RENTON, WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Mark Rosewater, head designer of Magic: The Gathering for Wizards of the Coast, announced a new set ready for release later this year.
The set, titled ‘Beyond Magic,’ is a Universes Beyond set featuring the world of Magic: The Gathering. ‘Universes Beyond’ (also known as UB) refers to Magic sets that have a third party IP, like Spongebob, My Little Pony, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Mark Rosewater (or MaRo, as he’s commonly known) described this new Magic: The Gathering-themed UB set as a way to get new players into Magic lore. “In user testing, we found that lots of new players just don’t care about established Magic canon. Creating a Magic-themed UB set lets them dip their toes into that, while still experiencing something fresh and more accessible.”
When asked about features of the set, MaRo outlined some of what players can expect. “We put a lot of work into the new mechanics. We’ll be introducing things like mana burn, banding, tapping, and drawing cards. Players will get to see basic lands with iconic locations from across the Magic universe, like islands and mountains. There are going to be some pretty cool new characters in this Magic-themed Universes Beyond set, like Nicol Bolas and Karn. I can’t say too much yet, but it’s going to blow your mind.”
The set will include products such as the new Universes Beyond “booster pack,” a sealed pack consisting of 15 random cards, featuring faithful adaptations of legacy characters like Sliver Queen and Captain Sisay, brand new Magic-themed creatures such as goblins and zombies, and new basic lands, including Magic-themed locations such as forests and plains. WOTC is also introducing preconstructed Magic-themed commander decks for the first time, each containing 100 Magic-themed Magic cards.
Initial player reactions have been mixed. “I’ve always wanted to experience Magic in a more accessible Magic setting,” said one player. Others expressed confusion: “So it’s basically just normal Magic?” said another, before confirming they would still be buying multiple booster boxes.
MaRo mentioned there have even been talks of discontinuing ‘core’ Magic sets in favor of a Universes Beyond-only strategy, which explains this first step. “Data suggests players are increasingly engaging with Magic through Universes Beyond experiences. We’ll see what the future holds, but it’s safe to say this is just the beginning.”
At press time Wizards of the Coast announced a follow-up Universes Beyond set based on the concept of ‘cards.’