Secret Santa Commander Assignments Have Been Issued! The first round of Secret Santa Commander assignments has officially gone out! Participants should check their Discord direct messages for their assigned recipient and deck-request sheet. Depending on the contact preference submitted during registration, some assignments were sent through email or text message instead. If you registered and cannot find your assignment, please contact Purple Dragon Games so we can make sure it reaches you. It is still not too late to join! Visit the MTG Game Center on our website and click the Secret Santa Commander banner. From there, you can purchase your ticket and submit the deck-request form that will help your Secret Santa build something suited to you. New participants will be added to the assignment circle as registrations arrive, so nobody needs to miss the fun. Secret Santa Commander gives every participant a mysterious assigned recipient for whom they will build a complete Commander deck. Your recipient is the person whose preferences you received, although a different participant will secretly be building a deck for you. This keeps the identities hidden and allows everyone to give and receive—even with an odd number of participants! Now that the assignments have been issued, the real fun begins. Deck makers can start hunting for a Commander, choosing colors, shaping a theme, and finding clever ways to bring their recipient’s request to life. Some players offered very specific inspiration, while others bravely wrote “Surprise me” and handed their Secret Santa nearly unlimited creative power. Remember that the completed deck must remain Commander-legal and stay within the event’s $40 deck-value limit. All gift decks must be completed and submitted to Purple Dragon Games by Friday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. This deadline gives our staff time to review every deck before Game Day. We will check that each deck is complete, functional, Commander-legal, within budget, and reasonably balanced for the event. Please do not wait until the final evening if you can help it—we want enough time to work with you if the deck needs a small adjustment. We would also appreciate a few experienced Commander players willing to help review the completed decks. If you understand deck construction, power balance, and the difference between a fun interaction and something likely to make an entire pod quietly reconsider its life choices, please let us know! Staff will oversee the process and keep all Secret Santa information confidential. The requests are already giving us plenty to smile about. Somewhere out there, someone has been challenged to build around slimes. Another participant wants something spooky and chaotic, while another hopes for a combination of dragons, spooky surprises, and humor. We also spotted requests for graveyard play, gimmicky commanders, and even a friendly group-hug and politics deck. Several participants simply said, “Be creative,” “I will take anything,” or “Surprise me”—dangerous words to place in the hands of a Commander player! Your mission has arrived. Start brewing, keep your recipient’s identity secret, and prepare to give someone a Commander deck built especially for them. We cannot wait to see what everyone creates!

POKÉMON’S 30TH CELEBRATION ARRIVES WEDNESDAY… SUPPOSEDLY! Purple Dragon Games is celebrating the release of Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration by doing something unusual: we are opening on Wednesday, September 16, even though Wednesdays are normally one of our closed days! The doors will open at noon, and we will be here for a few hours to sell the new anniversary products. There is, however, one tiny catch—our shipment is also scheduled to arrive on September 16. Yes. The product is supposed to arrive on the exact day we are supposed to sell it. We placed our order during the proper ordering window and allowed plenty of time for shipping, but somewhere along the journey, our boxes apparently encountered a wild Delay. This is nothing new between Purple Dragon Games and the mail service. At this point, delayed packages are simply recurring characters in our store’s story. The good news is that the shipment is marked for delivery Wednesday. Supposedly. Allegedly. According to the sacred tracking scroll. So, in good faith—and with perhaps more optimism than wisdom—we are opening our doors at noon. We fully expect the shipment to arrive and would prefer not to be standing behind an empty display case looking like fools while Pokémon chaos unfolds around us. But what can you do? It is Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Sometimes you simply choose hope. If the shipment arrives as promised, we expect the first wave of Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration products to include items such as Elite Trainer Boxes, Poster Collections, Tech Sticker Collections, Pokémon ex Boxes and smaller collections featuring special promotional cards. The exact selection will depend on what physically emerges from the delivery truck. Nothing is guaranteed until the boxes are safely inside the store and we have confirmed the contents with our own eyes. Why is this release such a big deal? Pokémon is celebrating 30 years with a special expansion built around the history of the Pokémon TCG. The set features an enormous foil-filled celebration, 30 different Pikachu cards, special artwork, anniversary treatments and a Classic Collection revisiting memorable cards from the game’s past. The booster packs are also only available inside special collection products, rather than being sold as ordinary individual packs. That makes every box part product, part anniversary souvenir and part treasure hunt. WHAT IS IT? The September 16 launch is only the first wave. Pokémon is releasing the anniversary products gradually instead of putting everything on shelves at once. This means Wednesday’s products may disappear quickly, and waiting for the next wave will not necessarily give you another chance at the same items. The second wave is currently scheduled for October 2. That release is expected to bring the 30th Celebration Booster Bundle, containing six booster packs, along with the Day & Night Mini Tins. The Mini Tins include booster packs, stickers and collectible artwork—and the complete group forms a larger anniversary design featuring Unown spelling out “ANNIVERSARY.” Later waves will bring even more surprises, including Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks, premium Day and Night collections, Ditto, Mewtwo and Mew products, and the enormous anniversary Ultra-Premium Collections. The celebration is not arriving all at once. It will keep unfolding throughout the fall. But the first chapter begins Wednesday, September 16, at noon—assuming our delivery driver completes the quest. There are two possible endings: The shipment arrives, the case fills up and the products sell very quickly—so you will not want to wait. Or we all gather around an empty case, stare thoughtfully into the distance and watch the tracking page together. Either way, the doors will be open. You have been warned. The suspense builds.

