Wizards of the Coast has been unveiling details about their upcoming Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy collaboration scheduled for this summer. Over the weekend, they presented numerous cards from both the main set and Commander decks, delighting fans with enjoyable and unexpected references from their beloved Final Fantasy games.
The Universes Beyond partnership with Final Fantasy includes both traditional Commander formats and a booster-driven series, resulting in an extensive card collection. The main set encompasses the entire Final Fantasy mainline numbered series, spanning from Final Fantasy 1 through Final Fantasy 16. Meanwhile, the Commander Decks concentrate on four specific games: Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14, featuring Terra, Cloud, Tidus, and Y’shtola as their respective Commanders.
Character Journeys and Transformations
Some cards showcased during the Magic: The Gathering panel at PAX East last Saturday captured individual character journeys throughout their games. For instance, Final Fantasy IV’s Cecil features a mechanic revolving around his transformation from Dark Knight to Paladin. Final Fantasy’s summons employ a “Saga Creature” configuration, acting as powerful but temporary forces on the battlefield, effectively blending Magic and Final Fantasy concepts.
There’s also Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, with artwork by Square’s Tetsuya Nomura. The transformation depicted on the card illustrates Sephiroth’s various forms throughout the FF7 universe, from young fighter to eventually becoming Safer Sephiroth on the card Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel.
And what would Final Fantasy be without Cids? The Final Fantasy set includes a Cid from each numbered Final Fantasy game, though Wizards opted for the older Cid from Final Fantasy XV rather than his daughter, Cindy.
Commander Deck Revelations
Following Saturday’s panel, Wizards of the Coast released the decklists for the four aforementioned Commander decks, prompting fans to examine the artwork and additions to see how the team adapted those four Final Fantasy games into Magic. The results appear quite impressive.
Reprints, or new versions of existing Magic cards, feature clever crossovers with Final Fantasy lore. Skullclamp, for example, draws inspiration from the Jenova project in Final Fantasy 7 for its artwork.
Together, Forever also targets Final Fantasy 10 fans emotionally. It’s unsurprising that Final Fantasy 10 offers emotional depth, given its central protagonists’ journey through a ruined land on a solemn pilgrimage. Several deck cards reference notable character moments, so be aware that the decklists contain some story spoilers for each respective game.
Humour and Memes Make the Cut
To lighten the mood, one of Final Fantasy 10’s more iconic and frequently memed moments also appears with Inspiring Call.
Wizards found numerous ways to incorporate Final Fantasy’s less-serious moments into cards. Clever Concealment puts a spin on the Wall Market scene with Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa in dresses heading to Don Corneo’s, with a mechanic that seems fitting for the occasion. The Secret Rendezvous card features four different versions of the Golden Saucer date scene from Final Fantasy 7 with each potential date: Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret.
Attention to Detail
Fans have been discovering tiny details showcasing homage to the source material. The Final Fantasy 14 set particularly contains numerous references to the critically acclaimed MMORPG. The Hildibrand Manderville card mimics the infamous gentleman’s habit of disappearing and returning, creating an intriguing White/Black card.
A user on the FFXIV subreddit noted that the Archaeomancer’s Map card uses a real possible location found in a Gaganaskin Treasure Map.
Final Fantasy 14 players have been enjoying the cards, joking about wondering who the Thancred card represents, referencing the “This is Thancred” meme. There’s also an alternative flavour text added to the Rite of Replication card, commemorating a famous speech from A Realm Reborn.
Even the Tome of Legends card depicts a Wondrous Tails book, with all the little details visible in-game when a player collects their Tails, including several missed four-in-a-row connections.
Anticipation Builds for June Release
The clear attention to detail in these cards has generated significant interest in seeing the complete set. While the Commander games received considerable attention in these cards, some reveals from Saturday’s panel, like Commune With Beavers, create eagerness to see how other Final Fantasy games have been adapted into the full Magic set.
Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy set releases on June 13, 2025, with pre-release weekend occurring one week prior.