Wydawnictwo MAG
A Polish publisher known first for introducing major English-language tabletop role-playing games to Polish audiences and later for translated speculative-fiction and general fiction.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Wydawnictwo MAG, also known as MAG Publishing House, is a Polish publishing company whose origins lie in the development of the country's early tabletop role-playing-game culture after the end of Communist rule. The company was founded by Jacek Rodek, then editor-in-chief of the fantasy and science-fiction magazine Fantastyka, to publish Magia i Miecz, a Polish periodical devoted to role-playing games. Rodek and Darosław J. Toruń served as the magazine's first editors. At the time MAG began operating, role-playing games were still little known in Poland. The first six issues of Magia i Miecz therefore concentrated on Kryształy Czasu, an unpublished Polish role-playing game created by Artur Szyndler. The magazine introduced the game's rules, character creation, magic systems and setting, and later published its first complete adventures. The publication's circulation, reported at approximately 20,000 copies per month, demonstrated that a substantial Polish audience existed for role-playing material and encouraged MAG to seek licenses for established games from the United States and the United Kingdom. MAG became an important early Polish licensee for games including Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Call of Cthulhu, Deadlands, Fading Suns, Earthdawn and Middle-earth Role Playing. It also published Polish-language editions of other tabletop properties, including the Doomtrooper game and the Kult collectible card game. Alongside licensed products, the company supported domestic creations. Its publications included Wiedźmin - Gra Wyobraźni, a role-playing game based on Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher fiction, and a hardcover edition of Kryształy Czasu released in 1999. The role-playing magazine later faced declining circulation and became unprofitable. By 2001 its circulation had reportedly fallen to about 10,000 copies, and MAG discontinued Magia i Miecz. The company then shifted its principal emphasis from games periodicals and tabletop licenses to book publishing. Its catalogue came to focus particularly on science fiction, fantasy, horror, children's literature and contemporary fiction, with translated English-language novels forming a significant part of the business. MAG also continued publishing Polish authors, including Feliks W. Kres. One of the company's most recognizable literary initiatives is Uczta Wyobraźni, or Feast of the Imagination, a speculative-fiction series launched in 2006. The series has featured works by authors including Ian McDonald, William Gibson, Christopher Priest, Susanna Clarke and Bruce Sterling. MAG has also published or republished works by internationally prominent writers such as Neil Gaiman and Christopher Paolini. Paolini's Eragon achieved especially strong results in Poland, with reported sales exceeding 135,000 copies in 2005–2006. The company's history has been recognized within Poland's science-fiction and fantasy community. Jacek Rodek received the Śląkfa Publisher of the Year award in 1994. MAG editor-in-chief Andrzej Miszkurka received the same publisher award in 2001 and again in 2006, while MAG author Feliks W. Kres was named Writer of the Year in 2001. MAG's trajectory illustrates the transition of a specialist Polish role-playing publisher into a broader literary house centered on translated and domestic speculative fiction.
History
Wydawnictwo MAG emerged in Poland during the period following the collapse of Communist rule, when tabletop role-playing games were beginning to reach audiences that had previously had little access to them. Jacek Rodek, editor-in-chief of the fantasy and science-fiction magazine Fantastyka, founded MAG to publish Magia i Miecz, a periodical dedicated to role-playing games. Darosław J. Toruń joined Rodek as one of the magazine's first editors. Because there were few role-playing games available in Polish, Magia i Miecz initially devoted its first six issues to Kryształy Czasu, a Polish game created by Artur Szyndler that had not yet been published as a standalone product. The early issues explained its rules, character creation, magic and setting, and later carried complete adventures. This editorial strategy helped introduce role-playing concepts to Polish readers while creating a community around a domestic game. The magazine's reported monthly circulation of 20,000 convinced MAG that Poland could support a larger role-playing market. The publisher subsequently acquired Polish-language rights to a range of British and American games, including Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Call of Cthulhu, Deadlands, Fading Suns, Earthdawn and Middle-earth Role Playing. Its tabletop catalogue also included Doomtrooper and the Kult collectible card game. MAG was not limited to imported properties: it published Polish material such as the hardcover edition of Kryształy Czasu in 1999 and Wiedźmin - Gra Wyobraźni, a role-playing game derived from Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher stories. The specialist magazine model eventually weakened. By 2001, Magia i Miecz's circulation had declined to approximately 10,000 and the publication was no longer profitable. MAG stopped publishing the magazine and redirected its resources toward books. The new publishing programme emphasized science fiction, fantasy and horror, while also encompassing children's literature and contemporary fiction. Translations of popular English-language novels became particularly important, although the company continued to publish Polish writers such as Feliks W. Kres. MAG's later identity was shaped by curated speculative-fiction publishing. In 2006 it introduced Uczta Wyobraźni, or Feast of the Imagination, a long-running series that accumulated more than 60 works by authors such as Ian McDonald, William Gibson, Christopher Priest, Susanna Clarke and Bruce Sterling. The publisher also achieved notable Polish-market success with works by Neil Gaiman and Christopher Paolini. Eragon was reported to have sold more than 135,000 copies in Poland during 2005–2006. Recognition from the Polish science-fiction and fantasy community accompanied these changes. Founder Jacek Rodek was named Śląkfa Publisher of the Year in 1994. Editor-in-chief Andrzej Miszkurka received the same award in 2001 and 2006, while author Feliks W. Kres was named Writer of the Year in 2001. MAG therefore developed from an early specialist game publisher and magazine operator into a broader literary house with a strong position in translated speculative fiction.
