Wizards Of The Coast recently made an exciting announcement about the future of their popular trading card game, Magic: The Gathering (MTG), at the Gen Con 2023 panel. The company not only revealed their plans for the upcoming years but also announced three major collaborations with well-known gaming franchises. This article will delve into the details of these collaborations, as well as the other upcoming expansions and releases in the MTG universe.
Universes Beyond: Collaborations with Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, and Fallout
Wizards Of The Coast surprised fans by announcing partnerships with three prominent gaming franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, and Fallout. These collaborations will be a part of MTG’s Universes Beyond portfolio, which explores crossovers with iconic intellectual properties.
The first collaboration to be released will be with Fallout. In March 2024, MTG will launch a set of Commander decks inspired by Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic game series. The decks will feature a combination of new and reprinted cards, showcasing popular characters, enemies, factions, and locations from the Fallout universe. This unique crossover follows previous successful collaborations with franchises like Warhammer 40K and Doctor Who.
Assassin’s Creed will be the next franchise to join the MTG universe. In July 2024, a full booster set encompassing the entire Assassin’s Creed universe will be released. The set will introduce new and reprinted cards, featuring artwork inspired by the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The new cards will also offer unique gameplay mechanics, providing an immersive experience for both MTG and Assassin’s Creed fans. This marks the second time that an external IP receives a complete booster set, following the recent release of The Lord Of The Rings: Tales Of Middle-earth.
Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s beloved RPG franchise, will also be receiving its own booster set expansion in 2025. The set will include cards spanning the entirety of the mainline Final Fantasy games, from the original release to the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. Moreover, digital MTG players will have the opportunity to access the Final Fantasy booster set through Magic: The Gathering Arena, further expanding its reach.
In addition to these collaborations, MTG will feature a subset of cards based on the Jurassic World franchise. These cards will be included in the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan expansion, which is set to launch later this year. The inclusion of Jurassic World-themed content coincides with the 30th anniversary of the franchise, adding another layer of excitement for MTG players and fans alike.
Apart from the collaborations mentioned above, Wizards Of The Coast announced several other expansions and releases planned for the future of MTG. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect:
– Modern Horizons 3 (2024): The reprint set Modern Horizons will make its return, featuring double-faced cards and new Planeswalkers.
– Ravnica Remastered (Q1 2024): The first of multiple products that will revisit the plane of Ravnica, initially introduced in 2005. This reprint expansion will showcase cards from each Ravnica block, with a strong focus on the guilds that define the world.
– Murders at Karlov Manor (Q1 2024): MTG takes on a whodunit murder mystery format with this intriguing expansion. Players will engage in detective work, unraveling clues and uncovering secret identities.
– Ravnica: Clue Edition (Q1 2024): Mixing the classic board game Clue with the MTG universe, Ravnica: Clue Edition offers a standalone experience that combines the best of both worlds.
– Outlaws of Thunder Junction (Q2 2024): This expansion explores the Wild West theme, introducing a new world within the MTG universe and featuring notorious villains from its lore.
– Bloomburrow (Q3 2024): Step into the anthropomorphic world of Bloomburrow, a unique plane populated by sentient animals such as frogs, squirrels, rabbits, and rats.
– Duskmourn: House of Horror (Q4 2024): Just in time for Halloween, Duskmourn: House of Horror offers a set with inspiration drawn from 1980s-era horror movies and games. Players can expect spine-chilling characters and cards in this themed expansion.
– Innistrad Remastered (release date: 2025): Similar to Ravnica Remastered, Innistrad Remastered will consolidate cards from previous Innistrad expansions in a curated set, providing a nostalgic trip down memory lane for long-time players.
– Codename: Tennis (release date: Q1 2025): By venturing into an unconventional genre for MTG, Tennis introduces “Magic’s first multiplanar death race across three different worlds,” promising an exciting and unexpected gameplay experience.
– Codename: Ultimate (release date: 2025): Returning to the plane of Tarkir, Ultimate will bring a full expansion to this location for the first time since 2015, offering fans a chance to revisit and explore the rich lore of Tarkir.
– Codename: Volleyball (release date: 2025): With limited information available, this set teases a science fiction space opera theme, piquing the curiosity of MTG enthusiasts who are eager to see how this unique setting manifests in card form.
– Codename: Wrestling (release date: 2025): Returning to Lorwyn, this set focuses on various races such as goblins, kithkin, faeries, and elves, promising engaging gameplay elements and intriguing storylines.
– Codename: Yachting (release date: 2026): Yachting will revisit the academic plane of Strixhaven, originally introduced in 2021. Players can expect to explore new aspects of the plane and encounter fresh challenges in this expansion.
– Codename: Ziplining (release date: 2026): Marking the conclusion of the overarching story that begins with the Wilds Of Eldraine set, Codename: Ziplining will provide an epic finale, tying together various narrative threads.
The future of Magic: The Gathering is filled with exciting collaborations and expansions. With the upcoming Universal Beyond collaborations featuring Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, and Fallout, fans can anticipate immersive experiences that merge iconic gaming franchises with the beloved MTG universe. Additionally, the diverse range of expansions announced at Gen Con 2023 promises to offer players new worlds, unique gameplay mechanics, and unforgettable adventures. Whether you’re a long-time MTG enthusiast or a newcomer to the game, there’s something to be excited about in the years to come.
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