Wizards of the Coast has been steadily rolling out what it is bought in retailer for Magic: The Gathering and its huge Final Fantasy crossover this summer season. Over the weekend, the workforce debuted a big chunk of playing cards, from each the principle set and the Commander decks, and followers are having fun with a few of the enjoyable and even shocking cuts from their favourite Final Fantasy video games.
The Universes Past collaboration with Final Fantasy is getting each the standard Commander remedy and a booster-driven sequence, so there are a lot of playing cards to go over. The important set tinkers with everything of Final Fantasy’s mainline, numbered video games, working from Final Fantasy 1 to Final Fantasy 16. The Commander Decks, in the meantime, deal with 4 particular video games: Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14, with their respective Commanders of Terra, Cloud, Tidus, and Y’shtola.
A few of the playing cards proven ultimately Saturday’s Magic: The Gathering panel at PAX East captured the journey of particular person characters all through their video games. Final Fantasy IV’s Cecil, for instance, has a complete mechanic round remodeling from a Darkish Knight right into a Paladin. The summons of Final Fantasy make the most of a “Saga Creature” set-up, to behave as highly effective however momentary forces on the sphere, melding Magic and Final Fantasy ideas within the course of.
Then you’ve playing cards like Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, with art work from Sq.’s Tetsuya Nomura. The transformation alongside the cardboard illustrates Sephiroth’s varied kinds all through the FF7 universe, from a younger fighter into, finally, Safer Sephiroth on the cardboard Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel.
And what would a Final Fantasy be with out some Cids? The Final Fantasy set will embody a Cid from every of the numbered Final Fantasy video games, although Wizards is choosing the older Cid from Final Fantasy XV over his daughter, Cindy.
After Saturday’s panel, although, Wizards of the Coast released the decklist for the four aforementioned Commander decks, and followers began poring over the artwork and additions to see how the workforce tailored these 4 Final Fantasy video games into Magic. Fairly effectively, it seems.
Reprints, or new variations of present Magic playing cards, get some intelligent crossovers with Final Fantasy lore. Skullclamp, as an example, attracts on the Jenova mission in Final Fantasy 7 for its artwork.
Together, Forever additionally takes an emotional stab on the Final Fantasy 10 followers on the market. It should not be shocking that Final Fantasy 10 has some emotional wellsprings to attract from, with its central protagonists’ journey by a ruined land, on a somber pilgrimage. A number of decks’ playing cards reference some notable character moments, by the way in which, so that you would possibly wish to go into these decklists conscious that there shall be some story spoilers for every respective recreation.
However to lighten issues up, certainly one of Final Fantasy 10’s extra iconic, and regularly memed, moments additionally made the lower with Inspiring Name.
In actual fact, Wizards discovered various methods to include Final Fantasy’s less-serious moments into playing cards. Clever Concealment places a spin on the Wall Market scene with Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa in clothes, heading to Don Corneo’s, and even has a mechanic that appears becoming for the occassion. I am an enormous fan of the Secret Rendezvous card, which has 4 totally different variations of the Golden Saucer date scene from Final 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 Final 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 fascinating White/Black card within the course of.
One user on the FFXIV subreddit famous that the Archaeomancer’s Map card makes use of an actual potential location present in a Gaganaskin Treasure Map, as an example.
In flip, Final Fantasy 14 gamers have been having enjoyable with the playing cards. There are some jokes about wondering who the Thancred card represents, referencing the “This is Thancred” meme. And there is the alternative flavor text 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 ebook, with all of the little particulars you see in-game when a participant picks up their Tails and, after all, 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 lots of 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 Final Fantasy video games bought adapated into the complete Magic set.
Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy set is out on June 13, 2025, with pre-release weekend one week prior.
Eric is a contract author for IGN.