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2025-26 SkyBox Metal Universe Hockey: Chrome, Color, and Cosmic Throwbacks

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When Fleer and SkyBox first introduced Metal Universe Hockey in 1996, the cards looked like nothing else in the hobby. They had wild backgrounds, metallic textures, and comic-style artwork that made every pack exciting to open. Now, nearly thirty years later, Upper Deck continues that same creative energy. The 2025-26 SkyBox Metal Universe Hockey release keeps the flashy look alive while mixing in autographs, rookies, and the ever-popular Precious Metal Gems.

The base set has 150 cards with 100 veterans and 50 rookies. Each pack includes at least one rookie card. Collectors can expect an autograph or a Precious Metal Gem in every hobby box, along with a stack of inserts and numbered parallels.

The PMG lineup includes four levels. Red versions are numbered to 100, Blue are to 50 and appear only in special Hot Boxes, Green are to 10, and Gold cards are true one-of-ones. The first ten in each print run are Green, while the rest are Red.

Base cards also have autographed parallels. Veteran autographs fall once in 80 packs, rookies once in 60 packs, with Green versions numbered to 10 and Gold to 1.

Other autograph sets include SkyBox Premium Prospects (1 in 120 packs), Fresh Foundation (1 in 240), Championship Galaxy (1 in 600), Circle Button (1 in 600), Lethal Weapon (1 in 600), Lunar Cycle (1 in 600), and All-Galactic Team (1 in 1200). SkyBox Premium Prospects also has a Star Emerald version numbered to 25.

Inserts remain a major part of the product. The 2013 Metal Universe Retros return, featuring the classic artwork that made the brand famous, appearing once per case at roughly 1 in 240 packs.

Other recurring inserts include Fresh Foundation (1 in 10 packs), Championship Galaxy (1 in 12), Lunar Cycle (1 in 12), and All-Galactic Team (1 in 15). Each has Purple parallels numbered to 349, Red to 99, and Gold to 10. Circle Button and Lethal Weapon both appear 1 in 15 packs and have Red parallels numbered to 100 and Green to 10. Outer Limits falls 1 in 7.5 packs with a Gold parallel numbered to 99.

The next level of inserts includes Planet Metal (1 in 60), Magnetic Field (1 in 80), Rave Review (1 in 80), and Copperheads (1 in 120). Harder-to-find cards include Dark Matter (1 in 240), A Cut Above (1 in 267), and Brush Off (1 in 267). The rarest pull of all is Platinum Portraits, a die-cut insert seeded 1 in every 1200 packs.

SkyBox Premium Prospects appear once every five packs with parallel tiers in Star Rubies numbered to 50, Star Emeralds to 10, and Star Diamonds as one-of-ones.

Each hobby box contains six cards per pack, fifteen packs per box, and sixteen boxes per case. The expected contents per box include one autograph or Precious Metal Gem, one additional chase card, one numbered parallel, two Outer Limits inserts, ten other inserts, and fifteen rookies.

The set size is 150 cards, and the release date will be announced later.