The philosophy behind why we reprint cards is not simple. Sometimes it’s because we really like what the original card was doing and see no need to try and improve on an already strong design. Other times it’s because the card in question fits perfectly in a setting and goes a long way to making players happy. Reprints are an important part of nostalgia, and I think allowing people to use the exact pieces of cardboard they used a decade or more ago is a great thing when we can do it. It’s not always going to be the case—sometimes old cards have really wonky wording, name problems, or have some slight problem that leads us to make a new card to fit the role.

– Sam Stoddard, “Reprints in Magic Origins“