It’s a year of change for Magic: The Gathering in 2025, as the beloved brand makes a seismic shift in how it delivers its unique narrative beats to its most devoted fans. There will only be three Magic Multiverse-themed sets each year going forward, down from four. Filling the gap is the wildly popular Universes Beyond initiative, which will get three sets of its own for a total of six each year. Best of all is the fact that publisher Wizards of the Coast is coming out swinging with an entire set inspired by Final Fantasy.
Titled Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy, according to a news release it will include “the largest collection of Final Fantasy artwork ever in a single game, drawing from across the franchise.” That means everyone from a fan who cut their teeth on the Super Nintendo to folks grinding away today at Final Fantasy 14 should be able to find something that they recognize.
For fans of Magic gameplay, this Standard-legal set features some interesting new mechanics as well. First up are Saga Creatures, a first of its kind implementation of the Saga mechanic first introduced in 2018 with Dominaria. These multi-phase cards represent creatures that evolve over time, adding new abilities as they increase in power.
Double-faced cards are also making a return in the new Final Fantasy set. According to Tuesday’s announcement, these cards will feature “characters, minigames, story moments, and more” in the set.
Classic Final Fantasy characters will also make an appearance in the set, including on 55 collectible borderless cards. Expect more information throughout the week as Wizards celebrates the MagicCon fan convention in Chicago beginning Feb. 21. Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy will be released widely on June 13.
