The Minds Behind Magic: The Gathering Say They’re Making It For Anyone, Not Everyone

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A common theme throughout interviews at MagicCon was that Magic: The Gathering is a game for everyone, but it’s impossible to please all players with every new release. The creators acknowledge they won’t receive universal praise, and that’s okay.

During MagicCon Atlanta, Wizards of the Coast revealed its plans for Magic: The Gathering, both for the near future and further ahead. They previewed almost all of the game’s 2026 expansions, including four sets created in partnership with other popular brands. They also announced a series of over a dozen limited-edition releases coming in October, featuring collaborations with Jaws, Furby, Iron Maiden, The Office, and several PlayStation games.

The panels were met with a lot of excitement, but the sheer number of collaborations with Universes Beyond, combined with popular in-universe Magic themes, also caused some worry among fans. A popular post from a competitive player used the trending term “slop” to express their concerns, and many content creators shared similar feelings in videos online.

Following the panels, I spoke with several designers from Magic: The Gathering, and it became apparent that they weren’t surprised by any of the feedback they received.

Can’t please everyone

Lead designer Mark Rosewater explained during a question-and-answer session that he understands players experience the game differently, and that’s perfectly okay. His main point was that what one person enjoys about Magic: The Gathering isn’t universal – everyone plays and enjoys the game in their own way.

The team at Wizards of the Coast definitely pays attention to how people react to major announcements, like those made at MagicCon. Blake Rasmussen, who leads communications for Magic: The Gathering, says the team spends a lot of time online – sometimes too much – but they understand that the loudest voices don’t always represent everyone’s opinion.

You can easily find positive feedback, but negative comments tend to be the most prominent – that’s just how the internet works, according to Rasmussen. People have complicated and varied opinions and feelings, and it’s important to remember that, both in general and when it comes to Magic: The Gathering.

The Universes Beyond debate

Rosewater understands that the Universes Beyond feature won’t appeal to all players, and he’s accepted that its expansion has upset some fans.

Mark Rosewater explained that everyone has a different idea of what still feels like ‘Magic’ and what doesn’t, especially with the expansion into worlds beyond the traditional Magic setting. He understands that people feel strongly about where that line is, but he needs to consider everyone’s perspective when designing the game. What feels like a clear boundary to one person isn’t necessarily the same for others, and as the game’s creator, he has to respect all viewpoints.

According to Rosewater, the numbers show Universes Beyond is a huge success, exceeding all expectations. They’ve seen strong results across the board.

The new Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy expansion had a record-breaking launch, bringing in $200 million in sales on its first day. This is faster than any previous expansion, including The Lord of the Rings, which took months to reach that same level of sales. Also, Mark Rosewater revealed that the most popular Secret Lair collection ever is one of the Fallout-themed sets released in 2024, though he didn’t say exactly which one.

Magic: The Gathering has a history of drawing inspiration from other worlds, starting well before the recent ‘Universes Beyond’ sets. The very first expansion, ‘Arabian Nights’ (released in 1993), brought the stories of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ to life as a full card set. Later, ‘Portal: Three Kingdoms’ adapted the history of ancient China into a set designed for Asian players.

Rosewater acknowledged that some longtime Magic: The Gathering players might feel discouraged by the arrival of sets from Universes Beyond. He explained that it can be disheartening when a popular trend doesn’t appeal to everyone.

Interestingly, Mark Rosewater, the lead designer for Magic: The Gathering, doesn’t actually enjoy playing the game’s most popular format, Commander.

He described Magic as a game of strategy, saying he enjoys winning by outsmarting his opponents. However, he sees Commander differently – as a game of social maneuvering and understanding the other players. It took him some time to appreciate this aspect, and he’s fine with that. He believes the game improves as more people play and have fun with it.

The world within

Some Magic: The Gathering fans are concerned that the increasing use of characters and settings from other franchises – through products like Universes Beyond and Secret Lair – might overshadow the game’s original storyline. While the next in-universe story arc, Lorwyn Eclipsed, is planned for 2026, it won’t arrive until four months after Edge of Eternities, which is the last expansion currently scheduled that takes place within the established Magic world. Between these two sets are two Universes Beyond expansions – Marvel’s Spider-Man, released in September, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, coming in November.

Rasmussen assured me that the story of Magic: The Gathering will continue to be told.

We’re passionate about the stories we tell, and our fans are too. When people connect with something, we strive to create more of it. The enthusiastic response to the Magic universe – its characters, worlds, and narratives – is driving us to expand and deliver even more content.

Several exciting projects are underway based on the world of Magic: The Gathering. Netflix announced an animated series coming in October 2024, and a live-action movie and TV show are being developed with Legendary Pictures. At MagicCon Atlanta, a new novel set at the Strixhaven university was revealed, planned for release alongside the Secrets of Strixhaven card set. Plus, a new comic book series from Dark Horse Comics launched just last month.

People have worried that Magic: The Gathering would focus entirely on Universes Beyond and lose its original identity, but we’re actually investing a lot in both Universes Beyond and the core Magic experience. We’re definitely not giving up on the original game.

Finding the right fit

Players excited about the new Universes Beyond sets in Magic: The Gathering are particularly interested in how characters from other franchises are translated into the game. A recent discussion focused on Jaws, Relentless Predator, a unique card representing the famous shark. Interestingly, despite being a creature of the sea, the Magic version of Jaws is designed using only red mana, emphasizing its aggressive and violent nature.

According to Rosewater, people have been arguing about which colors should represent different characters for a long time, ever since the beginning.

I often received the question, ‘What color is this character?’ People were curious about the colors of Iron Man, SpongeBob, and others. It was great to see players naturally imagining their favorite pop culture icons as Magic cards, and they did that all on their own, without any prompting,” Rosewater explained.

So, I was reading about how Secret Lair designs their drops, and Steve Sunu, one of the designers, explained they really prioritize staying true to the original cards. He basically said they’d rather *not* release a drop at all than release something that doesn’t feel authentic. It’s cool they’re willing to hold off if it means maintaining quality!

Sunu explained that they carefully consider potential partnerships. If they can’t find a way to genuinely represent a property in a way that feels true to Magic, they decide against it. They prioritize authentic representation and ensuring the passion for any project – whether it’s music, film, or television – shines through.

Sam Strick, a creative lead for Secret Lair, explained that the team can work this way because Wizards of the Coast has a large office space.

Strick explained that the company caters to a wide range of tastes. “We welcome all kinds of interests,” he said. “Whether it’s popular genres like Romantasy – such as the recent Kieran Yanner release – or niche content people have to search for, we aim to create something everyone will love.”

Ultimately, the team behind Secret Lair sees itself as a kind of curator, bringing unique and unusual ideas to Magic: The Gathering that the core design team doesn’t typically explore. Their recent work with art studio Brain Dead and radio station KEXP perfectly illustrates this approach. According to Sunu, the goal is to create things that strongly appeal to *someone*, rather than trying to appeal to *everyone*.

As a gamer, I really appreciate that the team is selective about the projects they take on. It’s not just about time, but also about doing right by everyone involved – not just Magic: The Gathering players, but the fans of each specific game or community they’re working with. They want to make sure everyone feels represented and happy with what they’re creating, and that takes careful consideration.

The design teams understand that using intellectual property from outside of Magic: The Gathering will inevitably upset some fans. However, they—including Mark Rosewater—will continue to respect those fans and their opinions, he stated.

Rosewater acknowledged that some players might not like certain additions to the game, but explained that because many others do enjoy them, removing those features is difficult. He stated, ‘If you think Magic would be better without those things, that’s okay, but we have to consider what the majority wants.’

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2025-10-09 01:13