# Magic: The Gathering

> Magic's first printing sold out; annual revenue later reached a reported $1.72 billion.

- Owner: Wizards of the Coast; Richard Garfield (designer)
- Kind: Game
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: 1993-08-05
- Observed peak date: Week of Jun 10, 2025
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 31 (Niche), v1.2
- Mechanics: Scarcity drop, Variable reward, Resale market, Maker origin, Platform jump

## Summary

Magic reached game stores in August 1993, sold out Alpha, and drew players onto Usenet. Tournaments and YouTube videos widened its audience. Hasbro reported record annual Magic revenue for fiscal 2025.

## Timeline

- Jul 1993 — Wizards of the Coast (Retail) — Wizards demonstrated Magic at Origins, with cards for demonstration rather than sale.
- 1993-08-05 — Wizards of the Coast / Richard Garfield (Retail) — Wizards released Magic's Alpha printing for public sale.
- By end of Aug 1993 — Gen Con buyers (Retail) — By August's end, Magic had sold out the cards Wizards brought to Gen Con.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/magic-the-gathering

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Magic: The Gathering.” Case HIS-01324. Spread Score v1.2: 31/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01324