The first Standard-legal set release of 2025, Aetherdrift, is Magic’s first racing-themed card set. In Aetherdrift, players will follow the story of Chandra Nalaar as she competes in the Ghirapur Grand Prix, a high-octane race that spans three planes. Players will unleash new game mechanics as they align with one of ten racing teams, each with its own strategies and eye-catching artwork. With the green flag ready to drop on February 14th, let’s take a look at everything we know about Aetherdrift.
Aetherdrift: The Lore
The Ghirapur Grand Prix, originally an underground rebellion known as the Ghirapur Sprint, has transformed from a defiant race into a celebrated interplanar event. Begun as an unsanctioned competition tied to the Inventors’ Fair, the Sprint attracted misfits, engineers, and revolutionaries who defied the Consulate’s authority. Organized by the New Culture Collective (NCC), the event embodied their anti-Consulate ideals and became a rallying cry for freedom, even as the Consulate sought to dismantle it.
However, this resistance was set aside during the Phyrexian invasion of Avishkar (formerly Kaladesh). The NCC pivoted to aid in the defense of the plane, leveraging its networks and expertise to coordinate transportation, evacuations, and logistics. Their efforts were critical to repelling the invasion and cemented their reputation as indispensable contributors to Avishkar’s survival.
Following the invasion, the Indigo Revolution led to the peaceful overthrow of the Consulate. A coalition of NCC partisans, Renegades, and a discontented populace ushered in a new government, renaming the plane Avishkar to reflect its revolutionary spirit. The NCC, now a legitimate political party with representation in the Avishkar Assembly, saw its hallmark race reimagined as the Ghirapur Grand Prix, a state-sanctioned, multiversal festival showcasing Avishkar’s cultural and technological advancements.
The modern Grand Prix, managed by an independent governing body, has grown into a weeklong spectacle, with stages spanning multiple planes. This year’s event begins in Ghirapur, nodding to the Sprint’s origins, before crossing through Omenpaths to Amonkhet’s lush Luxa River and Muraganda’s primordial wilds. Racers then return to Amonkhet’s deserts before the final sprint back to Ghirapur. Advanced checkpoints ensure fair play, with the victor determined by the first team to cross the finish line.
More than a race, the Grand Prix symbolizes Avishkar’s post-revolutionary identity, showcasing its capacity for interplanar coordination, cultural richness, and innovative spirit. As a cornerstone of the Assembly’s vision, the Grand Prix now aspires to become an annual multiversal festival that reflects the plane’s bold new era.
Aetherdrift: The Racing Teams
Each of the ten teams competing in the Ghirapur Grand Prix has its own reason for risking death as it races to win the Aetherspark. Fueled by two mana colors, each team also brings unique vehicles and strategies to the race, allowing players to build myriad decks to suit their playstyle.
Guidelight Voyagers (White/Blue)
The Guidelight Voyagers haven’t entered the Ghirapur Grand Prix to win. Instead, they are using the race to escape Avishgar and get back to their home plane of existence.
Speed Demons (Blue/Black)
Co-captained by Winter and Speed Demon, the team is racing to secure the Aetherspark trophy and gain Winter’s freedom from Valgavath.
The Champions of Amonkhet (White/Black)—As one of the Ghirapur Grand Prix host teams, the Champions of Amonkhet have automatic entry into the race.
Goblin Rocketeers (Red/Green)
Literal rocket scientists, the Rocketeers are equivalent to test pilots and astronauts. Viewed as the best of the best within their ranks, outsiders see the Rocketeers as overcooked madmen driving rigs on the brink of explosion.
The Endriders (Green/White)
Coming from Gastal, an apocalyptic plane of gas refineries, scorpion dragon warlords, and road warriors, the Endriders will use the Aetherspark to open the literal floodgates and bring enough water to save their home planet.
Chordatan Keelhaulers (Black/Red)
A rough and tumble crew of shark pirates. Yes, shark pirates.
The Speedbrood (Blue/Red)
A unique clutch of humanoid insects that inspire to become speed itself. Growing from small grubs, their best racers are on a path to becoming the living heart of a brood vehicle.
Cloudspire Racing Team (Black/Green)
The CRT, winners of the previous Grand Prix, is from Kylum, a plane where triumph is channeled as magic and victory is a God worshipped by millions.
Alacrian Quickbeasts (Green/White)
Linked to Avishkar through a relatively stable Omenpath, Alacria is a vast city with a strong tournament and sporting tradition. The Quickbeasts race in the Grand Prix as a diplomatic overture to Avishkar.
Aether Rangers (Green/Blue)
Avashkar’s flagship team, the Aether Rangers, features vehicles that are quick, agile, and capable of handling any type of terrain across the Multiverse.
Aetherdrift: New Game Mechanics
As a racing-themed set, Aetherdrift personifies the need for speed. In the pursuit of victory, players will find cards that can give their team that little extra oomph needed to cross the finish line ahead of the competition.
Speed
I feel the need. The need for speed! In any race, speed separates you from the rest of the pack, and it’s no different in Aetherdrift. Players will start each match with zero speed. While at zero speed, playing a card with the “Start your engines!” ability will set your speed to 1. Speed will then increase by 1 on each of your turns that an opponent loses life, up to a maximum of 4 speed. While at max speed, a card’s Max Speed effect is active, giving it a special boost.
Exhaust
Just like Dom downshifting to get a speed boost to win the race, Exhaust is a one-shot mechanic that supercharges a card. The Exhaust mechanic can be used during the Sorcery phase, but it can only be used once per game. Every racer knows that it’s only cheating if you get caught, so you’ll have multiple ways to “cheat” and get another use of a card’s Exhaust ability.
Saddle
A returning mechanic from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Saddling a Mount unlocks a card’s extra ability. To Saddle a card, a player first taps another creature to make it the “rider” of the Mount. The Saddled Mount will then be able to unleash an extra ability when it attacks.
Aetherdrift: The Cards
The Aetherdrift set consists of 291 regular cards, and packs will have randomly inserted traditional foil versions of every card. There are also Borderless cards with alternate card art, and each Aetherdrift Booster box will include a 2-card Box Topper pack containing 1 of 10 “first-place foil” full-art basic lands and 1 of 127 “first-place foil” cards with a unique metallic foil that accents the Aetherdrift racing theme.