HELLO, TRAINERS—BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING! Our free monthly Play! Pokémon event has a brand-new name: Pocket Monster Adventure Camp! This month’s gathering has moved to Friday, September 18, from 4–8 PM. The relaxed play format and adventure challenges you enjoy are staying exactly the same. Admission is free, with prize packs and stickers available—just no pizza at Adventure Camp. POCKET MONSTER ADVENTURE CAMP Friday, September 18 | 4–8 PM Free entry, prize packs and stickers We’re also introducing Pokémon Showdown Night, a new monthly challenge series held on select Fridays and Saturdays! Admission is $10 per player and includes free pizza, prize packs, and special gameplay challenges built around friendly competition. UPCOMING SHOWDOWN NIGHTS Saturday, September 19 | 4–8 PM Saturday, September 26 | 4–8 PM Friday, October 9 | 4–8 PM Saturday, October 10 | 4–8 PM This is an experimental season for our Pokémon community—and you can help shape what happens next. Players have asked for more events, more weekend options, and bigger prize opportunities. Strong attendance and regular use of your Pokémon Player ID can help demonstrate that our local League is active and ready to grow, potentially opening the door to greater support and product opportunities. If you want more Pokémon at Purple Dragon Games, this is the moment to show it. Attend, use your Player ID, invite your friends, and spread the word. Let’s build the Pokémon community we’ve all been asking for! More dates and details:https://www.purpledragonhq.com/pokemon

Something Happened.. Something has gone terribly wrong with reality—which, for Magic players, means something has gone wonderfully right. Magic: The Gathering’s Reality Fracture officially releases everywhere on October 2, but Purple Dragon Games is an official Wizards Play Network location. That means we can begin selling Reality Fracture products during Prerelease Week, starting Friday, September 25. You’ll be able to crack into the new set at PDG a full week before its worldwide release! Yes, you may buy the new cards early. Yes, you may dramatically open a booster and whisper, “This changes everything.” We won’t stop you. Enter the Prerelease Our first Reality Fracture Prerelease begins Friday, September 25, from 4–8 PM. Entry is $34.99 per player. Can’t make Friday? Reality gets another chance to break on Sunday, September 27, from 4–8 PM. Entry is also $34.99 per player. Prerelease is one of the best ways to experience a new Magic set. You’ll open a Prerelease Pack, build a deck from six Play Boosters and the included bonus rare or mythic rare, then test your creation against other freshly built decks. Nobody arrives knowing exactly what the best strategy is. We’re all wandering into the Echoverse together with a fistful of cards and unreasonable confidence. Newer players are welcome. Experienced players are welcome. People who somehow open exactly the card they wanted while everyone else watches in disbelief are also welcome—but will be closely monitored. So, What Is Reality Fracture? Reality Fracture is the conclusion of a story that has been building around Jace Beleren for years. After witnessing invasions, disasters and devastating losses across the Multiverse, Jace finally decides that reality itself is the problem. His solution? Rewrite the whole thing. Jace creates the Echoverse, his vision of a better Multiverse where pain, tragedy and failure can be removed. Unfortunately, building a perfect reality also means replacing the people, places and choices that made the old one real. Familiar heroes, legendary characters and classic Magic ideas return as distorted reflections shaped by Jace’s design. In other words, Jace tried to fix the Multiverse and accidentally clicked “Replace All.” The set plays with this mirrored-reality idea through Echoed Pairs. Every Play Booster contains a legendary card alongside its Echoverse alternate. These aren’t simply alternate illustrations. Familiar characters can return with reversed colors, twisted strategies or abilities that approach the game from the opposite direction. That is where Reality Fracture may catch a lot of players off guard. A character you recognize may no longer support the deck you expect. A familiar spell may return with its entire purpose flipped sideways. Strategies that normally want creatures entering the battlefield may suddenly profit from things leaving it. Your favorite hero might be standing across the table wearing the wrong colors and making several deeply questionable life choices. Collectors also have some strange treasures to hunt. Shattered Mirror cards reveal glimpses of the true Multiverse breaking through Jace’s false reality, with special facet-foil versions appearing in Collector Boosters. There are borderless Echoed Pairs, alternate treatments and even a serialized throwback full-art Bloodline Recollector limited to 500 copies. Our completely unofficial prediction? Reality Fracture will produce at least one Commander that looks harmless, gets ignored for two turns and then does something so rude that the entire table quietly agrees it must leave immediately. Prediction number two: players will become strangely attached to at least one Echoverse version of a character they were fully prepared to hate. Prediction number three: somewhere in Yreka, somebody will say, “Wait—that works?” shortly before the stack becomes a small legal proceeding. Then We Draft the Fracture After Prerelease Week, we’re jumping straight into Reality Fracture Draft Nights! Join us Friday, October 2, or Sunday, October 4, from 4–8 PM. Entry is only $19.99 per player each day. Drafting is where a new set begins showing its teeth. You aren’t simply opening packs—you’re making rapid choices, reading what other players may be building and trying to assemble a functioning deck before somebody else steals the card you’ve been staring at for far too long. Reality Fracture was built with mirrored legends and unexpected strategies at its center, so these early drafts should be beautifully weird. Expect experiments. Expect surprise combos. Expect at least one deck that looks like absolute nonsense until it wins. Commander Is Coming Too Once the drafts have cracked reality open, the following weekends will bring special Reality Fracture Commander Nights with prizes! Exact dates, entry prices and prize details will be announced soon. We’re giving the set a little time to reveal what kind of chaos it wants to become—but you can expect opportunities to bring the new legends, Echoverse counterparts and reality-bending strategies into Commander pods at Purple Dragon Games. With alternate versions of beloved characters, plenty of legendary cards and an entire Commander deck built around Jace’s rewritten Multiverse, this set feels almost suspiciously prepared to invade Commander night. Why Buy Into Reality Fracture? Reality Fracture has something for nearly every kind of Magic player. Story fans get the finale to a years-long Jace arc. Commander players get a pile of new legendary possibilities. Draft players get a set designed around strange choices and mirrored strategies. Collectors get borderless Echoed Pairs, Shattered Mirror cards, facet foils and rare treatments worth hunting. Even players who think they know Magic inside and out will encounter familiar ideas returning in forms they weren’t expecting. Most importantly, this feels like a set made for discovery. It takes characters and strategies we already understand, turns the mirror around and asks us to look again. Those are the sets people keep talking about—the ones where every pack can introduce a new deck idea, a new favorite legend or a card that makes the whole table lean forward. Reality Fracture arrives early at Purple Dragon Games on Friday, September 25. Come open the Echoverse, build something wonderfully questionable and find out whether Jace actually fixed reality—or just gave Magic players several hundred new ways to break it. GAME ON! Learn more about our MTG events calendar here: https://www.purpledragonhq.com/mtg

