Wizards of the Coast has lifted the curtain on 2025 Magic: the meeting release calendar, including a preview of art from a highly anticipated crossover with Final Fantasy. But the publisher also unveiled some big changes to the trading card game. In fact, a series of announcements, made live at the MagicCon Las Vegas fan convention, could change the trajectory of the beloved TCG forever.
The biggest announcement by far is the fact that starting next year, all Universes Beyond releases will be legal on all formats, including Standard. First introduced in 2021, Universes Beyond features intellectual property from beyond the traditional Magic Multiverse, redeeming characters like Jace Beleren and the Phyrexians Stranger things‘Elf, Hatsune Miku and Warhammer 40,000’s Space Marines. In the past, these crossovers have been separated into alternate formats. From 2025, they will become a core part of the franchise’s gaming experience.
To make room in the next calendar year – and for the foreseeable future – there will be only three Magic Multi-themed set released every year. Wizards said it expects the new Foundations is ready to fill that perpetual gap and supply the necessary cards until at least 2029. Otherwise, fans should expect the “three-and-three” cadence to continue, with three Magic Multiverse offers combined with three Universes Beyond sets.
That’s not the only change coming Magicand fans are encouraged to educate themselves the official Magic website. Expect additional analysis here on Polygon in the coming days and weeks.
In the meantime, here are all the new details Magic: the meeting‘S 2025 release calendar, plus commentary from the Magic team held a private press conference ahead of today’s announcement.
1/6Image: Yuu Fujiki (藤木ゆう)/Wizards of the Coast
Top billing goes to Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasya Universes Beyond set launching on June 13, 2025. Wizards describes the set as the largest collection of Final Fantasy art ever released in one game.
“Drawings from across the franchise,” said lead designer Mark Rosewater, “you’ll see artwork from Magic artists along with the classic artwork from legendary Final Fantasy artists, as well as brand new breathtaking pieces created especially for this set.
Magic: the meeting – Innistrad remastered brings together popular cards from multiple sets of gothic horror classics in a new and refined product. This Magic Launching on January 24, 2025, the Multiverse set also includes 500 serialized copies of Edgar Markov.
The set is available for order in advance now.
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Magic: The Gathering – Aetherdrift will come to a halt on February 14, 2025. The Magic Multiverse set depicts a wild race across three different planes of existence. It also tells a very personal story about the pyromancer, Chandra, and her quest to return the mystical Spark that her partner, Nissa, recently lost.
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“The idea is that we just create something (where) there are 10 different teams for the different color combinations,” Rosewater said, “so it’s just a really fun, exciting race.”
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On April 11, 2025, Magic: the meeting – Tarkir: Dragonstormthe second Magic Multiverse release of the year brings back tricolor decks and towering, deadly dragons in a plane that hasn’t been visited by designers in over a decade.
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After Final fantasy in June, Magic: The Gathering – Edge of Eternities takes the Magic Multiverse to space in a completely new setting.
“Over the years Magic has explored many different approaches to fantasy and really stretched the definition of what fantasy can be,” Rosewater said. “(We’re) looking at taking a lot of tropes from space fantasy – planets and aliens and stuff – and really creating a whole new, exciting Magic world like you’ve never seen before.”
The second Universes Beyond of 2025 will be the previously announced one Magic: The Gathering – Marvel Spider-Manwhich draws inspiration from the Brooklyn-based webslinger’s rich history of comedic storylines.
Unannounced Universes Beyond release
The year will end with the third release of Universes Beyond, which has not yet been announced.