Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy Is As Exciting For The Design Team As It Is For The Players

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Expressing it differently, the team responsible for the forthcoming Magic: The Gathering-Final Fantasy collaboration is beyond thrilled about its release.

While approaching the convention center, we encountered an enormous screen resembling a hotel-scale display, announcing “Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy.” Gavin Verhey, the principal designer and set design lead, expressed this during a press event for the upcoming release. In unison, we exchanged glances, whispering to one another, “This is it! The moment we’ve been anticipating. It’s finally here!

These are moments that Verhey, executive producer Zakeel Gordon, principal game designer Dillon Deveney, and senior game designer Daniel Holt have long envisioned during the four-year journey of the project’s creation. As they look back on their time working on the expansion, memories flood in from Square Enix’s offices in Japan and Wizards of the Coast headquarters in Renton, Washington. Our Zoom call resonates with smiles and laughter as we bring up cards like Summon: Bahamut, artists like Yoshitaka Amano, and a myriad of other nostalgic references.

Four individuals find the launch of Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy to be the result of their dedicated efforts, a joyous occasion that combines the essence of Magic and Final Fantasy, and ultimately, a symbol of triumph. TopMob recently had an extensive conversation with this panel about Final Fantasy’s venture into Magic: The Gathering, which kicks off on June 13.

The design process

At two in the morning, Verhey was working on designing cards, a statement that’s become familiar among them. Here, he’s referring to Absolute Virtue, a formidable boss from Final Fantasy XI, and the card that surfaced during the presentation. Gordon, Deveney, and Holt exchange knowing nods, sensing where the narrative is headed.

Verhey explains, “I found myself struggling to create Absolute Virtue, and couldn’t think of a solution. Exhausted, I dozed off at my desk – not something one usually associates with adulthood. Upon waking up, an idea struck me: ‘Protection from everything!’ It seemed to materialize as I was regaining consciousness. I jotted it down in the file, thinking it was unlikely to stick, but then I shared it with others, and they were captivated by it. They thought it was fantastic.

As a fan, I must confess that not every chat between me and Holt was perfect; he referred to some of our discussions as “lively.” When it comes to our [pre-constructed Commander] deck, we have limited spots for new cards. The question is, who gets those slots? Who manages to make the cut?

According to Deveney, there was a conversation centered on the pre-made deck for Final Fantasy XIV. He mentioned that creating this deck was a monumental challenge due to the game’s long history. In fact, Deveney stated that they could potentially design an entire set of cards based solely on content from this game, which has been running for over a decade. Having played the game since its release, and with Daniel also being a player, their viewpoints were distinct.

According to Deveney, their contrasting viewpoints enabled them to finely adjust the FF14 Commander deck to closely resemble the game. Occasionally, Deveney prioritized a character that Holt deemed insignificant; on other occasions, Deveney was persistent about including certain characters. “As for one character in specific,” said Deveney, “I had to insist, ‘Daniel, if they don’t include it, I will be quite disappointed because someone will become upset with me if they don’t.’

A focus on Commander

Due to the extensive historical background and limited space in an expansion pack, deciding which cards or designs to assign to specific products sparked some lively debates among us. Deveney explains, “We view the entire product as one cohesive experience, yet we must also consider each separate element – the main set, Commander, etc. Sometimes I wonder, ‘What would a fan’s first impression be if this is the only thing they purchase?’

commander Daniel Holt mainly concentrated on investigating the four games: Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10, and Final Fantasy 14, treating each as a distinct narrative. According to Holt, “in these Commander decks, we delved incredibly deep.

Holt explained, “Each Commander deck is essentially a self-contained universe within our product line. For instance, Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII are distinct worlds that don’t intersect. We can introduce unique elements to each one, like elves, who might be present in some games but absent in others. Consequently, we included elf reprints specifically for the game where they’re featured.

In Final Fantasy VI, we explored a concept akin to graveyard recursion, not in terms of death, but rather as a metaphor for uplifting your comrades. We subtly adjusted some repetitions to align with this theme. Despite facing creative limitations, these restrictions allowed us to develop some truly exciting elements.

Works of art

At the press preview, an intriguing detail was shared about the artists involved in creating the card’s artwork: Among them were nine renowned for their Final Fantasy illustrations throughout history, who were allowed to depict whomever or whatever they chose. This freedom created unique possibilities; although Amano had previously drawn Kefka, he had never illustrated Kefka’s final form in his career—until this occasion.

In an incredible turn of events, I found myself partaking in what Verhey calls one of his most thrilling experiences ever. It was in Japan where we stumbled upon the Square Enix office just as Amano’s masterpiece of Kefka arrived. None of us had laid eyes on it before, and when it came wrapped in a sleek black art briefcase personally delivered by Amano, the anticipation was palpable.