You Build a Deck. Someone Else Gets It. Then We Battle. Okay, this one is going to be ridiculously fun. Purple Dragon Games is hosting a Secret Santa Commander event where every player builds a deck as a gift, receives a completely different surprise deck, and then plays that deck on Game Day. You won’t know exactly what you’re getting, and the person you’re building for won’t know it came from you until the big reveal. There will be four-player Commander pods, free pizza, prize support, and prizes for both the winning player and the person who built the winning deck. Registration is only $10 per player, and everyone leaves with a new Commander deck that is theirs to keep. Here’s the Timeline Registration opens August 20 and closes September 29. When you sign up, you’ll fill out a player profile telling us what colors, commanders, themes, creature types, and playstyles you enjoy. You can also tell us what you absolutely do not want. Hate infinite combos? Tell us. Love dragons, goblins, lifegain, graveyard nonsense, or making forty squirrel tokens for no reasonable purpose? Put it on the form. After registration closes, you’ll secretly receive another player’s profile. That person becomes your Secret Santa assignment, and your mission is to build them a complete Commander deck. They won’t know you have their name, and you won’t know who is building for you. You’ll have a little over two months to brew, hunt through bulk boxes, trade for cards, test the deck, and make something your person will genuinely enjoy. All finished decks must be submitted to Purple Dragon Games by November 13. We’ll check the decks for Commander legality and make sure they stay within the $40 budget. Then we’ll hold everything until Game Day so nobody accidentally spoils the surprise. The full deck becomes a gift for its recipient, so only include cards you are ready to give away. Sleeves and a deck box are cool finishing touches, but they are completely optional. Game Day is December 13. That’s when everyone receives their surprise deck, finds out what commander they’re running, and gets a few minutes to look through their new creation before the games begin. What Do You Actually Build? You’ll build one complete, Commander-legal deck with exactly 100 cards, including the commander. Every card must follow the commander’s color identity, and you can only use one copy of each card except basic lands or cards that specifically allow more copies. The total deck value cannot exceed $40. Now, $40 might sound tight if you’re used to seeing Commander decks loaded with expensive staples, but that is exactly where the fun starts. Commander has an absurd number of fantastic cards hiding in bulk boxes for a quarter, fifty cents, or a dollar. A focused deck full of inexpensive cards that work together can easily outperform a random pile of pricey stuff. Check your collection, trade with friends, ask our staff for budget alternatives, and embrace the weird cards nobody sees coming. This is budget brewing with a purpose, and honestly, those decks often have way more personality. How Does Game Day Work? Players will sit in casual four-player Commander pods and play with the surprise decks they received. Everyone begins at 40 life, places their commander in the command zone, and starts figuring out what their deck can do. Expect creatures, alliances, dramatic betrayals, suspiciously generous deals, huge board states, and at least one card interaction that makes the entire table stop and read everything again. This is casual Commander, so you do not need to show up ready for a high-powered tournament grind. Pod results will determine which players move forward to the final game, but the main point is to enjoy the decks, meet other players, and see what everyone created. The winner of the final pod will receive the Player Champion prize. The Secret Santa who originally built that player’s deck will receive the Winning Deckbuilder prize. That means your creation can still win something even if you get knocked out earlier, which is a pretty awesome twist. We’ll also have additional prize support and free pizza during the event. Once the Secret Santas are revealed, you’ll finally get to meet the person who built your deck and see who received yours. Never Played Commander? You Can Still Do This. Seriously. If Secret Santa Commander sounds fun but you have never played Commander before, this is a great excuse to jump in. You do not need an expensive collection, a perfectly tuned deck, or ten years of Magic knowledge. You do need to build a deck for your assigned player, but you will have plenty of time to learn, ask questions, browse cards, and get help from Purple Dragon Games. Commander is multiplayer Magic built around one legendary creature called your commander. Your commander gives the deck its colors and usually points you toward a strategy. Maybe it creates tokens, rewards you for casting spells, brings creatures back from the graveyard, or makes dragons even more dragon-y. Once you pick a commander and a basic plan, we can help you understand lands, ramp, card draw, removal, and the other pieces that make the deck work. Game Day is beginner-friendly too. Everyone will be opening and learning an unfamiliar deck, so nobody has perfect knowledge of what their cards do. Store staff and experienced players can help explain turn order, combat, triggers, commander damage, and anything else that comes up. You are allowed to ask questions, read your cards, and take a moment to think. That is completely normal Commander. Why Join? Because you get the fun of building a deck without simply making another deck for yourself. You’re creating something for a real person based on what they love about Magic, and somewhere in the community, another player is doing the same for you. There is a mystery deck waiting at the end, a full day of casual Commander, free pizza, prizes, and the chance to watch your own creation compete from across the room. Registration runs August 20 through September 7 and costs $10 per player. Decks are due November 13, and the Secret Santa Commander games begin December 13. Sign up, fill out your player profile, and let’s see what kind of glorious $40 chaos this community can build.

