Magic: The Gathering Mox artist Dan Frazier and Wizards of the Coast issued a joint apology via social media for the recently revealed The One Ring card artwork, for the upcoming The Hobbit set, after being accused of plagiarism by fans.
The controversy over the new The One Ring card began on social almost immediately after its reveal at the MagicCon Preview Panel on May 1, 2026. Fans began drawing comparisons of the new art for The Hobbit The One Ring to the previous Bundle promo version of the card from the Tales of Middle-earth set. The two rings seemed to be reflections of each other with the exception of the removed Elven script on the front of the ring and an altered backdrop. A social media firestorm ensued after the comparison was pointed out with fans expressing their disappointment with the new image of The One Ring.
A day later, Frazier and WotC issued a joint apology for the image. Frazier admitted to using Marta Nael’s image of The One Ring from the Bundle promo as a reference image, and failing to make it his own. WotC apologized to Marta Nael for “not catching the use of her art in this piece”; they also stated that Nael will be credited on digital versions of the card and compensated for her work.
While the veteran artist Dan Frazier did make the initial mistake, the bulk of the blame for this incident should be squarely placed on WotC’s art review process for Magic: The Gathering. Unlike the Trouble in Pairs incident in 2024 (see “‘Magic: The Gathering’ Artist Accused of Plagiarism“), this one seemed a little more obvious because it occurred on top-billed reprint for the set; had the art review process been working well, the incident may have been averted entirely.
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