Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™

On sale 14 August 2026

The journey that began with The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ continues in 2026. Three years after fans witnessed the first legendary crossover between two of fantasy's greatest worlds, new battles await, treasures lie hidden, and untold stories are ready to unfold.

Return to Middle-earth and relive the grand opening of a timeless saga! Set forth from The Shire alongside Bilbo, Gandalf, and their company of Dwarves in pursuit of fortune, peril, and the dread Dragon Smaug. Rally your forces beneath the looming shadow of the Lonely Mountain, then clash for the riches of Erebor in a battle for glory and survival!

Magic: The Gathering® | Reality Fracture

On sale 2 October 2026

Jace Beleren has always had a flair for the dramatic. His years on Vryn as Alhammarret's protégé certainly didn't include sessions with a therapist, and as we've seen, Jace's greatest strength is often his greatest flaw. While most people merely wish their circumstances were different, for the mastermind mage even a passing thought can ripple into reality. Imagine an alternate Multiverse of his own design, threatening to consume the one we know — its only barrier, a single band of heroes standing against oblivion. Within this fractured realm, twisted echoes of Magic's legends await, lurking in Jace's Echoverse and the shadowed halls of Hexhaven, his dystopian inner sanctum.

© 2026 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC

Wizards Play Network

With the upcoming The Hobbit release, this is a great moment to join the Wizards Play Network.

If you apply and are successfully onboarded before May 29, you may be eligible to run the The Hobbit Prerelease in your store — a fantastic opportunity to bring players in, build your community, and drive sales around one of the most eagerly anticipated Magic: The Gathering releases in history.

By joining the WPN, among other things, you will be able to:

• Access to exclusive products
• Host official events
• Benefit from promotional and marketing materials
• Gain visibility through the WPN Store Locator

You can find more information about this fantastic set here:

• Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™ – Dates & Details | WPN
• Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™ | WPN

And more details about the WPN and how to apply here:

• How to Apply for the WPN | WPN

We'd strongly recommend applying as soon as possible to ensure enough time for review and approval ahead of the deadline.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out — we'd be happy to help.

Greetings everyone,

For this edition of the newsletter, I wanted to shine a spotlight on two fantastic new additions to the ever-growing world of CATAN that officially launched at Comic Con Cape Town. Whether you are a long-time road-building veteran, a master negotiator, or someone looking to discover why CATAN has remained one of the most beloved modern board games of all time, these new releases offer exciting new ways to experience the legendary island of Catan. Gather your resources, prepare your trades, and let's dive in!

Catan: On the Road

The creative minds behind CATAN are heading in a bold new direction with CATAN: On the Road, a streamlined and highly interactive spin on the beloved resource-trading classic. Designed to capture the spirit of CATAN in a fast-moving format, this new entry keeps the core DNA fans know and love while introducing fresh mechanics that place an even greater emphasis on trading, timing, and tactical decision-making. Unlike the traditional board game experience, CATAN: On the Road is powered entirely by a deck of 120 cards. Players gather resources by drawing cards, expanding their territory and building developments from a shared pool of available options. Familiar strategies return as players race to grow settlements, recruit knights, and strengthen their regions in pursuit of victory points.

What truly sets On the Road apart, however, is its enhanced focus on player interaction. Trading has always been at the heart of CATAN, but this new version rewards active negotiation more than ever before. Players who engage in trades outside of their own turns receive bonus resource cards, creating a dynamic flow of constant table talk, shifting alliances, and strategic bargaining. The result is a game that feels lively and social from start to finish, with every player staying involved even when it is not their turn.

The streamlined format also makes CATAN: On the Road an ideal gateway experience for newer players while still offering enough tactical depth to satisfy long-time fans of the franchise. Faster setup, shorter play sessions, and accessible rules make it perfect for family game nights, travel, casual gatherings, or introducing friends to the world of modern board gaming.

Catan On The Road is currently in stock and has a RRP of R249.99.

Catan Zip!

CATAN continues to reinvent itself with a clever portable edition that captures the heart of the classic board game while making it easier than ever to take the experience on the go. Compact, accessible, and packed with replayability, this travel-friendly version transforms the iconic island-building adventure into a streamlined format perfect for holidays, cafés, road trips, and casual game nights.

At the centre of the experience is a shared map pad where the island of Catan is gradually created during play. Rather than relying on traditional hex tiles, players generate the island directly on the pad, creating a fresh layout every game. The constantly changing geography ensures that no two matches ever unfold in quite the same way, forcing players to adapt their strategies based on the resources and opportunities available around them. As the island develops, players draw their own roads, settlements, and cities directly onto the map, visually watching their influence spread across Catan.

