DRAGON CON CELEBRATES MAGIC THE GATHERING

Wizards of the Coast Will Pre-Release the Newest Edition of Magic The Gathering at Dragon Con;

Special Tournaments Featuring the Wilds of Eldraine as Well as Lord of the Rings Edition Planned

More than Three Acres of Gaming in Americas Mart, With Additional Programming in the Westin,

Will be Free to Play for Dragon Con Attendees

Gaming Hall in Americas Mart Building Three Sets New Hours

ATLANTA – July 25, 2023 – Gamers headed to Dragon Con this Labor Day weekend will get a chance to experience Magic The Gathering’s newest game before it hits store shelves this fall.

The five-day convention, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, will have special Magic the Gathering tournaments focused on the new edition, Wilds of Eldraine, as well as the recently released Lord of the Rings edition, which garnered worldwide attention when it was released in June. Fans will be able to purchase starter and expansion packs for tournament play for both Lord of the Rings and Wilds of Eldraine. A full slate of Commander League, Convention League, Drafts, and Sealed Commander events will also be available.

“We’re excited to bring the upcoming edition of Magic The Gathering to Dragon Con,” said convention co-chair David Cody.  “While collectible card games have always been popular, Magic The Gathering has reached new levels over the past couple of years, and especially this summer with the Lord of the Rings release.”

Some 65,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi convention, in 2023, filling downtown over the five-day Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Courtland Grand Hotel (formerly Sheraton Atlanta).

New this year, the gaming hall opens at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, closing each day at 2 a.m. and re-opening five hours later at 7 a.m.  Around the clock gaming will be available in the Westin for those wishing to play into the wee hours and beyond.

With more than three acres of games and gaming in AmericasMart Building Three with additional programming in the Westin, Dragon Con offers the full array of gaming including PC and console games, board games, miniatures gaming, role-playing games, collectable card games, social deception games and even LARP games.

D&D OnDemand Events are available for players curious about the resurging hobby or just have a little time to kill as events last just two hours. Everything is provided and each two-hour session features a different scenario.

“Dragon Con’s gaming program is for players, whether you’re a hardcore gamer or just have a casual interest,” Cody said.  “Players can join friends playing the most popular games available or take some time to tryout games you can’t find anywhere except Dragon Con. Our games library features hundreds of games that can be checked out by any Dragon Con member.”

As it always has, Dragon Con will offer fans a chance to talk with today’s top game designers, voice actors, and other experts about games, game design, and gaming culture.  Popular parties, such as the Heroes & Villains Ball and the 8-Bit Bash, offer gamers and other fans a chance to take a break from the tables.

Always popular, an assortment of Japanese and Asian arcade games is returning to Dragon Con, giving fans a chance to play cabinet games not usually seen this side of the Pacific Ocean. These games will be available in AmericasMart Building Three. In addition, Atlanta’s own Joystick Game Bar will host many classic arcade games and pinball machines on the main gaming floor.

Another fan favorite, Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator Game, which lets groups of fans take over the simulated controls of a digital spaceship, will return with two bridges, giving fans the option of playing cooperatively against computer-generated baddies or squaring off against each other in a competitive match.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 31 -Sept. 4, 2023) in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.