As the world’s most beloved trading card game, it seems only fitting that there would be an ultimate crossover with the beloved role-playing game series Final Fantasy. Magic: The Gathering has brought the entire Final Fantasy saga to the trading card game format. From unforgettable summons to powerful spells, beloved characters, and a variety of adorable chocobos.
The Final Fantasy RPG series currently holds sixteen mainline games, and Magic: The Gathering has encompassed each one, from the original Final Fantasy, first released in Japan in 1987 on the NES, to the 2023 release, Final Fantasy XVI. With the Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy set released on June 13, 2025, it honors the franchise’s deep legacy, featuring characters and moments from every mainline Final Fantasy game, all reimagined through the lens of Magic. With the most extensive collection of Final Fantasy artwork ever assembled in a single game, the set promises to be a visual feast for fans, blending Magic’s signature style with the iconic imagery of Square Enix’s beloved RPG series.
The Ultimate Crossover
The collaboration between Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy is both monumental and impressive. Over the weekend of June 20th-22nd, Magic: The Gathering hosted an incredible MagicCon: Las Vegas, which nearly sold out! Over the course of three days at the Las Vegas Convention Center, fans enjoyed a wide range of events, panels, interactive activities, merchandise, and exclusive previews of future releases. The event was particularly memorable for Final Fantasy enthusiasts, featuring immersive photo opportunities, informative panels, and exciting cosplay. Attendees had the chance to dive into the world of Final Fantasy, with photo ops inspired by iconic moments at the Gold Saucer, Aerith’s church, and the Midgar landscape from Final Fantasy VII.
Merchandise also paid homage to the incredible collaboration with sleeves adoring chocobos and moogles, and dozens of different playmats featuring iconic moments and characters from the saga. UltraPro even had exclusive MagicCon playmats embellished with foil highlighting the iconic rivalry of Cloud and Sephiroth.
With its blend of iconic characters, breathtaking artwork, and immersive storytelling, the Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy set is shaping up to be a must-have for fans of both franchises.
Regarding Magick
The set introduces over 100 legendary creature cards, showcasing fan-favorite heroes, villains, and summons across stunning designs. Among the highlights are Borderless Cards, which include three unique styles: Borderless Character Cards that bring 55 legendary figures to life with vivid backgrounds, Borderless Woodblock Cards inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock art featuring breathtaking summon designs, and Borderless Final Fantasy Artist Cards that spotlight renowned artists from the franchise’s history.
Final Fantasy Through the Ages showcases iconic Magic cards that feature artwork from the Final Fantasy series. These cards illustrate the creative talents of renowned illustrators like Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura, whose work has significantly shaped the visual identity of the franchise.
Final Fantasy has a full cast of incredibly unforgettable characters. Not only do their heroes get praise, but also the villains, and those in between. Over the years, players have followed these beloved characters as they go through their stories of love, grief, hardship, and trials of strength. Through learning lessons like what the price of freedom is, fans explore the emotional depth of these character arcs and resonate with their stories. The game itself becomes something much more.
Gavin Verhey, Principal Magic Designer at Wizards of the Coast, coined the term “snapshot moment” while developing the Final Fantasy set, where choosing the allied colors of a character card reflects on a moment within that character’s story that’s crucial and memorable. For example, the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII is known to many as the one-winged angel. However, before that significant event, there was a journey that paved the way to that defining moment. The iconic scene of Sephiroth at the center of a valley of flames is a memory burned into fans’ minds (especially Cloud’s). Moreover, to reflect this moment, or “snapshot,” there is a Sephiroth card from the Commander premade deck with red and white mana. Another Sephiroth card depicting the villainous one-winged angel is a solely black mana card.
“With any IP or any character who has a good story arc, how do you capture their whole character? With so much text on a Magic card, you have to pick a single moment you can fit in a text box, since you can’t capture a whole story.” – Gavin Verhey
Personally, I absolutely love this idea because it gives players a chance to play a character they love within a moment they find memorable. With this design choice set to be applied to future Magic: The Gathering sets, I’m excited to see what else is on the horizon.
Another fun mechanic that makes a fitting return is Flashbacks. Appearing in Odyssey years ago, the mechanic gives players and fans alike homage to beloved characters that may only be in the game for a moment, but their impact in a heated moment of Magic is memorable. That Sephiroth bathed in flames moment I mentioned earlier? The “Nibelheim Aflame” sorcery card is a great example of a Flashback card, and it’s super powerful.
It’s clear that the Final Fantasy set has been well-received by many! Events such as Chocobo Racing, Commander Party, Standard Showdown, and Store Championship are happening with this set, offering exclusive promo rewards for participants. Don’t forget to check your local game store’s calendar for more details.
Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy is available at any local game store, online, and is also available to play digitally on Magic: The Gathering Arena.
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