We're Counting Down To The MTG Festival In A Box Secret Lair Release For MagicCon Atlanta

Published Oct 19, 2026, 12:01 AM EDT Niall (pronounced Ny-ul) is a UK-based writer who has been writing about Magic: The Gathering throughout his entire career, with everything from new set breakdowns and individual deck guides to offering his opinions on the state of formats and the general direction of the iconic TCG. Niall also has a rich history covering triple-A releases, sports games, and PC hardware. We're back again for yet another Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop, but this one isn't your average bundle of cards; no, this is a Festival in a Box special ahead of MagicCon Atlanta. This drop is special because it's the first time players can get their hands on the Mystery Booster Commander Edition boxes, which were revealed at MagicCon Amsterdam. This new Mystery Booster product was wheeled out during GenCon for an event, but this is the first time members of the public can buy the product, although it only comes as part of the Festival in a Box package, and there are very limited numbers available. You can check out our Festival in a Box Atlanta 2026 guide to see exactly what you get, and here we'll focus on how to get your hands on a box via the Secret Lair site. When Is Festival In A Box Atlanta Going On Sale? As with most traditional Secret Lair drops, the Festival in a Box for MagicCon Atlanta will go on sale at 9 am PT (12 pm ET, 5 pm GMT, 6 pm CET) on Monday, October 19, 2026. MagicCon Atlanta doesn't take place until November 13–15, but the Festival in a Box product is expected to ship ASAP, provided you can secure one. This Secret Lair drop limits purchases to two boxes per customer. As a limited drop, the sale ends once stock runs out, and there will be no print-to-demand window or secondary sale window. If you fail to grab a Festival in a Box via this Secret Lair drop, the only other ways to get one are via the inevitable scalping listings that will go up after the sale is over, or directly from MagicCon Atlanta, where a limited number of boxes will go on sale each day at the event store. Unless something drastic changes, we expect the Mystery Booster Commander Edition box to be part of all Festival in a Box releases throughout 2027, too, so you'll have more chances to grab it if you're keen. How To Buy A Secret Lair Product Secret Lair isn't without its controversies, but overall, on paper, it's a fair system for releasing limited-edition products. You can enter the Secret Lair website at 8 am PT (11 am ET, 4 pm ET, 5 pm CET) and add the Festival in a Box product to your basket. You'll then be prompted to sign in to your Wizards account, so make sure you know your login details and get this sorted beforehand if not. Once you've signed in, you'll be transferred to a virtual waiting room. You can leave this tab open and go about your business in the meantime, but be sure to return at 8:59 am PT (11:59 am ET, 4:59 pm GMT, 5:59 pm CET) to see where you end up in the queue. When the clock ticks over and the sale goes live, everyone in the virtual waiting room will be randomized and moved into a checkout queue. It does not matter what time you arrive in the waiting room, whether you've purchased previous Secret Lair products, or if you have signed up for the newsletter; the queue is random, and there's, unfortunately, nothing you can do to impact your position in it, other than making sure you have a steady internet connection to prevent dropouts. Once you get through to the site, you have to check out as quickly as possible, so make sure you have your payment details to hand or can access them quickly (such as having your PayPal login ready to go). Getting through to the Secret Lair website doesn't guarantee your product will be held, so it could sell out while you're checking out if you take too long. Franchise Magic: The Gathering Original Release Date August 5, 1993 Publisher Wizards of the Coast Designer(s) Richard Garfield