Magic: The Gathering (MTG) artist Dan Frazier has admitted he “painted over” the work of Marta Nael when creating a new version of The One Ring card for Wizards of the Coast’s upcoming The Hobbit set.
When Wizards of the Coast pulled back the curtain on its upcoming plans to continue its run of cards themed after characters, items, and locations from Middle-earth last week, fans were quick to raise concerns related to a reprint of The One Ring. Specifically, many feared that the updated Magic art, which featured similar ring positioning and even almost identical reflections, had been lifted without proper credit.
Reddit user Stiggy1605 shared side-by-side comparisons of the art featured on both cards shortly after the announcement. They noted that the one from The Hobbit set was illustrated by Frazier, a 30-year Magic veteran, while the piece from the 2023 The Lord of the Rings collection was drawn by Nael.
Frazier confirmed fans’ fears with a statement published to social media yesterday. It followed what Wizards of the Coast says were “similarities between The One Ring by Marta Nael and the newly released image of The One Ring by Dan Frazier.” The company added that “those similarities are not coincidental, unfortunately.”
“I made a mistake, and I feel awful,” Frazier said. “I especially feel for Marta, whose work I adore. In trying to create an iconic version of The One Ring, while looking at references online, I ended up using Marta’s ring as a reference and painted over it to try to depict the item fans hold dear to their hearts. In doing so, I didn’t make it my own.”
It was a shocking revelation for longtime Magic players and collectors who have followed Frazier’s work in the tabletop world for decades. He concluded his statement by saying he would be reaching out to Nael to apologize “artist to artist.”
Magic: The Gathering x The Hobbit Set Art
Wizards of the Coast, in its own statement, praises the work Frazier has provided to the art and MTG community while saying it is “disappointed” that its review process “didn’t catch the issue.” The company added that it has also reached out to apologize to Nael.
Wizards of the Coast will compensate Nael for the use of her work and credit her on digital versions of the card. Nael has not made a public comment about Frazier’s unauthorized use of her art.
“This is a good moment to recognize that we are all humans who make mistakes,” Wizards of the Coast said. “We made mistakes in our process to not catch the error. We don’t condone or accept either, but we still value Dan and his contributions and are grateful for his place in the game.
A message from Dan Frazier and Wizards of the Coast: pic.twitter.com/4VCM8avcay
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) May 2, 2026
“Thank you to the eagle-eyed fans who noticed this, and for all of you for being strong advocates for amazing art and artists.”
Magic players first learned about The Hobbit set late last year. It is expected to launch sometime this August, with Marvel Super Heroes and Star Trek cards also expected to launch in 2026. To learn more about the upcoming Secrets of Strixhaven set, you can read our interview with senior game designer Daniel Holt.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
