ring, and Lightning Greaves—others are entirely new designs that could serve as potential Commanders for players building decks around favorite Sonic characters.

Shortly after the set's launch, the official Secret Lair account posted an update noting the pre-order site was experiencing "extremely high traffic" with potentially longer-than-normal wait times. Subsequent updates confirmed the team's awareness of queue time issues and their ongoing efforts to resolve them.

The Secret Lair website is currently experiencing extremely high traffic and wait times may be longer than usual. Please monitor the queue page for real-time updates, including product availability in your region.

— MTG Secret Lair (@MTGSecretLair) July 14, 2025

From personal experience, I attempted to add cards to my cart approximately thirty minutes after the launch and encountered a queue page indicating "more than an hour" wait time. While I've connected with several individuals who successfully completed their purchases, obtaining this set clearly requires considerable patience.

Wizards of the Coast implemented a two-item purchase limit per product, which appears to have somewhat alleviated the situation. The company has faced some criticism for transitioning Secret Lair from print-to-order to a limited-print-run model last year.

Despite hearing numerous accounts of frustration during the waiting process, I've also spoken with multiple collectors who remained patient and ultimately secured their desired cards. The coming days will reveal how scarce this set becomes, particularly as products begin appearing on third-party marketplaces.

In other Magic news, the next set—Edge of Eternities—releases on August 1, with prerelease events beginning July 25.