- 2006
Uczta Wyobraźni is launched
[1]MAG begins its long-running Feast of the Imagination series of translated speculative fiction.
- 2006
Andrzej Miszkurka receives a second Śląkfa Publisher of the Year award
[1]The editor-in-chief is again recognized for his publishing work.
- 2001
MAG discontinues Magia i Miecz
[1]Declining circulation and unprofitability lead the publisher to end the magazine and pivot toward books.
- 2001
Andrzej Miszkurka receives the Śląkfa Publisher of the Year award
[1]MAG's editor-in-chief is recognized as Publisher of the Year, while MAG author Feliks W. Kres receives the Writer of the Year award.
- 1999
Hardcover Kryształy Czasu edition appears
[1]MAG publishes a hardcover edition of the Polish role-playing game that had featured prominently in the magazine's early issues.
- 1994
Jacek Rodek receives the Śląkfa Publisher of the Year award
[1]The founder is recognized by Poland's long-running science-fiction and fantasy award.
Wydawnictwo MAG is founded
[1]Jacek Rodek establishes MAG to publish a Polish role-playing-game magazine in the early post-Communist publishing environment.
Magia i Miecz begins publication
[1]The new magazine introduces Polish readers to role-playing games and initially concentrates on Kryształy Czasu.
Products and positioning
A specialist Polish publisher with roots in tabletop role-playing culture and a later focus on curated translations and original works in speculative fiction and related literary categories.
Role-playing-game magazine
Magia i Miecz
A Polish magazine devoted to tabletop role-playing games. Its early issues provided foundational material for Kryształy Czasu, including rules, character creation, magic, setting information and complete adventures. It later served as a vehicle for introducing Polish-language editions and information about established American and British role-playing games. The magazine was discontinued after circulation declined and the publication became unprofitable.
Tabletop role-playing game · 1999
Kryształy Czasu
A Polish role-playing game by Artur Szyndler that became the central subject of the first six issues of Magia i Miecz. MAG later published a hardcover edition in 1999, transforming material that had initially circulated through the magazine into a standalone game product.
Tabletop role-playing game
Wiedźmin - Gra Wyobraźni
A Polish role-playing game based on the novels and short stories of Andrzej Sapkowski. It represents MAG's contribution to locally produced tabletop material alongside its licensed editions of foreign games.
Speculative-fiction book series · 2006
Uczta Wyobraźni
A literary series launched in 2006 and known in English as Feast of the Imagination. It brings Polish readers translated science fiction, fantasy and related speculative writing, with authors represented in the series including Ian McDonald, William Gibson, Christopher Priest, Susanna Clarke and Bruce Sterling. The series has grown to more than 60 works.
Tabletop game
Doomtrooper
A Polish-language tabletop game published by MAG as part of its early expansion beyond the role-playing magazine and into licensed or adapted game products.
Collectible card game
Kult
A collectible card game included in MAG's tabletop publishing catalogue during the company's role-playing and games-focused phase.
Brand decisions
2006
Launch of Uczta WyobraźniProduct launchBackground
After moving into book publishing, MAG continued to build a specialist identity around translated speculative fiction.
Action taken
The publisher introduced Uczta Wyobraźni, a series dedicated to internationally recognized science-fiction and fantasy authors.
Aftermath
The series became a long-running component of MAG's literary programme and grew to more than 60 works.
2001
Shift from role-playing magazine publishing to booksStrategyBackground
Magia i Miecz had declined from a reported circulation of approximately 20,000 copies per month to about 10,000 and was no longer profitable.
Action taken
MAG stopped publishing the magazine and made translated and original books its principal publishing focus.
Aftermath
The company developed a broader catalogue centered on science fiction, fantasy, horror, children's literature and contemporary fiction, including the Uczta Wyobraźni series.
Recent events
- 2006
MAG expands its literary programme with Uczta Wyobraźni[1]
Product launch
The publisher began its Uczta Wyobraźni series, a continuing programme of speculative-fiction titles by international authors.
- 2001
MAG ends Magia i Miecz and pivots to books[1]
Other
Following a decline in the magazine's circulation and profitability, MAG discontinued Magia i Miecz and shifted its main business toward translated and original books.
MAG launches Magia i Miecz[1]
Product launch
Wydawnictwo MAG established Magia i Miecz as a Polish magazine dedicated to tabletop role-playing games during the early post-Communist period.
MAG obtains Polish-language role-playing-game licenses[1]
Product launch
After the magazine demonstrated demand for role-playing material, MAG published Polish editions of several major American and British games, including Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Call of Cthulhu.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wydawnictwo-mag · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled