Some Hasbro Shareholders Are Suing the Company

Some Hasbro shareholders are suing the company over its "mismanagement" of the Magic: the Gathering brand, taking issue with recent decisions made for the beloved card game. Hasbro stands as one of the biggest juggernauts in the entertainment industry, having its hands in everything from video games and collectible card games to beloved television and toy franchises. Among the biggest of Hasbro's many properties is Magic: the Gathering, with the trading card game being one of the most recognizable and beloved TCGs in the world. However, some fans have taken issue with Hasbro's recent management of the game.

Magic: the Gathering has seen some big changes throughout the past few years. Crossovers have become a mainstay of Magic: the Gathering's product lineup, expanding from limited releases to full-blown expansions based on franchises like Final Fantasy and Spider-Man. Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have also significantly ramped up the production cycle for the game in recent years, officially moving to release six Standard-legal sets per year and even planning seven full expansions to launch in 2026. Now, some Hasbro shareholders have finally had enough of Hasbro's modern management of the game.

Hasbro is Being Sued Over Magic: the Gathering

A new lawsuit filed by multiple Hasbro shareholders is suing the company for "mismanagement" of the Magic: the Gathering brand. Led by shareholders Joseph Crocono and Ultan McGlone, the lawsuit alleges that Hasbro has been printing too many Magic: the Gathering expansions, causing pre-existing sets to rapidly lose value. The lawsuit cites a massive increase in the number of sets within the past few years, citing not only full expansions but the plethora of Secret Lair drops from Magic: the Gathering. Among the many official claims listed within the Hasbro lawsuit are breaches of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, and violations of the Exchange Act, alongside several others.

The rising number of Magic: the Gathering sets is not the only factor referenced within the lawsuit. One of Magic: the Gathering's most controversial releases, the 30th Anniversary Edition special set, is cited as a major complaint, claiming that Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast had faked the product selling out. The lawsuit goes on to mention reports from former employees about Hasbro pausing sales of the set "less than an hour after its release," even stating that the unsold product had made its way to "Texas landfills." The 30th Anniversary Edition was the subject of significant controversy, both for its exorbitant $1,000 price tag and the taboo status of reprinting specific cards like Black Lotus.

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Magic's Product Cycle Has Been Subject to Significant Criticism

The Magic: the Gathering-based lawsuit brought some major accusations about Hasbro's handling of Magic as well. One statement within the lawsuit references Hasbro using Magic as a "parachute" product, using new Magic releases to offset failures elsewhere in the company. Some expansions, like Secret Lairs and Magic: the Gathering's Baldur's Gate crossover, were specifically named within the lawsuit, claiming "parachute sets" made up more than 40% of Magic: the Gathering's releases in 2022. Hasbro has officially denied the claims made within the lawsuit, claiming the releases followed its "strategic plan" for Magic.

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Magic: the Gathering looks to have a jam-packed year ahead with new sets releasing nearly every other month throughout 2026. January officially welcomed Magic's first set of the year with a fan-favorite in-universe setting, launching Lorwyn Eclipsed as a return to Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. Wizards of the Coast has two more in-universe sets planned in Secrets of Strixhaven and Reality Fracture, alongside four crossover sets with TMNT, Marvel Super Heroes, The Hobbit, and Star Trek. The new Magic: the Gathering lawsuit could stand to be an early blemish on an otherwise big year for the beloved trading card game.