The Hobbit Is Here: What’s Next for MTG at Purple Dragon Games? Prerelease week has officially sent us out the front door of Bag End, and Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit is now in full swing at Purple Dragon Games. If you joined us for Prerelease, you’ve already gotten a taste of what this set is like when the cards actually hit the table. Packs were cracked, decks were built, new mechanics started clicking, and players were already discovering combinations they wanted to try again. That’s one of our favorite parts of a major Magic release because everyone is learning the set together, even the experienced players. The good news is that Prerelease was only the beginning. We have several weeks of Hobbit events ahead of us with Draft, Commander, special WPN events, limited promotional cards, Dragon Coin prizes, and plenty of pizza. If you’ve been waiting for a good time to jump into Magic or come back after some time away, this is a pretty great stretch to do it. August 14 & 15: The Hobbit Draft Nights Our first stop after Prerelease is The Hobbit Draft, happening Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15 from 4–8 PM, with entry at $24.99 per player. Draft is one of the best ways to really learn a new Magic set because everybody begins the event in roughly the same place. You don’t need to arrive with an expensive deck or something you’ve been tuning for six months. Each player drafts cards from fresh packs, choosing one card at a time and passing the remaining cards around the table until everyone has assembled the pool they’ll use to build a deck. That means you’re evaluating cards, watching which colors seem open, changing plans when necessary, and occasionally wondering why everyone else apparently noticed something about a card that you completely missed. Once the draft is finished, players build their decks and put them to work against the other drafters. The cards you draft are yours to keep, so you’re building your Hobbit collection at the same time you’re playing. Draft is especially fun immediately after Prerelease because we’re all still figuring out what this set can really do. Maybe you opened something at Prerelease that you loved and now you want to see whether you can build around it in Draft. Maybe you completely overlooked a mechanic until another player used it against you and now you’re determined to try it yourself. You might even discover a card that doesn’t look spectacular sitting in a binder but becomes an absolute workhorse once you’re actually building a Limited deck. We’ll also have Dragon Coin prize support, with $5 in store credit for every round you win, giving you another reason to see how far your drafted deck can go. If you’ve never drafted before, don’t let that stop you from joining us. Tell our staff or Game Leaders that you’re learning and we’ll help you understand how the draft works before those packs start moving around the table. August 23: Our First Hobbit Commander Party Then we get to something we’re particularly excited about. On Sunday, August 23 from 4–8 PM, Purple Dragon Games will host our first The Hobbit Commander Party, with admission at $10 per player. Bring your favorite Commander deck and we’ll organize players into multiplayer pods for an evening of Commander, prizes, pizza, and plenty of the wonderfully unpredictable situations that happen when four Magic players share one battlefield. Hobbit-themed decks are absolutely encouraged if you want to get into the spirit of the set, but they are never required. You can bring Hobbits, Dwarves, Wizards, Food, Treasure, or something involving a suspiciously enormous dragon guarding your board state. You can also bring the same Commander deck you played last month that has absolutely nothing to do with Middle-earth. We care considerably more about getting you into a game than whether your deck matches the decorations. The August 23 Commander Party also gives participating players an opportunity to receive the special Bilbo, Luckwearer promotional card while supplies last. Our promotional supply is very limited, so these cards should never be considered guaranteed indefinitely. We’re also limiting Bilbo to one promotional card per person, including across any additional eligible events where the card may be offered. If you’ve already received one, we won’t distribute another copy to you while another participating player still hasn’t had an opportunity to receive one. We want these special cards spread throughout our local community rather than concentrated among a handful of people who happen to attend every event. If Bilbo is high on your Hobbit wish list, August 23 is the event to prioritize while our supply is at its strongest. Once our promotional allocation is gone, it’s gone. No Commander Deck? Talk to Us Anyway We also want to address something we hear from newer players: “I’d come, but I don’t have a Commander deck.” Please talk to us before deciding that means you can’t participate. One of our goals at Purple Dragon Games is to build a collection of loaner Commander decks that can help newer players get into games before they have a complete deck of their own. We’re still growing into this, especially because this is our first Commander Party, so our loaner selection isn’t going to look like a giant library overnight. We’re going to keep building it as our Commander community grows and as we learn what players need. Eventually, we’d love to have plenty of different options available for people who want to try Commander, experiment with another play style, or simply forgot their deck at home. We never want someone interested in playing to feel like they aren’t welcome because they haven’t purchased enough cards yet. If you need a deck for an event, the best thing you can do is contact Purple Dragon Games staff ahead of time. That gives us an opportunity to see what we have available and prepare before pods are being organized. We can also help if you own cards but aren’t sure how to turn them into a Commander deck yet. Commander uses a 100-card singleton deck built around a legendary Commander, and that can feel like a lot when you’re building your first one. Once you understand the basics, though, deck building becomes a huge part of the fun because your Commander gives the whole deck an identity. Our community is also full of players who love talking about decks, interactions, upgrades, and strange ideas that somehow turn into functioning strategies. Ask questions and use the people around you because that’s one of the best parts of playing Magic at a local game store. September 4 & 6: Something Unexpected Is Coming September brings another special Hobbit event with Magic Presents: Heart of the Mountain, happening at Purple Dragon Games on Friday, September 4 and Sunday, September 6 from 4–8 PM. Admission is $10 per player, and this time we’re taking casual Commander and throwing the Arkenstone into the middle of it. Heart of the Mountain introduces special gameplay surrounding control of the Arkenstone, giving everyone at the table another objective to fight over while playing Commander. The first player to deal combat damage can claim it, and other players have opportunities to steal it by dealing combat damage to its controller. That means normal Commander threat assessment gets an extra wrinkle because the player you planned to leave alone may suddenly be holding something you desperately want. Deals are going to be made, promises are going to become suspiciously flexible, and somebody