How Magic: The Gathering Expands Its Multiverse Through Universes Beyond 🃏

Magic: The Gathering tells stories through its cards, art, and mechanics. Each set builds on a world that grows richer with every release. In recent years, Wizards of the Coast has widened that creative vision through Universes Beyond, a line that welcomes other legendary worlds into Magic’s multiverse. From Middle-earth to Marvel, these collaborations show how strong storytelling and imaginative design can exist side by side.

Before exploring the individual sets, it helps to look at the current release schedule. Players, collectors, and every UK-based Magic: The Gathering store have plenty to prepare for as crossovers become a steady part of the game’s rhythm.

The Expanding World of Standard and Crossover Sets

The coming year shows how Magic’s storytelling now combines its own planes with globally recognised universes. The blend keeps the game’s lore alive while inviting new audiences into its fold.

Throughout 2025, players have travelled between familiar and new settings. Innistrad Remastered arrived early in the year, bringing gothic horror back to the forefront. Aetherdrift followed with its focus on strange magical currents, and Tarkir: Dragonstorm reignited excitement for dragon decks in spring.

June saw the launch of Final Fantasy (Universes Beyond), a set that united Magic with one of the most iconic video-game franchises of all time. September introduced Marvel’s Spider-Man, which brought superheroes into Standard play for the first time. The year will close with Avatar: The Last Airbender in November, offering another inventive crossover to end 2025 on a high note.

Looking ahead to 2026, the line-up shows even greater variety. Lorwyn Eclipsed and Secrets of Strixhaven will develop Magic’s internal storylines, while Marvel Super Heroes in June, The Hobbit in August, and Star Trek in November will continue expanding Universes Beyond. Together these sets demonstrate how Magic has evolved into a bridge between its own lore and the wider worlds of popular culture.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

Released in 2023, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth redefined what a crossover could achieve. The cards translated Tolkien’s story of courage, temptation, and hope into Magic’s mechanics. Players could cast Frodo, Sam, and Gandalf while experiencing gameplay that felt natural to both Magic and Middle-earth.

The One Ring: A Modern Legend

The standout card from the set remains The One Ring. It dominated headlines after a single, unique copy was discovered and sold for a record sum. Even now, standard editions of the card hold significant value.

More than a collector’s piece, The One Ring represents how deeply a crossover can connect with players. It proved that Magic can embrace a literary masterpiece while still feeling like Magic.

Final Fantasy: Magic Meets a Gaming Giant

Released in June 2025, the Final Fantasy crossover brought together two of gaming’s most recognised names. The set covered every mainline Final Fantasy title, featuring Cloud, Terra, Lightning, and many other heroes.

The design captured the spirit of Final Fantasy with mechanics focused on equipment, heroism, and large-scale battles. Being Standard-legal, it also showed that Universes Beyond cards can coexist naturally alongside Magic’s traditional releases.

Collectors have already embraced the full-art and alternate-art treatments, while competitive players have found new archetypes inspired by the series’ famous summons and crystals.

Marvel: Heroes in the Multiverse

Marvel’s Spider-Man, released in September 2025, marked the start of Magic’s partnership with the Marvel universe. Players can now summon Spider-Man, Venom, and the Green Goblin on the battlefield, combining the drama of comic books with Magic’s deep strategy.

A follow-up set, Marvel Super Heroes, is planned for June 2026. It will broaden the scope to include the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and more cosmic characters. Early previews suggest mechanics that explore power, identity, and teamwork.

Collectors are watching the Infinity Stone cards closely, with the “Cosmic Foil Soul Stone” already seen as one of the set’s top prizes.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Set for release in November 2025, Avatar: The Last Airbender brings elemental mastery and balance to Magic’s table. Each nation (Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) has been designed to represent a different colour identity, creating a natural connection between Avatar’s lore and Magic’s gameplay. Fans can expect cards featuring Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Toph, with bending mechanics that link beautifully to Magic’s mana system.

The set’s focus on harmony and conflict mirrors the series’ themes, making it one of the most character-driven Universes Beyond releases so far. Many players see it as a bridge between Magic’s storytelling and animated fantasy at its best.

The Hobbit: A Return to Middle-earth

In August 2026, The Hobbit will take players back to the world introduced in Tales of Middle-earth, this time following Bilbo Baggins on his journey from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain.

Fans are expecting cards themed around Smaug, the Arkenstone, and Thorin Oakenshield. Mechanics involving treasure, travel, and adventure would fit the book’s themes perfectly.

The commercial and creative success of The Lord of the Rings suggests that The Hobbit could deliver another wave of sought-after collector cards. For shops and organisers, this set presents a perfect opportunity to host themed prerelease events and community tournaments.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half Shell

Arriving in early 2026, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adds a mix of humour, martial arts, and 1980s nostalgia to Magic’s ever-expanding multiverse. The set focuses on the four turtles (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael) along with Splinter, April O’Neil, and Shredder.

Mechanically, the design is expected to revolve around teamwork, stealth, and quick attacks, giving players decks that feel fast-paced and thematic. The crossover celebrates friendship, training, and rebellion, adding a light-hearted contrast to Magic’s usual tone while still offering competitive depth. Fans of the original cartoon and the newer films are likely to find this one both playful and collectible.

How Crossovers Strengthen Magic’s Storytelling

Magic’s original planes such as Ravnica, Dominaria, and Zendikar remain central to its identity, but the addition of crossover worlds has strengthened the game’s storytelling rather than diluting it. Each Universes Beyond set introduces new ideas, new audiences, and new mechanics that complement the existing game.

Players enjoy seeing familiar characters appear in a form they can play, and collectors appreciate the artistry behind each adaptation. When designed with care, these collaborations highlight Magic’s flexibility and its respect for the source material.

Instead of creating a separation between Magic and these external worlds, Wizards of the Coast has found ways to make them feel like part of the same creative multiverse.

A Multiverse Without Limits

Magic: The Gathering in 2025 is a celebration of everything. The combination of traditional fantasy and crossover storytelling has transformed it into a game where every release offers a new perspective.

With collaborations in Middle-earth, the Marvel universe, Final Fantasy’s heroes and the starships of Star Trek, each set adds to a living story that continues to grow. Players experience their favourite worlds in a new way, collectors find cards that connect to their passions, and local stores have countless opportunities to build communities around the excitement.