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Magic: The Gathering’s Play-Doh Secret Lair is addressing the shortcomings of the American healthcare system

Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair x Play-Doh: Squishful Thinking benefits the autism center at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in Seattle

The art for Academy Manufactor from Secret Lair x Play-Doh: Squishful Thinking
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Looking to add a few staples of Commander to your deck while also benefiting a great cause? Look no further than Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair x Play-Doh: Squishful Thinking. This Secret Lair drop is part of Magic's team-up with Extra Life, a charity that benefits Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in Seattle. The cards included in this drop are Polyraptor, Academy Manufactor, Wurmcoil Engine, and Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer. 50% of the set's purchase price ($39.99 for non-foil, $49.99 for rainbow foil) benefits Extra Life. The artists featured in this drop are Ben Millar, Jason Loik, and Matthew Cohen. 

In a video posted to Magic: the Gathering's YouTube channel, Mendy Minjarez provided examples for how the funding from the Play-Doh Secret Lair set directly benefits autistic children and their families in the Seattle area. "We've been able to expand access to care. So later this year, or maybe into early 2026, we will be starting to do autism diagnostic evaluations down in Federal Way, in the Seattle Children's Clinic there. There would not have been funding for us to start that initiative, had it not been for this, these funds." 

Minjarez continued, "We have been able to provide case management to patients with autism, who come to the emergency room in some kind of behavioral or psychiatric crisis. Those kids show up at the emergency room, and what they need is comprehensive services. And you can't really say to a parent, 'Oh, you just need this whole comprehensive service plan, so yeah, just go do that and it'll be fine.' They need help getting access to all those things, and having case management in that moment, rather than being something that they now have to go find that first before they can even take steps. Those kinds of things are huge." In addition, the funds from the Play-Doh Secret Lair have made it possible for "parent education and family education materials" to be translated into 9 different languages.  

Take a look at the cards below. 

The cards from Secret Lair x Play-Doh: Squishful Thinking
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Frankly, it's amazing how much the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and families in the Seattle area will benefit from this Secret Lair set. And it's good to see how Magic: The Gathering has provided a space where the challenges that patients with autism and their families face in healthcare settings can be discussed. This Secret Lair announcement comes on the heels of The Pitt winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. In an episode of the show on HBO, there's a moment where a man with autism comes in and doesn't receive adequate care until Dr. King, herself neurodivergent, sees that he's autistic, and lessens the noise in the exam room, dims the lights, and adjusts her bedside manner. These accommodations are crucial in a healthcare setting. 

Secret Lair x Play-Doh: Squishful Thinking will be available at MagicSecretLair.com from September 29 to November 9. 


Whether you are a Commander player, a regular at your local game shop's FNM event, or simply love collecting Magic: The Gathering cards, you've landed in the right place. From Universes Beyond to the furthest reaches of the Magic Multiverse, we've got you covered here at Popverse. 

Jules Chin Greene

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.

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