Edge of Eternities May Have Opened a Pandora’s Box for Magic: The Gathering

Card game enthusiasts have watched as Magic: The Gathering has become a big point of discussion in multiple circles as of late. The standardization of the Universes Beyond crossover sets, along with additional Secret Lair collaborations, is bringing a lot of new eyes to the game while making a few veterans annoyed at what Magic: The Gathering is slowly becoming. While Final Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fallout have entered MTG, they’ve kicked up a fair bit of controversy in their wake as the usual high-fantasy setting and lore of the game are put aside in favor of these crossovers.

The latest main set, Edge of Eternities, was also questioned by seasoned players due to outright adopting science fiction into the incredibly classic fantasy card game. It doesn’t help that Edge of Eternities is the last in-universe set releasing in 2025, with Universes Beyond sets featuring Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender lined up as the only new releases until January. Still, many MTG fans seem to enjoy Edge of Eternities’ new mechanics and themes, and this opens the door for other sci-fi properties like Star Wars and Star Trek to be part of Universes Beyond.

How Edge of Eternities Might Lead to Star Wars, Star Trek, and More Playing in Magic: The Gathering’s Sandbox

Magic: The Gathering is no stranger to skirting the line around basic sci-fi themes to fit its premise. Cards like Universal Automaton allow concepts like mechanical robots to exist in a base form that can still be considered fantasy without opening the door to the other genre too much. Edge of Eternities’ mechanics and setting dive right in and open the floodgates instead of being coy about it. Now, jetpacks, galaxies, and spacecrafts are fully part of the Magic: The Gathering universe without a crossover’s assistance. Spacecrafts have their own subtype and their own Station mechanic. This makes it easy for any possible sci-fi collaborations to just bounce off what EoE set up before them.

Science Fiction Properties Entering Magic: The Gathering Just Makes Sense Historically

At the very least, Magic: The Gathering collaborating with Star Wars or Star Trek just makes sense, considering all three are pillars of what’s been considered “geek culture” for decades. It’s because of Magic: The Gathering‘s standing in this very dedicated subculture that the Universe Beyond sets are so divisive in the first place. Many fans of these properties typically love sticking to the lore and worldbuilding, while others enjoy the idea of franchises they love meeting in the middle, like the Doctor Who or The Lord of the Rings sets for MTG.

The product synergy through Universes Beyond may have opened the science fiction door before Edge of Eternities, though. Final Fantasy has almost always blended sci-fi into its worldbuilding, and it brought that to Magic: The Gathering through cards like FF‘s SOLDIER Military Program and its reprint of Thought Vessel. The Fallout, Sonic, and Spider-Man releases toe this very same line in their own way. With how science fiction is so prominent in the culture surrounding Magic: The Gathering, the line between fantasy and sci-fi has been made blurrier between franchises constantly, and it really feels like Edge of Eternities’ deep dive into it was only a matter of time.

If Edge of Eternities truly has set up future science fiction cards and crossovers, then there might be further controversy waiting to happen. If this change truly does tie into the future Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond sets, then Wizards of the Coast may be setting up a new era of magic that might be the final straw for many of its older fans. Thankfully, the very first set for MTG in 2026 marks a grand return to Lorwyn, so chances are there will be plenty of classic sets to satisfy these players at least for the time being. In the end, Magic: The Gathering is at an interesting point in its life. Fans should ready themselves for future changes, be it with the Enterprise or the Millennium Falcon, or something else entirely.

Original Release Date

August 5, 1993

Designer

Richard Garfield

Player Count

2+

Age Recommendation

13+