A New Direction for Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering has been in an unusual position lately. With its numerous Universes Beyond sets that have blurred the lines of its lore and worldbuilding, and the recent shift towards space with the Edge of Eternities set, it's understandable why some players feel like the game is losing its way. While I have thoroughly enjoyed every set that has come out, I also value strong worldbuilding and want to see more of it from MTG.
However, after experiencing the success of the Edge of Eternities set, I have had to reconsider my initial thoughts. This set was a bold move for Magic: The Gathering, one that many didn't think would happen. It has completely reshaped the future of the franchise and has made me, and I'm sure many others, realize that we were wrong about MTG all along.
Edge of Eternities Is Going Over Surprisingly Well
The Edge of Eternities set has been doing surprisingly well, both critically and financially. Despite being the franchise's first sci-fi-themed set, it has received glowing reviews and, more importantly, positive fan reception. This proves that MTG can stretch beyond its fantasy roots.
This is reassuring for those who were a bit worried and expands the possibilities for MTG's future, which is undeniably exciting. Edge of Eternities had a lot riding on it, not only because of its unique setting but also because it marks the franchise's return to its core worldbuilding and lore after a series of controversial Universes Beyond sets.
While I do enjoy those sets, it was nice to be back in MTG's home territory, even if it is exploring the stars. Wizards of the Coast did this set proud with some of the best art we've seen in a long time and truly unique takes on tired tropes and settings.
Magic: The Gathering’s Sci-Fi Turn Maintains Its Identity
What surprised me the most was how Magic: The Gathering's exploration of the stars never really felt out of place, despite literally deviating from its original setting. Running the Counter Intelligence deck with all of its spacecraft never really felt at odds with, say, a deck from the recent Bloomburrow expansion - a personal favorite of mine - despite the two fundamentally being at odds with each other.
It managed to make Star Wars meets Redfall work, and that's an impressive feat. At the very least, it felt a lot more coherent than the Universes Beyond sets, which have proven to be an extremely divisive experience within the MTG community.
I do love Universes Beyond, if only because it lets me have a deck full of Final Fantasy 15 cards, and not one else was going to let me do that, but I can appreciate how the disconnect between MTG's impressive worldbuilding and JRPG characters can be frustrating to many.
That's why I was so pleasantly surprised by Edge of Eternities. I figured we were in for another sense of disconnect, a random set at odds with the core experience that feels like Wizards of the Coast is just throwing whatever at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Magic: The Gathering Is Still All Over The Place
Naturally, that means I would love to see more sci-fi-themed sets going forward. However, I'd also like to see a little more cohesion within future Magic: The Gathering sets. I'm all for MTG getting Avatar: The Last Airbender and Spider-Man cards as they look like well-designed and thoughtful adaptations, but I do question Wizards' decision to blend Universes Beyond with regular MTG.
Perhaps an even more significant disconnect would help make matches feel less like trying to shove your favorite franchises into an established fantasy world. I don't really want Magic: The Gathering to become Fortnite, even if that is the direction it is ultimately heading in.
Fortnite's complete abandonment of its original purpose and design is sad and unfortunate, and it would be a shame to give up the likes of Bloomburrow so we can get a SpongeBob SquarePants crossover.
Ultimately, Pandora's box has been opened, and the flurry of future Universes Beyond expansions won't stop. So long as it continues to be profitable for Wizards to print popular characters on MTG cards, it will do so. However, I do hope that MTG can start to feel a little less messy, even if it does begin to venture into the cosmos, as I rather enjoy its worldbuilding and lore and can't wait to see more of it explored in future sets.
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