is inevitably going to insist that attacking you is “nothing personal.” In other words, it sounds wonderfully appropriate for Commander. These events also give participating players a chance to receive the special An Unexpected Party promotional card while supplies last. We typically receive a very limited allocation of promotional cards, often around 16 copies, which means the first scheduled event naturally provides the strongest opportunity to receive one. For Heart of the Mountain, that makes Friday, September 4 the date we recommend if obtaining the promo is especially important to you. Whatever remains from that event can carry into our Sunday, September 6 gathering for players who weren’t able to attend Friday. We also don’t distribute duplicate promos to the same person across our repeat events when that would prevent another eligible player from receiving their first copy. Our goal is simple: we want as many different members of our community as possible to have an opportunity to take one of these special cards home. Once our supply has been distributed, however, we cannot guarantee additional copies. Ten Dollars Gets You a Pretty Good Night of Commander For our $10 Commander events, we’re trying to keep the value straightforward and accessible. You get an organized evening of Commander, opportunities for limited promotional cards when applicable and available, Dragon Coin store credit as prize support for round wins, and free pizza for ticket holders. We’re not trying to turn casual Commander into a high-pressure competitive tournament just because prizes are involved. The Dragon Coins add a little something to chase while still keeping the focus on sitting down, playing your deck, and having a good game with the other people in your pod. Win some rounds and you’ll have store credit waiting for your next purchase. Maybe that goes toward another Hobbit pack, a card your Commander deck desperately needs, or something you absolutely did not know you needed until another player used it against you. Magic has a funny way of creating shopping lists during the game. New to Magic? You Belong at These Tables Too If you’re reading all of this and thinking it sounds fun but you’re still very new to Magic, please don’t assume these events are only for experienced players. We’ve already had a handful of newer players start learning with our Friday and Sunday groups, and it has been awesome watching them go from asking basic questions to showing up excited for their next games. Magic is a complicated game, and nobody expects a new player to memorize decades of cards, mechanics, formats, and interactions before walking into a game store. You’re allowed to ask what something does. You’re allowed to need a mechanic explained twice. You’re allowed to look at the board and admit that you have absolutely no idea why everybody suddenly seems terrified of one harmless-looking artifact. Learning those things is part of becoming a Magic player, and a good local community makes that process a lot more fun. Our existing players deserve a lot of credit for the atmosphere that has been growing around our MTG tables. They’ve been patient, passionate, and genuinely helpful with people who are still learning, and that matters enormously to us. A strong Magic community isn’t measured only by how many experienced players can build powerful decks; it’s also measured by whether the person walking through the door for the first time wants to come back next week. We’re already seeing that happen, with new players returning to play on Fridays and Sundays and gradually becoming part of the regular crowd. That’s exactly what we hoped would happen when we started putting more energy into organized Magic at Purple Dragon Games. Every new player adds another deck, another personality, another strategy, and another possible opponent to the local scene. We’re proud of what this group is becoming, and we want to keep growing it without losing that welcoming atmosphere. Shout-Out to Our Game Leaders We also have to give a well-earned shout-out to Jonathan and Wyatt, because our Game Leaders have been crushing it. Running a good game-store event involves considerably more than knowing how to play Magic. Players need help getting seated, understanding the format, resolving confusing interactions, learning new mechanics, and figuring out what they’re supposed to be doing when an event is unfamiliar. Newer players especially need someone they can approach without feeling like they’re interrupting or asking a ridiculous question. Jonathan and Wyatt have been helping create exactly that kind of environment, and we’re excited to see where they take these growing groups. Having knowledgeable Game Leaders working alongside helpful regular players gives newcomers several places to turn when they need assistance. It also means experienced players can settle into their games knowing there are people helping keep the event moving. Join Us on Discord and Stay in the Game If you’re playing Magic at Purple Dragon Games and haven’t joined our Discord yet, this is a great time to do it. You can join the Purple Dragon community here. Discord gives everyone a place to stay connected between Friday and Sunday games, ask questions, talk about decks, meet other players, and keep track of upcoming events. It’s also useful if you’re new and want to get to know some names before walking into the store for the first time. Tell people what format you’re interested in, mention that you’re learning, ask for deck advice, or just lurk for a little while and see what everybody is talking about. The community that exists around the tables doesn’t have to disappear when the store closes for the night. We’d love to have you become part of it. The Hobbit Adventure Is Just Getting Started Prerelease week may be behind us, but The Hobbit season at Purple Dragon Games is only getting started. We have Draft Nights on August 14 and 15, our first Hobbit Commander Party on August 23, and Heart of the Mountain events coming September 4 and September 6. Across those events you’ll have opportunities to draft the new set, play Commander, earn Dragon Coin store credit, enjoy free pizza, and potentially take home limited promotional cards while supplies last. More importantly, you’ll have a chance to become part of a local Magic community that is actively growing and bringing new players into the game. Our experienced players are helping beginners, our Game Leaders are stepping up, and new faces are becoming familiar ones on Fridays and Sundays. That is the part we’re most excited about because the cards are fantastic, but the people sitting across the table are what turn a collection of cards into a game night. So pick an event, grab your deck, and come play some Magic with us. If you’ve been playing for years, bring that experience and help us continue building the kind of community that newer players actually want to join. If you’re brand new, tell us and give us the opportunity to help you get started. If you don’t have a Commander deck yet, contact the store and ask about our growing loaner options rather than assuming you have to sit this one out. We’re going to keep adding events, building resources, improving our loaner decks, and creating more ways for people to get into the games they’ve been curious about. Purple Dragon’s MTG community is still growing, and that means there’s plenty of room at the table for somebody new. With The Hobbit in full swing, there couldn’t be a much better time to pull up a chair.

