Even if you're not a Magic: The Gathering player, you've likely noticed its recent surge of video game crossovers, including Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin's Creed. But get ready for one of the most exciting yet: Final Fantasy. This isn't just one Final Fantasy game either; from Terra to Y'shtola, four mainline games are represented across the preconstructed Commander decks leading this set.
Browse the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck. Then, join us for a chat with Wizards of the Coast about what to expect, the game selection process, and 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 mix 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.
“The richness of Final Fantasy games—their flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings—meant each 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 delve deep into their lore, capturing beloved moments we might have missed otherwise.”
"...we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”
“The team balanced gameplay desires for each deck with the overall story recognition of each game,” Holt continues. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easy choices, VI and X required more discussion, influenced partly by team favorites. “Everyone in the building was invested in every development stage, as we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans here.”
Even with the games selected, directional choices were necessary. Final Fantasy VII's remake trilogy coincided with this set's development. Does the Commander precon follow the original or its reimagining? Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Narrative Lead, clarifies: a blend of both.
“Our core 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, we chose between the original, the modern interpretation, or a unique fusion. Hopefully, the deck feels both familiar and nostalgic.”
AnswerSee ResultsNostalgia presents challenges, particularly for Final Fantasy VI, lacking the modern art references of other games. Deveney explains their approach: staying true to fan expectations from pixel art sprites and limited concept art while expanding upon them. “The character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them, a hybridization of references and new ideas.” WOTC even consulted the Final Fantasy VI team to update character designs to Magic art standards.
“Our workflow involved concept and card artists pulling hallmark designs from Yoshitaka Amano's concept art, original sprites, and FFVI Pixel Remaster portraits, synthesizing consistent elements into something new. We then met with the Final Fantasy VI review team for feedback on preserving core elements and exploring new ones.”
"It's our hope that the [FF6] character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them..."
With the games chosen, Commander deck leaders needed selection. Cloud is an obvious choice for VII, but others required brainstorming. Celes was considered for VI, focusing on the World of Ruin, while Yuna was considered for X. Ultimately, they chose the "lead" characters. Final Fantasy XIV, being an MMO, posed a different challenge.
“For Y'shtola, it was a mix of popularity and her spellcasting role. Her story and character development offered a wide range of abilities and moments,” Holt explains, noting this deck represents her Shadowbringers arc. A "Warrior of Light" commander was explored, but those ideas were complex, leaving plenty of moments for personal heroes even without leading roles.
Fitting entire video game stories, characters, and themes into a single deck within Magic's color restrictions required careful planning. “Building these decks involved deciding color identity for the game, but also the desired gameplay,” Holt notes, highlighting the inclusion of White in all four decks, “for both theming and to cover the wide range of heroes.”
Deck VI centers on the game's latter half, rebuilding your party from the graveyard. VII's Cloud and his greatsword fit a white-red strategy, but adding green tied in "power matters" cards and references to the Planet and lifestream. X's Tidus and counter passing might suggest Blitzball, but this white-blue-green strategy reflects the Sphere Grid leveling system. XIV's theme was challenging, but its white-blue-black identity allowed for noncreature spellcasting and inclusion of desired characters.
"...fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck..."
While Commander focuses on leaders, RPGs feature entire parties. "Getting beloved and villainous characters into these decks was crucial,” Holt says. “While I can't reveal specifics, fans can expect to see many favorite characters among the 99 cards as new legendary creatures and on 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 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 latter features all 100 cards in each deck with special Surge foil treatment.
Read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney:
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