Summary
2025 will be a busy year forMagic: The Gatheringand Wizards of the Coast, as the TCG is launching two more in-universe sets and three Universes Beyond expansions, all Standard-legal. WithMTG’s Aetherdrift set out now and Innistrad Remastered before it, there will be a total of seven sets this year, though Innistrad Remastered is not legal in Standard. Even then, six Standard sets is quite a lot, withMagic: The Gathering’s prices forFinal Fantasyproductsalready stirring controversy. With three Standard-legal UB sets, WotC is planning on making a change to in-universe sets that may go both ways in terms of reception.
Although Universes Beyond sets have a much broader range to appeal to old and new players alike with crossovers, not allMTGfans are happy about the release schedule and legality of the sets in 2025. This, combined with higher prices for theFinal Fantasyset, despite not being a premium release likeLord of the Rings, could pave the way for distrust towards WotC and theMTGbrand. As such, making changes to in-universe sets based on Universes Beyond could exacerbate this feeling in some cases - especially now that WotC’s Mark Rosewater stated that in-universe expansions will have fewer Legendary Creatures this year.
Magic: The Gathering’s Fewer Legendary Creatures Could be a Controversy Waiting to Happen
After Aetherdrift, the remaining in-universesets forMagic: The Gatheringin 2025are Tarkir: Dragonstorm and Edge of Eternities. Tarkir: Dragonstorm is the return to the plane of the same name, where Sarkhan Vol has brought back dragons that the newly reformed clans will face, whereas Edge of Eternities takes place in space in a region near the Blind Eternities. Both sets will advanceMTG’s storylines and will include iconic characters and new ones, so it may feel strange to see fewer Legendary Creatures in these releases.
However, as per Rosewater after a fan asked the question, the great number ofLegendary Creatures inMagic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond sets leaves little room for a plethora more in the game’s own Multiverse. It makes sense on the one hand, as having too many Legendary Creatures would potentially hurt the game, both due to the Legendary rule and the fact that the world could feel less lived-in. At the same time, attributing the change to UB sets and the fact that they will inevitably contain many Legendary Creatures inspired by their respective IPs could further damage the perception and reception of these products.
MTG’s Legendary Creatures and UB Sets Find Themselves Between The Hammer and The Anvil
Legendary Creatures are vital to Universes Beyond sets inMagic: The Gathering, as they represent the main characters from their IPs, be it heroes, villains, support cast, or anything in between. These characters are one of the main reasons why UB sets are successful, and they can resonate with players for several reasons, such as representation or maybe for their story. Cutting iconic characters in Universes Beyond sets could do more harm than good for these products, which holds particularly true considering theCommander deck sales inMTG’s past UB releases.
At the same time, the fact that 2025 will see the release of threeUB setsis the most likely culprit for why in-universe sets need this change in the first place, and it may be why this decision may backfire. As much as the change makes sense from a gameplay perspective, and even if it doesn’t impact the storytelling of Tarkir: Dragonstorm or Edge of Eternities too much, if at all, it doesn’t help the case WotC is making for more UB sets that also happen to be Standard-legal moving forward. As such, it remains to be seen what the general perception of this change will be and how impactful said change will be in the first place.
