Fans have reason to be hopeful for further in-universe reprints of Universes Beyond cards, as Mark Rosewater, MTG’s Lead Designer, has stated.
Despite initially being seen as an unwelcome novelty, the immense popularity of series such as Tales of Middle-earth, Fallout, and Warhammer 40K has solidified the fact that Universes Beyond is a lasting phenomenon.
These crossover sets incorporate elements from popular properties into the mechanics of Magic: The Gathering and have quickly become a significant component of Wizards’ release schedule, alongside in-universe sets such as Bloomburrow and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
Although these crossovers have brought numerous new players to the hobby, some MTG enthusiasts may feel excluded from Universes Beyond sets. This may be due to their lack of knowledge about a particular property or their preference for solely using MTG’s original worlds and cards in their decks.
Despite players’ level of acquaintance with these series, the Universes Beyond sets frequently feature potent cards that would be well-suited for many Magic decks.
Despite being averse to crossovers, players can take comfort in the fact that MTG’s Lead Designer Mark Rosewater has assured them that they will not have to permanently forgo the opportunity to experience unique and powerful card designs from Universes Beyond.
In response to a fan’s question on his personal blog, Rosewater addressed the possibility of reprinting Universes Beyond cards in their original form, without creating a Universes Within version.
Rosewaster informed the player that while printing Universes Beyond cards with a specific property name is possible, it would require in-universe Magic art to be included.
Reddit MTG fans wasted no time in discussing which Universes Beyond cards would seamlessly fit into regular MTG sets without any alterations, other than the artwork.
A comment on the thread mentioned that there is a Doctor Who card with the same name as Magic’s beloved golem Planeswalker, something Principal MTG designer Gavin Verhey is well aware of: “If they are able to print Sisterhood of Karn in a Magic set, I will
Other players noted that the design of cards such as Sisterhood of Karn takes into consideration potential reprints within the MTG universe. This is evident in the fact that the card’s creature type is simply “Cleric”and not “Alien Cleric,”as Gavin Verhey likely intended to leave room for future in-universe reprints.
Despite any potential losses in translation, the majority of Universes Beyond cards effectively incorporate the identity and stories of their respective properties into MTG mechanics, showcasing the skill of the Wizards designers. Additionally, many of these cards would still function seamlessly within their original universes as well.
These reprints wouldn’t be completely unfamiliar, however. Universes Within is already in place to reprint Universes Beyond Secret Lairs as Magic cards within the game’s universe. So far, this has been successfully done with The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and Street Fighter.
Despite Rosewater’s initial doubts about the possibility of a full Universes Beyond reprint set, the increasing number and diversity of Universes Beyond cards may lead to occasional reprints, possibly as Special Guests.
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