On Oct. 15, Magic: The Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast launched a survey to gather players’ impressions on the game’s latest set, Marvel’s Spider-Man. This is not uncommon, as Wizards usually publishes one of these surveys after each major set, but this latest example is significant because it arrives in the midst of notable backlash from players complaining about Marvel’s Spider-Man and Universes Beyond sets in general.
While sales figures for Marvel’s Spider-Man have not been shared, the reception among fans has not been one of the best in recent history. Players complained that they felt the set was rushed — it was originally conceived as an Aftermath-style set (which usually contains 50 cards) and then expanded — resulting in suboptimal card design and flavor. Players pointed to cards like Hot Dog Cart, Bagel and Schmear, and Subway Train as examples of uninspired “filler” cards, while the New York setting has been criticized for breaking the fantastic escapism of other MTG settings. Cards like Rent Is Due may evoke terrifying visions for New Yorkers, but they hardly scream “fantasy card game.”
This all comes hot on the heels of mounting criticism of Universes Beyond sets, especially after they became legal in all Constructed formats. The announcements from Atlanta Magic Con made things worse, as 2026 will deliver more Universes Beyond sets than regular MTG sets. Even if you’re playing competitive Magic, you can expect to see a lot of Spider-heroes, mutant ninja turtles, and even some Starfleet officers on the tables from now on. While official statements from Wizards of the Coast have been dismissive of this criticism, it appears that this latest survey at least acknowledges some of the concerns.
Questions like “How appealing is the fact that Magic: The Gathering / Marvel’s Spider-Man is a Universes Beyond set that is Standard Legal” or “How do you generally feel about applying other franchises or entertainment brands to Magic: The Gathering” seem to address the main complaints players have about Universes Beyond sets. One question even asks to rate the pace of MTG set releases: with seven new sets coming out in 2026, Magic burnout is a real concern among players — along with the increasing financial burden of keeping up with the product.
This doesn’t mean, however, that Wizards of the Coast is about to change course on Universes Beyond. A big part of the survey was about Marvel Comics and its characters, asking players which ones they would like to see in a future MTG set. Marvel Super Heroes has already been announced for June 2026, and these questions seem to imply that there will be more Marvel content coming to MTG after that.
One question in the survey, which is currently the most discussed online, is even more concerning: “To what degree did negative influencer commentary impact your perceptions of Magic: The Gathering / Marvel’s Spider-Man before the set released?” Fans feel like this is a veiled attack on content creators, many of whom have been critical of the set (and of Universes Beyond at times), including pillars of the MTG community such as Saffron Olive from MTGGoldfish and The Professor from Tolarian Community College. While the question at least partially acknowledges that a Universes Beyond set may have performed badly, it also implies that this is to blame on content creators and not on the product itself.
It will be interesting to see if this survey will lead to a more nuanced appraisal of Universes Beyond from lead MTG spokespersons such as Mark Rosewater, or if Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast will continue dismissing a mounting wave of criticism.
