Wizards of the Coast CEO Chris Cocks revealed Universes Beyond, a Magic: The Gathering product that will feature IPs such as Warhammer 4,000 and Lord of the Rings.
The Universes Beyond products are a “brand within MTG,” according to WotC, “existing in addition to and alongside” present products. Additional details were released during the 2021 Magic Showcase, revealing that Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks are slated to release in late 2022 and Lord of the Rings is scheduled to release in 2023.
An official statement was released by Warhammer 40,000 in early spring, noting that the decks will contain “the mighty heroes, twisted villains, and fearsome Xenos races of the 41st Millennium to glossy cardstock.” The Magic Showcase revealed that there are a total of four preconstructed Commander decks and that Secret Lair drops would coincide with the MTG Warhammer 40,000 release.
The MTG Lord of the Rings full set is scheduled to launch sometime in 2023. Legal in Modern and Historic, the Universes Beyond set will release via tabletop, Magic Online, and Magic Arena. It will also include four preconstructed Commander decks and Secret Lair drops. The Lord of the Rings Magic set will even feature gameplay in the Limited format via Sealed and Drafts.
“[We] knew that the immense size, the iconic nature of the stories, and the devotion fans have to The Lord of the Rings meant that we couldn’t do the set justice without creating a full product lineup to give as many players the opportunity to play with these classic characters as possible,” WotC said.
An official Universes Beyond holofoil stamp will set apart the brand from other Magic brands, along with a distinct frame. Already seen within the game’s community, the holofoil stamp was on the Secret Lair The Walking Dead cards, according to WotC.
Here’s everything WotC revealed so far about MTG Universes Beyond (spring 2021)
- Universes Beyond products will be sold via most Magic channels.
- Wherever WotC sells Commander decks, players can also find the Warhammer 40,000 and Lord of the Rings decks.
- Universes Beyond products are not limited to Secret Lair drops, but will on occasion be “associated with Secret Lair products,” similar to the Secret Lair Godzilla lands from IKO.
- It will also be offered as an “occasional standalone product,” just like recent The Walking Dead Secret Lair drops.
- Universes Beyond cards are not Standard-legal.
- The recently announced Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms isn’t a Universes Beyond product.
- WotC is “reserving the Universes Beyond branding for worlds outside those built by WotC,” for now.
- Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms are not “canonically a part of the Magic Multiverse,” for now.
Fall 2021 Universes Beyond revealed in Magic Showcase (Aug. 24)
- Warhammer 40,000 is scheduled to release in the back end of 2022, containing four preconstructed Commander decks and Secret Lair drops.
- The Lord of the Rings Universes Beyond is an entire set, unlike Warhammer 40,000, and will feature a Draft.
- Main characters from the books like Gandalf and Frodo are featured within the set.
- The Lord of the Rings Universes Beyond set will be legal to play in the Modern and Historic formats, releasing via tabletop, Magic Online, and MTG Arena.
Cards within Universes Beyond will feature a “variety of treatments,” according to WotC. The Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks are slated to release in 2022 while the Lord of the Rings set will release sometime in 2023.
Updated Aug. 24 4:30pm CT: This article was updated with new Universes Beyond information released by WotC during the 2021 Magic Showcase.
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