Lorcana brings a unique Disney twist to the beloved Commander format of Magic.
Moana, hailing from the island of Motonui, has always felt a pull towards the ocean, even as a young girl. Her father, Chief Tui, spends the entire song “Where You Are” trying to persuade her to accept her role as the next chief of their village. The coconut holds significant cultural importance for them, a gift from Maui, as he claims. The catchy refrain “Consider the coconut!” from that song has inspired the codename for what appears to be Lorcana’s take on Magic: The Gathering’s immensely popular Commander format—because they’re definitely considering it. Playtesting kicked off this week at Gen Con 2026, which runs from July 30 to August 2 in Indianapolis.
In traditional Magic, players face off in one-on-one matches with relatively flexible deck-building rules, allowing up to four copies of any card. The objective is to be the last player standing, with each starting at 20 health. Commander, on the other hand, requires players to choose a legendary creature that dictates their deck’s colors. Each deck must consist of 100 cards (including the Commander) with no duplicates, and players start with 40 life, typically engaging in games with four participants. While there are additional nuanced rules, this captures the essence of the format. It’s widely regarded as a more casual and expressive way to play, as your entire strategy revolves around your chosen Commander.
Ryan Miller, co-creator of Lorcana, unveiled the new [Format Coconut] in a blog post ahead of Gen Con, confirming it as a new format designed for more than two players. He clearly understands the complexities that can make competitive trading card games daunting and why formats like Magic’s Commander have gained such popularity. Coconut mirrors many of the same core elements: more than two players, increased life (in this case, a higher Lore threshold to win), and singleton decks built around a selected [Coconut] card.
“From the beginning, co-designer Steve Warner and I envisioned how much fun it would be for groups to play together, and players have enjoyed the basic multiplayer rules that allow for more than two participants,” Miller noted. “Now we want to elevate that experience!”
However, there are several unique aspects that set Lorcana apart. Since there’s no direct equivalent to the “legendary” creature classification in Lorcana, [Coconut] cards are chosen from a curated selection of 18 beta cards. Instead of a Command Zone, players include four copies of their [Coconut] in a 60+ card deck. The beta list features iconic characters from Disney’s history, primarily protagonists from various franchises, along with a few villains. Each base card is designed to be a “build-around” card with strong abilities that can shape a deck’s identity. Additionally, in [Format Coconut], each of your [Coconut Cards] gains a special ability.
For example, Moana – Curious Explorer from the Winterspell set has an Ancestral Legacy ability that allows you to ink cards from your discard pile. Her unique [Coconut] ability lets you ink an extra card during your turn if you have a Moana, Heihei, or Pua character in play. These abilities make Moana – Curious Explorer incredibly effective at ramping up your inkwell, provided you can keep your discard pile sufficiently stocked.
As a sapphire card, Moana – Curious Explorer fits into [Format Coconut] rules that permit each deck to include three ink types, with one needing to match your [Coconut] card. This deck’s strategy is straightforward: establish a robust discard and draw engine to maximize Moana’s abilities for filling your inkwell. While Sapphire/Amethyst/Steel seems like a solid choice, what’s particularly intriguing about [Format Coconut] is how it establishes a deck’s identity first, allowing you to then decide how to build it out.
Moana – Curious Explorer encourages you to incorporate many Moana cards, creating a fun thematic synergy that ebbs and flows like the ocean. Scanning through the other 17 [Coconut] cards available in the beta, it’s evident that the design team has put considerable thought into crafting flavorful abilities. For instance, Snow White – Merry as Morning aims to bring all seven dwarves out of your deck, while Ariel – Spectacular Singer provides extra lore when any of your princesses sing. Pocahontas – Peacekeeper enhances lore gained when one of your characters embarks on a quest. Each card feels like a playful way to embody these characters in a deck rather than just assembling a competitive list.
[Format Coconut] is still in its early stages for Lorcana, but if players embrace it even half as much as Magic players embraced Commander, it’s likely to become the most popular way to enjoy the game in no time. Personally, I’m torn between crafting a Nick Wilde – Wily Fox deck featuring Pawpsicles and other items or a Robin Hood – Sneaky Sleuth deck that showers my foes with arrows.
