I hope you like crossovers, MTG fans, because we're getting Magic: The Gathering sets based on a whole host of franchises next year.
Publisher Wizards of the Coast just revealed that MTG sets based on The Hobbit, Marvel Super Heroes (AKA the Avengers), and Star Trek are heading our way in 2026. Although there will be original Magic: The Gathering sets alongside these tentpole releases, these 'Universes Beyond' collaborations definitely stole the limelight for one of the best card games.
As the name would suggest, MTG The Hobbit rewinds time to the adventures of one Bilbo Baggins and his quest to steal from the dragon Smaug. Although we've visited Magic's version of Middle-earth before via a Lord of the Rings set, we'll presumably be visiting entirely different locations inspired by the Hobbit novel here - that means you can expect an encounter with Gollum in the Misty Mountains, tangles with the wood elves of Mirkwood, Lake Town, the Battle of Five Armies, and dwarves. Lots of dwarves.
MTG The Hobbit arrives in August, 2026.
Following the launch of MTG Spider-Man, more Marvel is swinging toward us at super-heroic speed via MTG Marvel Super Heroes in June 2026. This zooms out to focus on the wider Marvel universe of heroes and villains, including heavy hitters like Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, the Heroes for Hire, and beyond.
Seeing as these characters only got a passing glimpse in a Secret Lair drop before being put away in favor of Spider-Man's friendly neighbourhood, it doesn't feel like much of a surprise to see them get the full MTG set treatment now. Honestly, the only thing that surprises me is that the set isn't called 'MTG Avengers.' It certainly has enough of them, not to mention a host of their biggest foes. A lot of these have been shown off via MTG's social channels, and I've included a few below.
The next reveal was a much bigger surprise - that we'll be boldly going where no Magic set has been before, via Star Trek. This crossover won't just be 'engaging' (heh) with a single era of the franchise, though. Instead, it'll be exploring multiple series like the original show and Next Generation.
This is a similar approach to the one taken with Doctor Who a couple of years ago. With that in mind, will we see multiple Commander decks for different Trek eras? The franchise is certainly a big enough to warrant that treatment. I guess we'll just have to wait until 2026 for more info, because MTG Star Trek isn't coming out until November.
The final crossover of unveiled at MagicCon Atlanta was another wave of MTG Final Fantasy products launching December 5, 2025. Alongside four 'scene' boxes with cards that make up a larger piece of artwork, an alt version of the Limit Break Commander Deck featuring the original, pixellated Cloud is coming our way this Holiday season. A bundle revolving around Chocobos is running toward us at the same time too, which, let's be real, is gonna sell out as soon as it goes up for pre-order.
In terms of classic MTG, things kick off with Lorwyn Eclipsed (which takes us back to the twinned Plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor) in January, followed by a new term of sorcery school in April's Secrets of Strixhaven. We then have a mystery set called 'Reality Fracture' heading our way in October.
It says a lot that the MTG social channels were far more focused on the crossovers than these original settings. (Indeed, the latter were largely overshadowed by Marvel, Star Trek, and the rest.) Seeing as fans have been vocal in their concern or, at worst, disgruntlement about the increasing number of Universes Beyond sets in lieu of classic Magic Planes, it'll be interesting to see how the community responds.
What do you think of these announcements? Let us hear it in the comments.
For more tabletop shenanigans, why not check out the best board games?
