Wizards of the Coast has been steadily rolling out what it is bought in retailer for Magic: The Gathering and its huge Remaining Fantasy crossover this summer season. Over the weekend, the workforce debuted a major chunk of playing cards, from each the primary set and the Commander decks, and followers are having fun with a few of the enjoyable and even stunning cuts from their favourite Remaining Fantasy video games.
The Universes Past collaboration with Remaining Fantasy is getting each the same old Commander therapy and a booster-driven sequence, so there are numerous playing cards to go over. The primary set tinkers with the whole thing of Remaining Fantasy’s mainline, numbered video games, working from Remaining Fantasy 1 to Remaining Fantasy 16. The Commander Decks, in the meantime, deal with 4 particular video games: Remaining Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14, with their respective Commanders of Terra, Cloud, Tidus, and Y’shtola.
A few of the playing cards proven eventually Saturday’s Magic: The Gathering panel at PAX East captured the journey of particular person characters all through their video games. Remaining Fantasy IV’s Cecil, for instance, has a whole mechanic round remodeling from a Darkish Knight right into a Paladin. The summons of Remaining Fantasy make the most of a “Saga Creature” set-up, to behave as highly effective however short-term forces on the sector, melding Magic and Remaining Fantasy ideas within the course of.
Then you have got playing cards like Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, with art work from Sq.’s Tetsuya Nomura. The transformation alongside the cardboard illustrates Sephiroth’s numerous kinds all through the FF7 universe, from a younger fighter into, ultimately, Safer Sephiroth on the cardboard Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel.
And what would a Remaining Fantasy be with out some Cids? The Remaining Fantasy set will embrace a Cid from every of the numbered Remaining Fantasy video games, although Wizards is choosing the older Cid from Remaining Fantasy XV over his daughter, Cindy.
After Saturday’s panel, although, Wizards of the Coast launched the decklist for the 4 aforementioned Commander decks, and followers began poring over the artwork and additions to see how the workforce tailored these 4 Remaining Fantasy video games into Magic. Fairly effectively, it seems.
Reprints, or new variations of present Magic playing cards, get some intelligent crossovers with Remaining Fantasy lore. Skullclamp, for example, attracts on the Jenova mission in Remaining Fantasy 7 for its artwork.
Collectively, Endlessly additionally takes an emotional stab on the Remaining Fantasy 10 followers on the market. It should not be stunning that Remaining Fantasy 10 has some emotional wellsprings to attract from, with its central protagonists’ journey via a ruined land, on a somber pilgrimage. A number of decks’ playing cards reference some notable character moments, by the best way, so that you would possibly wish to go into these decklists conscious that there shall be some story spoilers for every respective sport.
However to lighten issues up, one in all Remaining Fantasy 10’s extra iconic, and often memed, moments additionally made the lower with Inspiring Name.
In reality, Wizards discovered various methods to include Remaining Fantasy’s less-serious moments into playing cards. Intelligent Concealment places a spin on the Wall Market scene with Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa in attire, heading to Don Corneo’s, and even has a mechanic that appears becoming for the occassion. I am a giant fan of the Secret Rendezvous card, which has 4 totally different variations of the Golden Saucer date scene from Remaining Fantasy 7 with every potential date: Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret.
Even nonetheless, followers have been discovering the tiny particulars that present how a lot homage is being paid to the supply materials. The Remaining Fantasy 14 set, specifically, has fairly just a few references to the critically acclaimed MMORPG. The Hildibrand Manderville card mimics the notorious gentleman’s behavior of disappearing and returning, making for fairly an attention-grabbing White/Black card within the course of.
One person on the FFXIV subreddit famous that the Archaeomancer’s Map card makes use of an actual attainable location present in a Gaganaskin Treasure Map, for example.
In flip, Remaining Fantasy 14 gamers have been having enjoyable with the playing cards. There are some jokes about questioning who the Thancred card represents, referencing the “That is Thancred” meme. And there is the choice taste textual content a person added to the Ceremony of Replication card, commemorating everybody’s favourite speech from A Realm Reborn:
Even the Tome of Legends card depicts a Wondrous Tails e-book, with all of the little particulars you see in-game when a participant picks up their Tails and, in fact, a number of missed four-in-a-row connections.
There’s some clear consideration to element put into these playing cards, and it is actually bought me intrigued to see the complete set. Whereas the Commander video games bought numerous love in these playing cards, just a few reveals from Saturday’s panel like Commune With Beavers have me desperate to see how a few of the different Remaining Fantasy video games bought adapated into the complete Magic set.
Magic: The Gathering’s Remaining Fantasy set is out on June 13, 2025, with pre-release weekend one week prior.
Eric is a contract author for IGN.
