Beginning with Magic 2010, Wizards decided to introduce new cards into the Core Set so that they could be relevant for both new players as well as veterans.
Magic head designer Mark Rosewater wrote that the Core Set's dual identity of needing to interest established players while being simple enough for new players leading to "odd compromises", and cited the potential and upsides of doing two blocks per year, such as visiting new settings and revisiting old ones faster.
[2] Wizards of the Coast has also overhauled the core rules of the game with the introduction of Magic 2010.
When creatures with Bloodthirst are played, they gain a boost to their power and toughness if an opponent was already dealt damage that turn.
[12] Magic 2013 contains the Exalted mechanic which first appeared in the Shards of Alara block.
It made the "Indestructible" effect a keyword, and changed the phrasing for unblockable creatures to "can't be blocked.
[17] Slivers also received an art redesign that de-emphasized their original beak-headed, one-clawed, one-tailed insect-like appearance, and instead became monstrous humanoids whose appearance varied heavily by card, but had "normal" features such as faces and eyes.
[18] This redesign proved controversial; one reviewer noted "slivers are one of the most iconic designs in all of Magic: The Gathering.
"[19][20] Wizards of the Coast acknowledged the negative feedback, noting that some players disliked the new art style, and included a card in Magic 2015 that used the original Sliver appearance in Sliver Hive.
Changes include a slight font change (Starting with Magic 2015, an in-house font known as Beleren will be used rather than the Matrix Bold font), the addition of a holofoil stamp in the bottom center of all rare and mythic rare cards, a slightly narrower black border, and a redesign of the collector's info at the bottom of each card.
[24] The new border made it easier for machines to read the cards, helping to prevent mispackaging.
[24] Advertising for the set featured the planeswalker Garruk Wildspeaker, with a tagline of "Hunt Bigger Game.
"[25] Magic 2015 includes the mechanic "Convoke", which originally appeared in Ravnica: City of Guilds.
It also includes 15 cards designed by notable non-employee Magic fans, such as Richard Garriott, George Fan, Markus Persson, and Edmund McMillen, some of which also appear in Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015.
It featured a cycle of double-faced cards (originally used in Innistrad) that have a legendary creature on one side representing the character before their transformation, and a planeswalker on the reverse face that represents them after gaining their new power.