Umezawa's Jitte was banned in Modern before Modern even had a metagame. It went on the list at the format's 2011 inception and stayed there for roughly 15 years.
On May 18, Wizards lifted the ban. The original Betrayers of Kamigawa printing answered fast.
It was about $12.50 near-mint before the announcement. Recent sales are landing near $39. Listings are climbing as high as $53.62 shipped, though that top number is an asking price, not a confirmed sale.
The Full May 18 B&R Picture
The May 18 window was one of the seven scheduled B&R dates Wizards locked in for 2026. It was busy.
Modern got two unbans. Umezawa's Jitte and Violent Outburst both came back.
Modern also got two bans. Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury and Lotus Field both came off the legal list. Pioneer lost Cori-Steel Cutter.
So Modern shed two cards and gained two. The format absorbed real changes in both directions. Jitte is the one moving the secondary market.
Why Jitte Matters and Which Printing Is Spiking
Umezawa's Jitte is a two-mana artifact equipment that has warped formats since 2005. It charges up on combat, then spends counters to pump, kill creatures, or gain life.
It was a Standard and Block menace in its day. It's been a Legacy staple for years. The only reason it sat out of Modern is that it never got the chance to play there.
The card spiking is the original Betrayers of Kamigawa printing. That's the version collectors and players are chasing right now.
There are cheaper routes. The List reprint runs about $19.15 near-mint. The TMNT Universes Beyond reprint sits around $12, up from roughly $2.42 before the unban.
If you want a playable Jitte, the reprints are the value play. The Betrayers premium is collectors paying for the first printing.
Does the Spike Hold
The competitive picture is mixed so far.
There are 5-0 League runs putting Jitte in Boros, Izzet, and Dimir shells. That's evidence players are testing it and winning. But the best Challenge result so far is a 4-3 finish landing in a top 32. Not a trophy.
The natural Jitte home is a Stoneforge Mystic shell. That archetype is currently fringe in Modern. For Jitte to justify $39-plus sustained, that shell needs to climb, or a new home has to emerge.
A price tracker reported a spike north of 2,000% on the card. That figure is single-source and doesn't reconcile with the actual move from $12.50 to the high-$30s. Treat it as a tracker artifact, not the real price change.
The honest read: the unban is real, the early demand is real, and the spike could hold if Jitte decks post hard results. It may also soften if the Stoneforge shell stays fringe.
The Collector Takeaway
The next B&R window is June 30, after the Marvel Super Heroes set. That's the next checkpoint for Modern.
Buyers paying the Betrayers of Kamigawa premium are paying a hype tax that may cool by then if the competitive results don't firm up. The reprints give you the same card on the battlefield for $12 to $19.
If you want to play Jitte, buy a reprint and watch the League data. If you want the first printing, know you're paying for the printing, not the power level.