They placed the piece on the table, causing everyone to fall quiet as they gazed upon an authentic Amano artwork from afar. Everyone was careful not to come too close, fearing they might accidentally damage it in some way,” Verhey adds, emphasizing the need for caution. “No one coughed, no one moved unnecessarily to avoid touching or spoiling it.

According to Deveney, the majority of artists depicted characters they were already acquainted with, but some seized the chance to venture into uncharted territories and experiment with something fresh. As he puts it, there were a few artists who excitedly said, “Give me a chance to tinker with another game’s toys since I didn’t work on it and that seems like a blast!” These artists, as Deveney describes, expressed their enthusiasm by saying, “I’ve always wanted to draw this character!

Just like Final Fantasy art is widely recognized, so too are the soundtracks from each game. Incorporating music into a physical card game presents significant challenges, yet our team endeavored to find a solution. To quote Deveney, “those conversations indeed took place.

Deveney explains that among the cards you might find delightful, some may subtly hint at well-known song titles or even play those songs themselves. He mentions that they managed to incorporate these intentional references into the collection. While discussing music rights, he acknowledges that it varies across industries, but yes, they did manage to include a few items in this case.

Choosing a Headliner

In recent Magic card sets, there’s been a trend to include a standout card, often referred to as a “Headliner.” This card is highly sought after due to its limited printings and each one being individually numbered. The previous set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, featured Mox Jasper, the dragon-themed Mox gem, as the Headliner. It boasted unique artwork from the original Mox artist, Dan Frazier.

As a devoted Final Fantasy fan, I can certainly relate to the team’s decision to select a character that resonates deeply with us all. Instead of going the obvious route by choosing characters like Cloud or Sephiroth, they opted for something more inclusive and universally loved – the iconic Chocobo! Specifically, Traveling Chocobo was their pick for Zakeel Gordon. This way, fans from every Final Fantasy game can find a piece of themselves in this feathery companion, making the experience even more immersive and enjoyable.

Gordon mentioned that the Chocobo, a character featured in almost all games within the franchise, was our primary focus. This iconic creature is easily recognizable by fans of the series, regardless of which specific games they follow. Although the team drew inspiration from one particular game for the card design, featuring different colored Chocobos from Final Fantasy VII, even players unfamiliar with chocobo racing will still be able to identify this bird.

As a gamer, I find it peculiar about this limited edition Chocobo series. Unlike other Headliners, where they churn out around 500 copies, this golden Traveling Chocobo is only going to be printed 77 times. This intentional scarcity is meant to make the card feel even more exclusive and special, as Gordon explains. He believes that 77 strikes a balance between being slightly less elusive than the “one-of-a-kind One Ring,” but still rarer than an “X of 500.” With its Final Fantasy 7 vibe, two sevens just seemed like the ideal number for this serialization.

Through The Ages

In this latest expansion, there’s an exciting addition called “Final Fantasy: Through the Ages,” which includes 64 cards as a bonus – that’s four cards for each of the 16 mainline Final Fantasy games. Interestingly, all these cards are replicas of earlier Magic cards, but they boast art sourced directly from Square Enix’s authentic archives. Essentially, it’s a condensed, tangible history lesson! According to Dillon Deveney, there was an abundance of material to sort through – specifically, around 5,000 pieces of artwork.

Deveney mentioned that they explored various aspects, such as: ‘What would be the most unique feature of this game for people?’ ‘Which version of the artwork would have the greatest impact?’ ‘Which version of the character would resonate best?’ ‘Should we opt for a rough sketch or a polished image?’ ‘Would it be more suitable to depict this as a land, an enchantment, or an artifact?’ They considered all possibilities,” said Deveney.

During the PAX East panel, several cards from the bonus sheet were displayed, such as Zidane Tribal transforming into Ragavan, the Agile Thief from Final Fantasy 9, and Firion, the Swordmaster from Final Fantasy 2 becoming Sram, Senior Engineer. Earlier, it was revealed that Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy 7 is essentially a redesign of Yuriko, the Shadow Tiger.

Gordon stated, “The bonus sheet served as our guide for fine-tuning each game optimally. For every game, we assigned a ‘spending limit’, which meant we had four cards to work with, featuring both a protagonist and an antagonist. We then identified two key scenes; one could lean more towards story development, while the other might have a stronger focus on mechanics.

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After the panel approved the sneak peek, host and ex-MTG caster Richard Hagon noted that although it’s still Magic: The Gathering, there’s an unusual vibe about the Final Fantasy deck that stands out. “You can certainly create fantastic Magic games using this set, with cards and designs available. However, the emotions are distinct and memorable, and that is what players will recall for a long time.” As the panel agreed fervently, it was clear this sentiment originated from the creators of the set. Now, it’s up to the gamers to dive in and enjoy!

On June 13, you’ll find Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy at your friendly neighborhood game shops and large retail chains!

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2025-05-10 22:08