Magic: The Gathering has been running Secret Lair drops for a long time now, and we’re basically getting at least one per week in 2026.
These limited drops have been contentious, to say the least. Wizards of the Coast can print to demand when it wants to, but other times it feels like it’s only scalpers and scammers that win out.
Still, purchasing mechanisms aside, there’s one Secret Lair drop I can’t stop thinking about: the Monster Hunter Superdrop.
What’s Going On With Secret Lair x Monster Hunter?
Monster Hunter likely needs little introduction to you, the discerning IGN reader, but the action RPG franchise is one of my favorites and has been since 2018’s Monster Hunter: World.
As you can imagine, the announcement of a Secret Lair for the series, including the iconic monsters, weapons, and more from the game series, had me ready to hand over my card details before you could say Palico.
It’s fair to say that I, like just about everyone else in the middle of the Magic: The Gathering x Monster Hunter Venn diagram, was more than a little let down.
The cards were uninspired and reprinted cards you could find for a few cents. Some even had typos, and the whole thing felt rushed.
“Let’s cut to the chase: the Secret Lair x Monster Hunter™ Superdrop we revealed last week fell short of expectations,” Wizards of the Coast’s blog post explained.
“We heard loud and clear that you were disappointed, and we believe we can do better. So, we’re going to postpone this release and rework this Superdrop entirely.”
The company went on to promise more information in 2026, and noted that Capcom “is on board for us to take another swing at this Superdrop”, but it’s all been very quiet since.
Given we’re now into September, we’ve reached out to Wizards of the Coast to see if there’s any update.
What Were The Monster Hunter Secret Lair Cards?
Prior to being “reworked”, here’s what the set was offering:
The Hunt:
- 1x Blind Obedience: Malzeno from Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (Crimson Moonlight)
- 1x Snap: Kushala Daora from Monster Hunter 2 (Kushala Daora’s Fury)
- 1x Village Rites: Magnamalo and Tobi-Kadachi from Monster Hunter Rise (Song of the Barbarous Beast)
- 1x Mizzium Mortars: Yian Garuga from Monster Hunter Generations and Monster Hunter 2 (The Rage of Yian Garuga)
- 1x Tooth and Nail: Azure Rathalos and Seregios from Monster Hunter 4 (Tooth and Nail)
The Hunters:
- 1x Grand Abolisher: Tigrex Armor with Bone Scythes from Monster Hunter Generations and Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (Dual-Bladed Hunter)
- 1x Archaeomancer: Velkhana Armor with Slinger and Winged Seraphyd Greatsword from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Hero of Hoarfrost Reach)
- 1x Grim Haruspex: Nargacuga Armor with a Hidden Eye Light Bowgun from Monster Hunter P2G/MHFU (Nargacuga Stalker)
- 1x Imperial Recruiter: Rathalos Armor with Red Tigrex Claws; Brachydios Armor with Burning Knocker; Gore Malaga Armor and Royal Rose from Monster Hunter 4G (Bherna Huntmaster)
- 1x Champion of Lambholt: Astalos Armor with Verdant Lightning Shield from Monster Hunter Generations. (Champion of Kotoko) NOTE: This should have been spelt Kakoto
The Monsters:
- Nezahal, Primal Tide: Lagiacrus from Monster Hunter 3 (Lagiacrus, Lord of the Seas)
- Drakuseth, Maw of Flames: Rathalos from Monster Hunter Generations (Rathalos, King of the Skies)
- Sarulf, Realm Eater: Zinogre from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Zinogre, Lord of Lightning)
- Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire: Nergigante from Monster Hunter World (Nergigante, Herald of Destruction)
- Ziatora, the Incinerator: Fatalis from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Fatalis, the Black Dragon)
The Monsters II:
- Razaketh, the Foulblooded: Gore Magala from Monster Hunter 4 (Gore Magala, Dark Eclipse)
- Amareth, the Lustrous: Velkhana from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Velkhana, Silver Sovereign)
- Wasitora, Nekorus Queen: Nargacuga from Monster Hunter Portable 2nd Generation/Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (Nargacuga, Ever-Present Shadow)
- Kalamax, the Stormsire: Brachydios from Monster Hunter 3 Generations (Brachydios, Brutish Indigo)
As a big Monster Hunter fan and Commander player, I’m really hoping one of these is an Ur-Dragon reprint as one of the franchise’s biggest flying monsters. Having a five-color Commander would allow players to build a deck that includes everything in this Secret Lair drop, essentially building out a Monster Hunter-themed deck that would be great fun to play (even if synergies would be minimal!).
Here’s hoping it’s worth the wait – just like when Wizards teased a Destiny-themed Secret Lair.
For more on Magic crossovers, be sure to check out our predictions for 2027’s Universes Beyond sets.
Lloyd Coombes
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