Hot Summer Race Night Summer is heating up, and we're bringing the racetrack into Purple Dragon Games. On Friday, August 28 from 4–8 PM, join us for Hot Summer Race Night, a free gaming event combining video game racing with tabletop racing. We'll have Gran Turismo running with a real racing wheel, a Fast Lap leaderboard to conquer, racing board games across the tables, prizes for our winners, and some race-night snacks to keep everyone fueled. Gran Turismo Takes the Wheel The main event is Gran Turismo, played with a racing wheel for a much more hands-on racing experience. Instead of a traditional head-to-head tournament, we're running a Fast Lap competition. Players will take turns behind the wheel and attempt to set their best time around the track. Your goal is simple: drive fast, drive clean, and get your name as high on the leaderboard as possible. Fast laps aren't just about holding down the accelerator. You'll need to learn the track, find your braking points, take cleaner corners, and figure out where you can squeeze out a little more speed. Your first lap might be decent, but then you realize you lost half a second on one corner. Suddenly, you need another run. That's the fun of a leaderboard: there's always another fraction of a second waiting to be found. Throughout the evening, we'll keep track of our fastest racers on the in-store leaderboard. Other players will have opportunities to challenge those times and work their way toward the top. At the end of Race Night, the fastest racer will earn an in-store prize and, of course, the bragging rights that come with setting the fastest lap of the night. New Racers Are Welcome You don't need to be a Gran Turismo expert to participate. Hot Summer Race Night is a great opportunity to try racing with a wheel if you've never done it before. There's no complicated tournament bracket and no special equipment to bring. Sit down, take the wheel, learn the track, and see what kind of time you can put together. Experienced racing-game players will still have plenty to chase. Once several good times reach the leaderboard, those little differences start to matter. A cleaner corner or better braking point can be the difference between sitting comfortably near the top and discovering someone just beat you by two-tenths of a second. The Racing Continues on the Table Only one racer can use the Gran Turismo setup at a time, so we're not stopping the action while players wait for their turn. The tables at Purple Dragon Games will also be set up with racing-themed board games, creating a night where video games and tabletop games share the same starting grid. One of the games we'll have available is Heat: Pedal to the Metal, a board game built around the strategy and pressure of auto racing. Players manage speed, approach corners, push their cars, and decide how much risk they're willing to take to gain position. Going fast matters, but knowing when to slow down can matter even more. That makes Heat a great companion to Gran Turismo. Both games reward speed, but both also reward control, timing, and understanding the track. You can spend part of the evening trying to shave seconds off your Gran Turismo lap and another part trying to outmaneuver your friends around a tabletop circuit. Video Games Meet Board Games That's really what Hot Summer Race Night is about. We wanted to create an event where different kinds of gamers could meet in the middle. Maybe you're normally a video game player who hasn't explored modern board games. Maybe you're a tabletop gamer who has never sat behind a racing wheel. This is your chance to try both. While one group is chasing the Gran Turismo leaderboard, another can be racing across the tables. Finish a board game, check the leaderboard, take another shot at your lap, then jump back into another tabletop race. There's always something happening, and nobody needs to spend the evening standing around waiting for their turn. Race Night Is Completely Free There is no entry fee for Hot Summer Race Night. You don't need to own Gran Turismo, bring a racing wheel, purchase a board game, or pay a tournament fee. Just come to Purple Dragon Games and play. We'll also have prizes for the winners, giving everyone a little extra reason to chase that leaderboard. You can take the competition seriously, casually try to improve your time, or simply come out to play some games with other local gamers. The goal is a fun community night first and a competition second. RSVP, Grab Your Popcorn and Help Unlock Pizza If you're planning to race with us, make sure you RSVP for the event at purpledragonhq.com. Every player who RSVPs receives a FREE complimentary popcorn during the event. It's our little race-day snack for letting us know you're coming. Your RSVP also helps us unlock free pizza for Hot Summer Race Night. Knowing how many players are coming helps us plan ahead, prepare enough space, and determine how much food we'll need for the evening. The more accurately we can plan, the easier it is for us to provide extras like free pizza for our gaming community. RSVPing only takes a moment, the event itself is completely free, and you'll have your complimentary popcorn waiting for you when you arrive. Consider it your first pit stop before hitting the track. Ready to Race? Hot Summer Race Night happens Friday, August 28 from 4–8 PM at Purple Dragon Games. Gran Turismo will be set up with a real racing wheel, the Fast Lap leaderboard will be open, racing board games like Heat will be ready on the tables, and prizes will be waiting for our winners. The entire event is FREE to join, so there isn't much standing between you and the starting line. RSVP for Hot Summer Race Night at purpledragonhq.com to claim your free complimentary popcorn and help unlock free pizza for the event. Bring your friends, take the wheel, hit the tables, and see how high you can climb. Just remember: once your name hits that leaderboard, everyone else has a target.

Magic players, it's finally happening. There are very few Magic sets that generate the kind of excitement we've seen surrounding The Hobbit, and for good reason. When The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth released, it became one of the biggest and most successful Magic: The Gathering releases in the game's history. It brought together longtime Tolkien fans, competitive Magic players, Commander enthusiasts, collectors, and even people who hadn't sleeved up a deck in years. It was a release that reminded everyone how much fun a beloved world can be when it's translated into Magic's gameplay. Now we get to journey back to Middle-earth, this time following Bilbo's unforgettable adventure in The Hobbit. The set brings players into one of fantasy's greatest stories with iconic characters, memorable moments, beautiful artwork, flavorful mechanics, and plenty of exciting cards that celebrate Bilbo, the Dwarves, Gandalf, Smaug, and the unexpected adventure that started it all. From the moment the first previews began dropping, players have been buzzing about returning to Middle-earth with a fresh draft environment, exciting Commander additions, collectible treatments, and cards packed with Tolkien flavor. Some players have been on the fence because they loved the previous Lord of the Rings release so much that they wondered whether another Tolkien-themed set could feel fresh. After seeing the previews, that concern has largely disappeared. This isn't simply more of the same. The Hobbit tells a completely different story with its own cast, themes, mechanics, and gameplay experience. It captures the feeling of an unexpected journey, clever resourcefulness, dangerous treasures, and legendary encounters that feel distinctly Hobbit while still fitting beautifully into Magic. Whether you're a Commander player looking for flavorful new cards, a Limited player chasing a fantastic draft environment, or simply someone who enjoys opening gorgeous packs and collecting incredible artwork, there's a lot to love here. If last year's release reminded everyone why fantasy and Magic