Among enthusiasts of Magic: The Gathering, a common sentiment echoes: that the trading card game has evolved into a “Fortnite” of cardboard. What began modestly in 2020 with a Walking Dead integration has since become a major aspect of the game, represented by the Universes Beyond series. Earlier this year, the Final Fantasy-themed Magic cards shattered previous sales records in just one day. Now, fans are eagerly anticipating successive Universes Beyond sets featuring characters from Marvel’s Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
It’s evident that Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of Magic (owned by Hasbro), intends to maintain its present direction. Consequently, it’s noteworthy that Mark Rosewater, the lead designer for MTG, chose this week to publicly acknowledge that not everyone is fond of Universes Beyond.
In his yearly State of Design blog post, Rosewater reflects on the insights gained from the preceding year’s Magic card designs. Addressing the topic of Final Fantasy, he included a segment titled, “Ongoing concerns regarding Universes Beyond sets persist.”
Here’s the quoted section in its entirety:
Given that this is the only randomized Universes Beyond product I’ll address today (unfortunately, I couldn’t find room to discuss Magic: The Gathering® – Assassin’s Creed®), I’m dedicating this space to tackle overall feedback concerning Universes Beyond.
There remain players who dislike our involvement in Universes Beyond, although that view is increasingly rare. Case in point: Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY has become the highest-selling Magic set to date, even in its infancy. Certain players have no issue with Universes Beyond in principle, but they prefer the established fantasy setting of Magic. Some are disgruntled by the inclusion of Universes Beyond sets within Standard. Others are displeased that Universes Beyond booster packs generally cost more than conventional Magic Multiverse booster packs.
Rosewater doesn’t explicitly confess to errors in judgment. Instead, he frames the “ongoing concerns” as a weak argument, only to dismiss it by asserting that the number of objectors dwindles with each subsequent Universes Beyond release. However, Rosewater does concede that select sets are priced above typical levels, and that making crossover cards legal in all game formats has made them essentially inescapable.
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While these admissions are slight, it’s unlikely that Wizards will reverse course regarding Universes Beyond in the immediate future. However, Rosewater’s willingness to verbalize these issues offers a modicum of consolation to remaining dissenters. Especially since he has emphatically rejected them in the past.
On his Tumblr account last November, Rosewater countered similar assertions, stating:
Therefore, the notion that Universes Beyond abandons existing players for alternative audiences is fundamentally false. Universes Beyond thrives because a significant portion of dedicated, long-term Magic players embrace it. While it may not resonate with you personally, it does appeal to numerous other “longtime players”.
The fact that, less than a year later, Rosewater is now open to acknowledging the legitimacy of these “ongoing concerns” represents a notable shift. Although this shift likely won’t lead to fewer Universes Beyond sets in 2026, there’s hope that perhaps the financial burden of acquiring these new cards will lessen.