Exclusive: Magic Designers Reveal Why Secret Lair’s New Zeta Set Had to Come in Booster Packs
Wizards of the Coast has announced Secret Lair x MSCHF: The Zeta Set, a collaboration with Brooklyn art collective MSCHF that marks the first time Secret Lair products will be sold as randomized booster packs rather than predetermined collections.
The collaboration draws inspiration from Magic: The Gathering’s playtesting origins, recreating the aesthetic of handmade cards used to develop the game before its official 1993 release. The cards feature unconventional artwork including everyday objects like a baby swan, a prosthetic elf ear, a disco ball, and loose change—a deliberate departure from typical Magic card illustrations.
Each sealed envelope will contain seven randomized cards and retail for $19.92. This represents a significant shift in how Secret Lair products are distributed, introducing an element of chance similar to traditional booster packs rather than allowing collectors to know exactly what they’re purchasing in advance.
The project involved creative direction from Secret Lair art director Jacob Covey, along with MSCHF designers Niek Dekker and Kevin Wiesner. According to Polygon’s exclusive coverage, the creative team explained how their initial concept—a playful tribute to Magic’s handmade origins—evolved into the randomized booster pack format.
This collaboration represents an interesting pivot for Secret Lair, which has traditionally offered thematic, carefully curated collections of cards. By embracing randomization and the deliberately crude aesthetic of early Magic playtest cards, the product bridges nostalgia for the game’s origins with contemporary art-world sensibilities.