Despite the streamlined portable format, the core identity of CATAN remains completely intact in this new edition.

Catan Zip! Is in stock and has a RRP of R649.99

And there you have it folks 😊 Whether you are a seasoned CATAN strategist or preparing to set foot on the island for the very first time, these exciting new releases offer fresh adventures that deserve a place in every board game collection.

Comic Con Cape Town – A View from the Floor

For this week's corner, I was fairly certain I was going to write something about my experience at Comic Con Cape Town two weeks ago. I usually spend some amount of the Con assisting our good friends at Unplug Yourself in some way, and with this year's event being Cape Town's biggest yet I should have plenty of insights to share. But after 90 minutes of staring at my screen, retyping the same opening sentences over and over, I realised that trying to write on numbers, attendances, and engagement levels didn't actually reflect my experience — despite all of those things increasing hugely over last year (I should probably at least mention that). For me the Con was about the chaos of the floor and the individual people I spoke with in the midst of all that chaos.

One of the things I love most about working at Comic Con in general is getting to speak to people who have no idea about the big, wide world of tabletop games. Perhaps they've played some casual or traditional games before, but most haven't even gone that far, and even the hardened Cluedo and Monopoly players' eyes light up with childlike wonder when they take in the true breadth of the hobby. Spoiler: that's not even close to the true breadth. Watching these people take their first forays into modern games is inspiring, and I got to witness this all weekend as people moved through the Spot It South Africa gaming lounge and the dedicated Catan booth. All of these people walked away smiling and laughing, taking away a new hobby for life alongside their bags of convention loot.

I think that really boils down the Comic Con experience for me – it's the experience itself. I spoke to so many people buying their first board game, but even more who were buying their second or third. I spoke to people who had fallen in love with Dungeons & Dragons after being on the fence for years because they'd finally gotten the chance to try it. I spoke to casual TCG fans who had never considered the possibility of buying a whole booster box but suddenly realised that you absolutely can. I saw a pair of the most stereotypical dude-bros ever – shirtless and in baseball caps – throwing down in the Pokémon Gym for hours. I even spoke to a woman who hadn't played Monopoly until last year, despite having played other board games, because it had been pre-emptively banned in her house for most of her life. And if that's not the Comic Con experience, I don't know what is.

🌟 Take a Walk Through Solarpop Gauteng

Curious what the new Solarpop Gauteng space looks like from the inside?

Come with us.

From the moment you step through the front doors, it already feels a little different. The reception welcomes you in, the city hums quietly below, and there's that sense that something bigger is waiting upstairs.

A quick elevator ride later… the doors open… a short walk down the passage… and suddenly, you're here.

Welcome to Solarpop Gauteng.

The showroom hits first - bright, bold, and alive with colour, brands, and new discoveries around every corner. It's not hidden away behind offices or boardrooms. It sits right at the heart of the space, exactly where play belongs.

Then the office opens up around it.

Natural light pours through the windows, the skyline stretching into the distance while teams move between strategy sessions, product discussions, content shoots, and spontaneous game demos.

And everywhere you look, the Solarpop personality shows itself.

🎲 Board games waiting in the kitchen between meetings

🧸 Shelves stacked with products constantly being explored and tested

🎥 Creative spaces where campaigns, videos, and big ideas come to life

🤝 A team culture built around collaboration, creativity, and a shared love for play

This is more than just an office.

It's a space where products are experienced, where ideas evolve in real time, and where "what if?" quickly becomes "let's make it happen."

And this is only the beginning.

Keep an eye out for the full walkthrough video as we take you through the entire journey - from reception to showroom, and all the moments in between.

Because at Solarpop, we don't just bring happiness home…

We live it every single day.

— Solarpop Marketing Team

Fandom isn't always loud.

Sometimes it's subtle house colours peeking out beneath a suit at work. Sometimes it's spotting another fan across the room because they recognised the crest on your socks. And sometimes it's simply carrying a little piece of the Wizarding World with you wherever you go.

This edition's Sock Spotlight steps into the halls of Hogwarts with our Harry Potter range - designed for fans who grew up waiting for acceptance letters, choosing houses, debating favourite professors, and rewatching magical moments long after the credits rolled.

Featuring designs inspired by the iconic Hogwarts houses and the wider Wizarding World, these socks blend everyday wear with unmistakable fandom energy. Whether you're loyal to Gryffindor, wise beyond your years in Ravenclaw, proudly ambitious in Slytherin, or repping Hufflepuff with unwavering dedication, there's a pair ready to complete the fit.

Because geek culture doesn't stop at shelves, collections, or game nights anymore.

It's become fashion. Identity. Community.

And sometimes the strongest fandom statement starts from the ground up.