Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted

Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted was released as part of the Jumpstart 2022 expansion for Magic: The Gathering. The card represents a pivotal moment in the character's long narrative arc, depicting the fallen planeswalker after he was stripped of his spark and bound to the plane of Strixhaven. Wizards of the Coast designed this specific iteration to function within the high-variance, quick-play environment of the Jumpstart format, balancing his powerful board-clearing ability with a cost that reflects his restricted mobility as a character tethered to a single world.

The artwork for this card was commissioned from artist Denman Rooke, who has become a mainstay in illustrating the darker, more aggressive entities within the Multiverse. Rooke utilized a high-contrast style to emphasize the jagged, obsidian-like nature of the character, focusing on the hate-fueled energy emanating from his form. Upon release, players noted the card for its effective utility in casual Commander formats and its ability to act as a potent political tool, cementing its place as a reliable piece of black-aligned removal in the game's modern card pool.