Magic: The Gathering's highly anticipated Final Fantasy crossover is almost here! Launching this June, this collaboration boasts a fully draftable, Standard-legal set and four preconstructed Commander decks, each themed around a different mainline Final Fantasy game: 6, 7, 10, and 14.
A First Look at the Commander Decks
Check out the image gallery below for an exclusive preview of the key card and packaging for each deck.
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Each 100-card deck features a blend of reprints with new Final Fantasy art and original cards designed for Commander gameplay. The decks' themes are deeply rooted in the lore of their respective games, capturing iconic moments and characters.
Deck Selection and Design Choices
Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt explains the selection process: While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easy choices, games VI and X required more deliberation, ultimately chosen due to their popularity within the development team. This project benefited from the team's shared passion for Final Fantasy.
The design of the Final Fantasy VII deck cleverly incorporates elements from both the original and the Remake trilogy. Principal Narrative Game Designer Dillon Deveney clarifies that while the modern aesthetics enhance the character designs, the narrative remains faithful to the 1997 classic.
The Final Fantasy VI deck presented unique challenges, given its pixel art origins. The team collaborated with the Final Fantasy VI team, blending elements from original concept art, sprites, and Pixel Remaster portraits to create updated character designs for Magic.
Commander deck choices were also carefully considered. While Cloud was an obvious choice for VII, other selections involved brainstorming. Ultimately, the "lead" characters were selected, with Y'shtola from Final Fantasy XIV representing her Shadowbringers arc.
Gameplay and Color Identity
The color identities and gameplay mechanics of each deck were carefully designed to reflect the spirit of their respective games. All four decks include White, providing thematic consistency and enabling the inclusion of a diverse range of heroes.
- Final Fantasy VI: Rebuilding your party via graveyard recursion.
- Final Fantasy VII: Equipment strategies, enhanced by green's "power matters" cards and lifestream references.
- Final Fantasy X: Empowering creatures through the Sphere Grid leveling system.
- Final Fantasy XIV: Non-creature spellcasting, reflecting the game's theme.
Beyond the main characters, each deck includes a wide array of beloved Final Fantasy characters as legendary creatures and spell components. While specific details remain under wraps, fans can anticipate seeing many familiar faces.
Release and Collector's Editions
The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set launches on June 13th. All four Commander decks will be available in regular and Collector's Editions, the latter featuring Surge foil treatment for all 100 cards. Holt assures fans that all sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be represented across the accompanying products. This promises an exciting and extensive celebration of the Final Fantasy franchise within the Magic: The Gathering universe.