belong together, The Hobbit looks ready to continue that adventure. The Hobbit Prerelease Friday, August 7 & Saturday, August 8 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM $34.99 per player There's simply nothing quite like a Magic Prerelease. Everyone sits down with a brand-new Prerelease Kit, cracks it open together, and discovers the set for the very first time. You'll receive six Play Boosters and everything you need to build a 40-card deck on the spot before battling other players who are doing exactly the same thing. Nobody has solved the format yet. Every exciting rare, every clever synergy, and every unexpected combo is discovered together, creating one of the most memorable Magic experiences of every set release. Our Friday Prerelease will be led by Jonathan Alvarez, Purple Dragon Games' Director of Magic: The Gathering. Jonathan is a titan in the local MTG community with years of experience helping players improve, teaching new mechanics, answering rules questions, and making every event welcoming and fun. Whether this is your first Prerelease or your fiftieth, Jonathan and our staff will be there every step of the way to answer questions, help with deck building, and make sure everyone has an amazing evening. As an official Wizards Play Network (WPN) retailer, Purple Dragon Games also gets one of the biggest perks of Prerelease weekend. Once our Prerelease events conclude, we're authorized by Wizards of the Coast to begin selling The Hobbit products before the general retail release. That means you'll have one of the earliest opportunities anywhere to pick up booster packs, bundles, Commander decks, and more while supplies last. The Hobbit Draft Weekend Friday, August 14 & Saturday, August 15 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM $24.99 per player Once you've explored the set, it's time to draft. Each player will receive three Play Boosters, draft cards one pick at a time around the table, and build a 40-card deck from the cards they select. Draft is one of Magic's purest skill formats because every decision matters, from your very first pick to your final attack step. Every draft feels different, making it one of the most replayable ways to experience a brand-new release. Our Hobbit Draft is an official WPN-managed event, meaning pairings are handled through the Magic: The Gathering Companion App for smooth Swiss rounds and balanced matchups that keep the event fun and competitive. If you've never used the Companion App before, don't worry. Our staff can help get you connected in under two minutes. No phone? No problem! We'll happily add you to the event manually so you can focus on playing Magic. Our Game Masters will be available throughout the event to answer rules questions, explain draft procedures, help with pairings, and guide players through prize support. Whether you're a seasoned drafter or trying Limited for the first time, we've got you covered. Draft weekends at Purple Dragon Games are some of our biggest Magic gatherings of the season. Players travel from across Northern California and Southern Oregon, making these events a fantastic opportunity to meet new opponents, trade cards, discover fresh strategies, and become part of a thriving regional Magic community. Reserve Your Spot & Unlock Free Food! Purchase your event tickets in advance at PurpleDragonHQ.com/MTG and you'll unlock a couple of tasty bonuses waiting for you at the store. Every online ticket purchase for both Prerelease and Draft includes FREE pizza during your event. As a special promotional bonus, you'll also receive a complimentary bag of movie butter popcorn when you check in. Simply show your online ticket purchase at the register to redeem your food and popcorn. Seats for Middle-earth adventures always fill quickly, and online registration helps us prepare enough seating, food, staff, and product for everyone attending. Reserve your spot today, gather your fellowship, shuffle up, and be among the first to experience The Hobbit at Purple Dragon Games. We'll see you at the tables!

Festival in a Box 2026 — Mystery Box 2 is coming to Yreka I still can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but Festival in a Box 2026 — Mystery Box 2 is actually coming to Purple Dragon Games… which means Yreka is about to experience its first ever Chaos Draft. This is one of those moments where the Magic community gets a tiny portal to something that normally only happens in major cities like Las Vegas. MagicCon events feel almost mythic when you follow them online. Packed halls, collectors hunting for elusive pulls, Commander tables firing nonstop, and draft pods forming every few minutes like ritual circles of cardboard strategy. We wanted to bring a small piece of that experience here. And honestly… getting these boxes felt like a quest. We did not receive any special treatment or priority. With the help of one of our local Magic veterans, we joined the online queue early one Monday morning when Secret Lair opened orders. We sat in the digital waiting room for over an hour, watching the timer tick down like a suspenseful upkeep phase. Even after waiting, there is never a guarantee you will actually be able to purchase one. The process is famously intense. You wait. Then suddenly… you are randomly teleported to checkout. From there, you have ten minutes to complete your order or the box disappears back into the aether for someone else to claim. No holds. No extensions. Miss the window and the opportunity is gone. That rarity is part of what makes these boxes legendary. Festival in a Box products are designed to replicate the MagicCon experience at home, and Mystery Box editions in particular are famous for their unpredictable card pools, unexpected reprints, and unique draft environments that feel completely different from normal set drafts. A Chaos Draft is exactly what it sounds like: each pack comes from a different set or environment, meaning every pick feels like solving a new puzzle. Synergies appear in unexpected ways. Strategies evolve mid-draft. Deck-building becomes a creative challenge rather than a solved formula. No two Chaos Draft decks ever feel the same. Mystery Box releases are especially loved because they often include: a massive variety of cards across Magic history valuable reprints players rarely see in circulation unusual draft interactions that reward clever thinking surprises that can’t easily be predicted or replicated Last year’s Mystery Box 1 created waves across the Magic community, with players sharing stories of wild pulls, strange deck combinations, and the sheer fun of drafting outside the normal meta structure. Headlines and community discussions focused on how these boxes brought back the feeling of discovery that many players felt in earlier eras of Magic. Part of the excitement is the projected card value. Mystery Boxes often contain cards that hold strong secondary market interest, and the wide card pool increases the chances of encountering powerful staples or unexpected gems. While no product guarantees value, the reputation of Mystery Box releases has created significant buzz among collectors and competitive players alike. Because of the rarity and cost of obtaining these boxes, this draft will likely be priced higher than our typical draft events. We want to be transparent about that. However, this is also one of those experiences that players often only encounter once or twice, unless they travel to major conventions. This is not just about opening packs.It is about participating in something memorable. We wanted to bring something special to the Magic community here that is normally difficult to access locally. Something that feels like an event. Something that creates stories. Dates and pricing will be announced once we receive shipping confirmation and finalize fair event structure details. We want to make sure this experience is handled thoughtfully so that it feels exciting, welcoming, and worth the investment. For now, we can simply say: Chaos is coming. And Yreka is getting a little taste of MagicCon.

