Split Screen

Split Screen was released in 2017 as part of Unstable, the third 'un-set' for Magic: The Gathering. These sets are designed for casual, silver-bordered play, prioritizing humorous mechanics and experimental card designs that would be impossible within the standard rules engine. The set's aesthetic and mechanical direction were led by Mark Rosewater, who sought to push the boundaries of how players interact with the game state by introducing cards that defy traditional spatial constraints.

The card was illustrated by Johannes Voss, a long-time contributor to the game known for his expressive and luminous style. For Split Screen, Voss was tasked with depicting the chaotic, science-fiction inspired atmosphere of the Unstable plane, known as Bablovia. The design of the card—which physically instructs players to split their library into two—was received by the community as a quintessential example of the set's subversive charm, blending highly technical mechanical demands with the whimsical, mad-science theme that defined the release.