Predicting Magic: The Gathering’s Third Universes Beyond Set For 2025

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Summary

  • Wizards of the Coast ended 2024 with successful releases for D&D and Magic: The Gathering, with more changes to come in 2025.
  • Magic: The Gathering’s 3 Universes Beyond sets in 2025 will include Spider-Man and Final Fantasy, both legal in Standard.
  • The likely crossover for the third UB set is Avatar: The Last Airbender, given clues like element-themed sales and Nickelodeon ownership.

2024 ended with a flourish as Wizards of the Coast unveiled two updated handbooks for both Dungeons & Dragons and their own game, Magic: The Gathering (MTG). In the latter’s case, the Foundations set is here to stay in Standard format for at least five years, possibly longer. This year, MTG is undergoing numerous changes, with sets like Bloomburrow and Foundations proving highly successful. However, it’s the so-called Universes Beyond sets that have really boosted its popularity and sales. These unique releases incorporate characters, artifacts, locations, and more from various Intellectual Properties (IP) into MTG cards.

Next year, 2025, will see three Universes Beyond sets, with one still unannounced – though potential candidates are already being discussed.

In a change from previous releases, the upcoming Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond sets of 2025 will indeed be compatible with the game’s Standard format. Notably, these new expansions have been verified to incorporate characters from the universes of Spider-Man and Final Fantasy.

As a follower, I can confirm that the long-awaited crossover between Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy is set to be released in June this year. However, the Spider-Man set’s release date or window remains undetermined. For the last set of the year, we don’t have a concrete release date yet, but there are several intriguing possibilities about the IP it might feature.

Why Magic: The Gathering’s Third UB Set is Likely to Be Avatar: The Last Airbender

It appears that the potential collaboration for the next expansion in “Magic: The Gathering” could be with the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” universe, and this alliance seems quite plausible for several significant reasons. Here’s a breakdown of those reasons:

1. Both franchises share a rich and immersive world-building style, featuring diverse magical systems and unique characters that could seamlessly blend together in the “Magic” multiverse.
2. The Avatar universe is renowned for its engaging storylines and complex narrative arcs, which align well with the lore-rich nature of “Magic: The Gathering.”
3. The Avatar franchise has a devoted fanbase that would likely be excited to see their favorite characters and elements translated into the Magic card game format.
4. A collaboration between these two properties could potentially inspire new and innovative mechanics within the Magic game design, further enriching the overall player experience.
5. Lastly, such a crossover would allow both franchises to expand their reach and attract new audiences, ultimately driving growth for both brands.

  • Avatar: The Last Airbender rights are owned by Nickelodeon, which would explain MTG‘s SpongeBob Secret Lair drop since SpongeBob SquarePants rights are also owned by Nickelodeon.
  • Magic: The Gathering‘s Universes Beyond sets are typically released alongside something new for the IP they represent, such as Fallout products launching with the Fallout TV show and Lord of the Rings products being released after Rings of Power. The Aang: The Last Airbender movie was initially scheduled for the end of this year, which is around the time the third MTG UB set is expected to launch, but now the film is airing in January 2026.
  • 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, which would make a crossover release more impactful. In fact, the IP has had other crossovers with games, such as Overwatch 2‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender skins.
  • Magic: The Gathering Arena recently put on sale cards themed around the four elements, which could be foreshadowing the collab. This would make sense considering that Arena has had sales themed around other 2025 sets recently, and the element-themed sales also featured cards like Distended Mindbender and Oswald Fiddlebender, which contain the word “bender.”

It appears quite plausible that the world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” might merge with “Magic: The Gathering”, though an official announcement is still pending. Historically, similar crossovers have been unveiled around mid-year, so we can expect a potential reveal in the second quarter of 2025.

Other Possible IPs For Magic: The Gathering’s Third 2025 Crossover

Although the given theory appears persuasive, other potential candidates exist for the third Universe Beyond (UB) set of the year. For instance, Magic: The Gathering’s Foundations Jumpstart packs introduced anime cards featuring distinctive characters like Taeko, the Patient Avalanche. This card embodies a character reminiscent of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), given that Nickelodeon owns the rights to this franchise. There’s a possibility that these two IPs could collaborate in Magic: The Gathering this year or in the foreseeable future. As for Star Wars, it is another popular IP that could thrive as Universes Beyond, but there are currently no specific signs pointing towards this theory.

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2025-01-12 23:43