Even if you're not a Magic: The Gathering player, you've likely noticed its recent video game crossovers, including Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin's Creed. Prepare for one of the most exciting yet: a Final Fantasy collaboration! This isn't just one game either; from Terra to Y'shtola, four mainline Final Fantasy titles are represented in the upcoming Commander decks.
Browse the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck. Then, delve into our conversation with Wizards of the Coast to uncover details on what to expect, the game selection process, and much more.
Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Revealed
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Launching this June, Magic's Final Fantasy crossover includes a fully draftable, Standard-legal set and four preconstructed decks (shown above). Each deck boasts 100 cards—a blend of reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander. While Commander precons usually center on characters, colors, or strategies, these decks uniquely focus on individual Final Fantasy games: 6, 7, 10, and 14.
“Final Fantasy games are brimming with rich lore, beloved characters, and unique settings; choosing a single game provided ample material for a full deck,” explains Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, Commander Lead for the set. “Focusing on individual games allowed us to deeply explore each game's lore, capturing beloved moments that might have been missed otherwise.”
"...we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”The team selected these four games based on gameplay desires and story recognition. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easier choices, VI and X required more deliberation, influenced partly by team favorites. Holt adds, “Everyone was invested in every development stage, as we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”
Even with the games chosen, directional decisions were necessary. Final Fantasy VII's remake trilogy coincided with the set's development. Does the Commander precon reflect the original or its reimagining? Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Narrative Lead, clarifies that the deck's art incorporates elements from both, but the story follows the 1997 classic.
“Our approach to Final Fantasy VII was to capture the original PS1 game's narrative, using Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth's modern aesthetics to enhance character designs, story moments, and locations,” Deveney explains. “Where scenes existed in both games, we chose between the original, the modern interpretation, or a unique fusion. Hopefully, it feels familiar and nostalgic to players of both versions!”
AnswerSee ResultsNostalgia plays a key role, especially with *Final Fantasy VI*, which lacks the modern art references of the other games. Deveney explains their approach: staying true to the pixel art sprites and limited concept art while expanding upon them. The goal was for character designs to feel familiar, even with the hybridization of references and new ideas. WOTC even consulted the *Final Fantasy VI* team during this character update process.“Our workflow involved concept and card artists using Yoshitaka Amano’s concept art, original sprites, and FFVI Pixel Remaster portraits to synthesize design elements. We then met with the Final Fantasy VI review team for feedback on preserving core elements and incorporating new ones.”
"It's our hope that the [FF6] character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them..."With the games selected, the next step was choosing Commander characters. Cloud was an obvious choice for VII, but the others required brainstorming. Celes was considered for VI, and Yuna for X. Ultimately, they chose the "lead" characters. Final Fantasy XIV, being an MMO, presented a unique challenge.
“For Y'shtola, the choice balanced character popularity, spellcasting abilities, and the wide range of abilities and story moments available,” Holt explains, noting that this deck represents her Shadowbringers arc. While a customizable "Warrior of Light" commander was explored, those ideas were complex, and the deck still features plenty of moments from that character's story.
Fitting an entire game's story, characters, and themes into a Magic deck, while adhering to color restrictions, presented a significant challenge. Holt points out that all four decks include White, "for both theming and to encompass the wide range of Heroes."The VI deck focuses on the game's latter half, rebuilding your party from the graveyard. VII's white-red strategy, incorporating green, reflects Cloud's swordsmanship and the Planet/lifestream. X's white-blue-green strategy mirrors the Sphere Grid system. XIV's white-blue-black identity allows for a noncreature spellcasting theme, incorporating key characters.
"...fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck..."While the Commander is key, supporting characters matter too. Holt emphasizes, “Final Fantasy games are full of beloved characters, and including them was important. While I can't reveal specifics yet, fans can expect to see favorite characters in the remaining 99 cards as legendary creatures and in spells.”
Magic's Final Fantasy set releases June 13th. If your favorite game or character isn't featured (or even if it is!), don't worry—Holt assures that all sixteen mainline games will have their moments in accompanying products.
Similar to the 2022 Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks, these four decks will be available in regular ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector's Edition ($149.99 MSRP) versions. The Collector's Edition features all 100 cards with Surge foil treatment.
Read on for the unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney:
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