We can hardly believe it, but Purple Dragon Games is celebrating two incredible years in downtown Yreka! What started as a dream has grown into an amazing community of gamers, families, collectors, and friends, and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than spending an evening with all of you. Join us on Saturday, July 18, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Purple Dragon Games, 309 S. Broadway Street, Yreka, CA for an evening packed with games, prizes, food, and plenty of birthday fun. Admission is completely free, and everyone is welcome! Introducing the Birthday Passport This year we're adding a brand-new adventure: the Purple Dragon Birthday Passport! When you arrive, you'll receive your own Birthday Passport filled with fun activities to complete throughout the evening. You only need to complete 5 of the 7 quests to qualify for our Birthday Passport Raffle. Your adventure includes: Grab a complimentary slice of birthday cake. Play a board game. Play one trading card game match. Leave a birthday wish for Purple Dragon Games. Take a photo with one of our Purple Dragons, share it on Facebook or Instagram, and tag Purple Dragon Games. Meet someone new in our gaming community. Search the store to find the hidden Pokémon. Complete any 5 quests, turn in your passport before the end of the event, and you'll be entered to win a $20 Purple Dragon Games Gift Card! Free Birthday Treats We're celebrating with plenty of free goodies throughout the evening! Everyone can enjoy: Free birthday cake Free pizza Open gaming all evening Birthday Passport activities A chance to win our $20 Gift Card raffle The first 20 guests will also receive an exclusive Purple Dragon Games "Level Up!" Birthday Button while supplies last. RSVP and Unlock Free Popcorn Planning to join us? If you RSVP on our website before the event, you'll unlock a complimentary movie-size butter popcorn when you arrive. It's our way of saying thank you for helping us prepare for another fantastic community celebration. Celebrate With Us Whether you've been with us since opening day or you're planning your very first visit, we'd love to celebrate together. Bring your family, invite a friend, discover a new game, enjoy some birthday treats, and help us make our second anniversary our biggest celebration yet. Thank you for two amazing years of friendship, laughter, and unforgettable game nights. We can't wait to celebrate with you! Purple Dragon Games Saturday, July 18 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM 309 S. Broadway Street Yreka, CA 96097 We hope to see you there!

Four More Days of Tabletop Guild Adventures Await! I couldn't be more excited to kick off another four days of our Summer Tabletop Guild events! We've had an incredible time watching new friendships form, seeing favorite games hit the table, and welcoming both seasoned gamers and first-time visitors into the fun. If you've been looking for an excuse to try something new, this is it. Every day features a brand-new theme with three featured board games to explore. Events are completely free to attend and begin at 4:00 PM each evening at Purple Dragon Games, with our Friday event running from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Tuesday: Enchanted Journeys Slow down and enjoy a peaceful evening of beautiful landscapes, whimsical adventures, and thoughtful strategy. Travel across Japan in Tokaido, visit the charming world of Moon Bunny, and celebrate the seasons with 12 Days. Expect a relaxing atmosphere filled with clever decisions, memorable moments, and just enough friendly competition. Wednesday: Creatures of the Night The mood shifts as mysterious horrors emerge from the shadows. Face the terrifying shark in Jaws, survive paranoia and hidden danger in The Thing, and hunt one of literature's most infamous villains in Fury of Dracula. This is an evening of suspense, teamwork, dramatic reveals, and unforgettable stories around the table. Thursday: Legends and Outlaws Adventure returns with legendary quests, daring heists, and clever deception. Help the adorable heroes of Moon Bunny, bluff your way to riches in Sheriff of Nottingham, and journey across Middle-earth in Hunt for the Ring. Whether you're negotiating, sneaking, or embarking on an epic quest, every decision matters. Friday: Masters of Espionage Trust no one... or perhaps trust everyone just enough. Friday is all about secret identities, hidden agendas, and reading your opponents. Build alliances in The Resistance, outwit your rivals in Coup, and put your communication skills to the test in Codenames. Expect laughs, surprises, dramatic accusations, and plenty of "I knew it!" moments. Don't forget the extras! When you RSVP for the day's event here on our website, you'll receive a FREE complimentary movie butter popcorn during the event. Want even more rewards? Join the Tabletop Guild here on the website, and every time you win one of our featured Tabletop Guild games during an event, you'll earn a $5 Dragon Coin to spend at Purple Dragon Games. We can't wait to see everyone back around the tables for another week of adventure. Whether you come for one evening or all four, there's always a new story waiting to unfold.

Learn from a Professional Comic Artist. Right Here in Yreka. What if your next level-up wasn't in a video game... but in your own creative journey? Purple Dragon Games is exploring interest in hosting a Comic Art & Creative Masterclass led by Joel Shelton, a local professional comic artist, sculptor, and creative visionary. Joel has worked on published comic projects, including CGC-graded comics, while building an impressive portfolio of illustration, sculpture, horror design, and independent creative work. Whether you want to master comic book art, miniature painting, terrain building, sculpting, costuming, cosplay, or character design, this is your chance to learn from someone who has spent years turning imagination into reality. The first class will be FREE. Right now, we're not asking anyone to commit or make any payments. We're simply trying to gauge interest before we begin scheduling classes. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, click the interest form below and let us know: • What days work best for you • What your honest budget would be for future classes • Which creative skills you're most interested in learning Filling out the form does NOT commit you to attending. Think of it as casting your vote. If enough adventurers join the quest, we'll make it happen! These aren't just hobby skills. They're practical creative disciplines that can help build a portfolio, strengthen a résumé, and open doors into careers in comics, tabletop gaming, miniature painting, cosplay, illustration, game development, prop making, and freelance art. If you've ever wanted to learn from a working professional without traveling across the country, this is your opportunity. Ready to unlock a new creative skill tree? Complete the interest form below and help us bring this masterclass to Purple Dragon Games! Follow Joel's work: • Instagram: @therealjoelshelton • YouTube: @joelshelton4774