[Update #2]: MTG Arena is also permanently adding the long requested 100-card Historic Brawl game mode!

[Update]: The Jumpstart: Historic Horizons format will bring with it 372 new-to-MTGA cards!

In an announcement that was accidentally posted, and then immediately removed, Wizards of the Coast have revealed that they are bringing in Jumpstart: Historic Horizons to MTG Arena on August 12. This new Jumpstart event will bring with it hundreds of cards from Modern Horizons and Modern Horizons 2, along with 31 new-to-Magic cards specifically designed with the Historic format in mind!

Needless to say, this little leak has resulted in quite a few arguments among the MTG community, with the main sticking point being the MTG Arena exclusive cards. Personally, I'm of the opinion that MTG Arena is so different from the paper version of Magic that it's essentially its own beast, so treating it as such and releasing cards specifically designed for it makes a lot of sense.

It's also worth mentioning that this approach to releasing new cards has one really big benefit - balance. Given that MTG Arena is a digital format Wizards of the Coast can release a bunch of highly unusual cards, see if they break anything, and then potentially issue balance changes before finally printing the cards into paper formats as well. Even if the experiment doesn't end up being perfect and messed up cards slip through anyway, it'll still be a lot better than the endless stream of bans we've had to endure over the past few years.

Whatever the case may be, I'll make sure to let you know once the full announcement goes live on July 26th. Until then, sit tight and enjoy the newly launched Adventures in Forgotten Realms Quick Draft!