According to the statement the card names for Ikoria had been finalized “months ago” and the Magic: The Gathering Arena will feature the name of “Spacegodzilla, Void Invader.” The Corona Beam is one of Godzilla’s main nuclear breath attacks so nobody thought the title had any issue. It was still months before COVID-19 would start wreaking global havoc like a real-world kaiju.
“We were unable to change our printing in time to address the new meaning of corona,” the statement read. “The initial printing of Ikoria will arrive on shelves soon and this card will be part of the set, but we are taking steps to remove or change the card where possible.
“Spacegodzilla, Death Corona” is an unfortunate name choice and the release does feel a little odd the day after April Fools’. Expect the card to be quite rare and worth a reasonable amount of money when all of this is over. Still, those on Twitter have managed to respond with more confusion than dismay.
Alongside re-named giant lizards, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths will include special art cards that take over the outside borders in a way we’ve never seen before. There are also a fair share of unique mechanics, having a creature that requires you to only have even-cost cards in your deck, similar to Genn Greymane from Hearthstone. Focused on mythical creatures and beasts, the expansion continues to build the lore of the Magic universe. With a Netflix television show helmed by the Russo Brothers and the highly successful Magic: The Gathering Arena online game, Magic is more popular than ever. And we could all use a little bit of magic in our lives right now and less “Death Corona.”
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths will be released on May 15.
