TheUniverses Beyondinitiative inMagic: The Gatheringhas opened quite a few doors for players to experience iconic franchises through the lens ofMagic’s rich gameplay and mechanics – with one of the most exciting doors yet set to be opened next month. By combining familiar characters, settings, and themes from pop culture properties with the beloved card game,Wizards of the Coast has found a way to bridge fandomsand expand the game’s appeal beyond its traditional roots and existing universe. The crossover sets, which have included franchises likeThe Lord of the Rings,Warhammer 40,000, andFallout, help to not only bring new players toMagic, but to allow long-time players the chance to see their favorite universes reimagined at their table.
The upcomingFinal Fantasyset stands out as one of the most eagerly awaitedUniverses Beyondsets to date. As one of the most emotionally resonant and iconic franchises in video game history,Final Fantasybrings decades of iconic characters, epic storytelling, and unforgettable imagery to theMagic: The Gatheringsetting. Poised to be a landmark entry into theUniverses Beyondline and a celebration of both brands’ legacies, Wizards of the Coast andSquare Enixhad a lot on their plate in order to deliver on expectations for the set – which they’ve been working on for years.
A Set Five Years in the Making
As was revealed in a press briefing held earlier this week forMagic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY, the team at Wizards of the Coast primarily responsible for bringing the set to fruition have been working on the set for years – nearly five, to be exact. When asked what about the set required a half-decade of work, the team – consisting ofZakeel Gordon, Executive Producer;Gavin Verhey, Principal Designer and Set Design Lead;Dillon Deveney, Principal Game Designer; andDaniel Holt, Senior Game Designer – were more than happy to share the passion behind the exciting collaboration, as well as the logistical details that required such a long timeframe.
“One is that we built this set simultaneously in English and Japanese for our partners at Square Enix. That included multiple trips over to them for play tests and world-building workshops and kind of Final Fantasy mini school to figure out what was important to them,” Gordon shares. “We would come up with design iterations, fly over, and they would say, ‘We really like these three things, and we would prefer if you would tweak this like this.’ So I think I have gone to Tokyo andvisited Square Enix five different times throughout the course of development.”
The monumental task before them didn’t cause any lack of passion for the set, however. With theMagic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASYset spanning the entire video game franchise – from the early pixelated entries to the cinematic modern titles – there was still plenty to be excited about. The designers were presented with a heavy-hitting question during the briefing about whether they were aware theFinal Fantasyset is the coolestUniverses Beyondset – and while a bias may be present, the question offered the perfect opportunity for the depth of passion for the project to shine through. “No project I’ve ever worked on in history is anything like what we’re doing here withFinal Fantasy,” Verhey responds after touching on his fourteen-year career at Wizards of the Coast.
The rest of the team were happy to share their excitement about the set, with Gordon wrapping up responses to the question beautifully. “For so many of us,Final Fantasyhas played such a significant role in many of our lives. I can legitimately say I don’t think I would have ever actually discoveredMagic, let alone be here today, if it wasn’t forFinal Fantasy X. The moment that it came in my life, the exposure that I had just to fantasy and video games and adventure,” he states. “In a lot of ways, there is noMagicfor me withoutFinal Fantasy.”
