Summary
The Final Fantasy Universes Beyond (UB) set will mark the first time a UB set is legal in all ofMagic: The Gathering’s competitive formats. Previously, cards from Universes Beyond were only legal in Commander, Vintage and Legacy - the game’s eternal, non-rotating formats. Now, future UB releases will also be legal in Standard and its two off-shoots, Modern and Pioneer.
This is a big transition for Magic: The Gathering, and is perhaps reflective of the increased frequency that Wizards of the Coast is releasing crossover (Universes Beyond) sets. With the addition of Final Fantasy and future UB releases to the Standard format, there was hope that they would be priced similarly to normal Standard sets, like therecently released Aetherdrift set. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Final Fantasy Will Have Premium Pricing
Magic: The Gathering’s head designer Mark Rosewater has confirmed on hisBlogatogthat Standard-legal Universes Beyond sets will still cost a premium price despite their inclusion in Magic’s premiere formats. In response to a question asking whether the Final Fantasy set will be priced similarly to Aetherdrift, Rosewater answered “No, Universes Beyond boosters normally have a higher MSRP.”
We don’t know the exact pricing of the upcoming Final Fantasy UB, but if it’s priced similarly to 2023’s Lord of the Rings set, which was the first full-scale Universes Beyond release, then you can expect to pay a couple of dollars extra per play booster pack. Final Fantasy is a fully-fledged set, meaning we’re also going to be receiving Commander decks and various bundles (unlike Spider-man.)
Though Final Fantasy isn’t releasing until June, several cards from the set have already been revealed. We’ve even theorised about potential combos players can pull off withJumbo Cactaur. As for main cast creature cards, there are several. We’ve already seen two different versions of Cloud Strife - Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER and Cloud, Planet’s Champion, reflecting the character’s growth during the events of Final Fantasy 7. His pal Sephiroth is also set to receive a card - one that scales when an opponent’s creatures perish.
As for other entries in the series, Tidus from Final Fantasy 10 has had his card revealed. As has Garland, Final Fantasy’s first-ever antagonist. There are plenty more cards to be revealed before June, but you can look at every card revealed so farhere.
