Magic: The Gathering's highly anticipated Final Fantasy crossover is almost here! Launching this June, this collaboration features a full draftable, Standard-legal set and four preconstructed Commander decks, each themed around a different mainline Final Fantasy game: 6, 7, 10, and 14.
A First Look at the Commander Decks:
Browse the gallery below for an exclusive preview of each deck's lead card and packaging. Each 100-card deck includes reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander.
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Deck Themes and Design Choices:
Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt explains that the team chose these four games for their gameplay potential and story recognition. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easy choices, 6 and 10 required more deliberation, ultimately selected due to team favorites. The design process involved a deep dive into each game's lore, capturing iconic moments.
The Final Fantasy VII deck, while aesthetically influenced by the Remake trilogy, narratively follows the original 1997 game. Principal Narrative Game Designer Dillon Deveney explains that the team aimed for a balance of nostalgia and modern aesthetics.
Final Fantasy VI presented unique challenges due to its pixel art origins. The team consulted directly with the Final Fantasy VI team to accurately translate the character designs into Magic's art style. They combined elements from Yoshitaka Amano's concept art, original sprites, and Pixel Remaster portraits to create a fresh yet familiar look.
Commander Character Selection:
Cloud was the obvious choice for Final Fantasy VII. For other games, choices involved careful consideration. Terra (FFVI), Tidus (FFX), and Y'shtola (FFXIV) were ultimately selected, with Y'shtola's deck representing her Shadowbringers arc.
Deck Mechanics and Color Identities:
Each deck incorporates White for thematic consistency and to accommodate diverse characters. The Final Fantasy VI deck focuses on graveyard recursion, Final Fantasy VII leverages equipment and power-matters strategies, Final Fantasy X utilizes a Sphere Grid-inspired creature empowerment mechanic, and Final Fantasy XIV centers on non-creature spellcasting.
Supporting Characters:
While the Commander characters take center stage, the decks also feature numerous beloved supporting characters as legendary creatures and in spell art.
Availability:
The Final Fantasy set releases June 13th. Each of the four Commander decks will be available in a regular edition ($69.99 MSRP) and a Collector's Edition ($149.99 MSRP), with the latter featuring Surge foil cards. Holt confirms that all sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be represented across the entire product line.
