Universes Beyond: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 09:59, 23 September 2023
Universes Beyond (abbreviated as UB[1]) is a “sub-brand” of Magic: The Gathering that exists in addition to, and alongside, the regular line of products.[2] The series was announced by Chris Cocks in February, 2021 during the Hasbro 2021 Investor Event.[3][4]
The sets featured in this series are never Standard-legal,[2][5] but are generally legal in eternal formats.
Description
Not unlike the original Deckmaster concept, Universes Beyond is a series that combines the gameplay of Magic: The Gathering with worlds, characters, and stories of other IPs.[2][6] The series is branded slightly differently from regular products and has a specific look as a result. These are still Magic cards, but the card frame is distinct and has a triangular holofoil stamp that denotes them as the non-canon cards. This holofoil stamp was first seen on cards of the Secret Lair Drop Series: The Walking Dead, and that set was grandfathered in into the Universes Beyond series. Another border color for UB cards was dismissed, because R&D (and Sales) feared that the UB sets wouldn't get treated as “this is a different subset of Magic”, but rather as “this isn’t a real Magic card”.[7]
Distribution and appearance
Universes Beyond products are not only found in Secret Lairs but are sold in the whole range of Magic products. Wizards of the Coast may occasionally do associated Secret Lair products related to the main release, like the Secret Lair Godzilla lands when Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths came out. There will also be the occasional standalone product like The Walking Dead, but the intention is to typically make Universes Beyond as available as any other Magic product.[8]
Wizards of the Coast announced that on occasion they could utilize the treatment from the Ikoria Godzilla cards (existing Magic cards skinned with the alternate universe). But mostly, the sets would be like The Walking Dead (alternate universe cards that stand on their own). According to Mark Rosewater, it was not feasible to have a Magic version for every new UB card, but R&D can make Magic versions of any UB card if the need arises.[9] The other way around, Universes Beyond may feature straight reprints from original Magic sets with the same card name (but new art) and same mechanical cards but with a new name. It depends on how well the name fits the IP.[10]
Secret Lairs
In June 2021, the statement above was amended for Secret Lairs.[11] It was announced that for upcoming Universes Beyond Secret Lairs, Wizards of the Coast planned to:
- Create and print rebranded versions of the mechanically unique Secret Lair Universes Beyond cards that are set in Magic 's Multiverse approximately six months (the exact time may vary) after their release in Secret Lair.
- Make the in-Magic versions available on The List, findable in Set Boosters for as long as players are still interested in opening them. To start, they'll appear on The List more frequently than other cards to make them easier to find.
- Possibly reprint those cards in other products.
- Consider the non-canon cards and the canon cards' equivalent game pieces, meaning you can only play four copies (or one copy) of either the Magic version or Universes Beyond version in your deck. There will be a special card treatment that indicates that the cards are related.[12]
WotC initially did not plan to go back and do this for the cards from The Walking Dead.[11] Neither did they plan to extend this treatment extend to the larger, non-Secret Lair, product releases. However, implementing something similar to this with The Walking Dead wasn’t off the table in the future.[13] This came true in October 2021, when Wizards of the Coast decided that they would apply this to The Walking Dead as well.[14]
Booster inserts
In 2022, for the first time ever, some Universes Beyond cards were distributed through a premier set, advertising another Hasbro brand. Transformers cards could be found in The Brothers' War Set Boosters, Collector Booster and Bundles. Note that these are original designs, and not skinned cards.[15] When this type a set reappeared with Jurassic World, they were christened "Booster inserts".[16]
Commander sets
Sets like Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks, Doctor Who and Fallout are given the Commander treatment, with the main focus on several Commander decks.
Draft sets
Some IP's have room for a fully draftable set. Examples are The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth and Final Fantasy.
Commander sets and large UB draft sets like won't receive 1:1 in-multiverse (Universes Within) versions, but R&D reserves the right to make them for individual cards if the need arises.[17][18] If a Universes Beyond card with an IP-specific creature type (e.g. astartes) would be rebranded, it would receive a brand new creature type in the Magic version. The <IP name> and <unique new creature type> would be one-for-one in the rules much like the names of the Godzilla skinned cards.[19]
Beyond boosters
Beyond Boosters are introduced for Assassin's Creed. They aren't draftable but each booster takes you on a journey unique to the specific Universe. They contain both new cards and reprints.[16]
Non-canon
The Magic story will not be told through any of the Universes Beyond sets.[20][21]
Planeswalkers
Wizards of the Coast originally said that Planeswalker cards in Universe Beyond sets wouldn’t represent actual planeswalkers as that concept doesn’t exist in most properties. R&D explored choosing a new word, but decided the confusion in gameplay wasn’t worth it as the cards act in a game-sense like planeswalker cards.[22] As a joke, they did introduce the Universewalker for Heroes of the Realm.
Later, it was said that they were planning to do planeswalkers in Wizards owned IPs, only.[23]
List of featured brands
This is a list of featured IPs or "universes".
Non-UB crossovers
Note that the Dungeons & Dragons crossovers are not part of Universes Beyond, because Wizards of the Coast owns both the Magic and Dungeons & Dragons IPs.[2]
- 2021 Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
- 2022 Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Early Hasbro-owned cross-over products were the 2017 HASCON promos and 2019 Ponies: The Galloping.
Crossovers that have the skin treatment can be part of Universes Beyond but some of them are not. For example, the Godzilla Series and the Dracula Series do not have the triangular holo foil stamp used for Universes Beyond.
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2021). "In the MTG style book, is UB now 'Universe Beyond'? As in a blue black is no longer referred to as UB for style purposes?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c d e Wizards of the Coast (February 25, 2021). "Magic's Voyages to Universes Beyond". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Christian Hoffer (February 25, 2021). "Magic: The Gathering Announces Crossovers With Lord of the Rings and Warhammer 40,000". Comicbook.com/.
- ↑ Hipsters of the Coast (February 25, 2021). "Magic is introducing a new class of product: Universes Beyond, which will take fan-favorite brands and bring them into Magic.". Twitter.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 25, 2021). "In the future will magic sets based on other...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 26, 2021). "The answer is something we call “economy of scale”.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2021). "Why did yall feel it was necessary to pollute the identity of the core game rather than just spin off a "Universes Beyond" format that was Legacy + UB cards?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 9, 2021). "Secret Lair: Stranger Things on Geeked Week". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2021). "I didn't love Secret Lair Walking Dead, because my choice wasn't Walking Dead Negan or MtG (Name), my choice is Negan or nothing.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2021). "If we end up with reprints from MTG sets would they get Godzilla card treatment from Ikoria or something else in mind?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (June 7, 2021). "Secret Lair Universes Beyond Update". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe (June 7, 2021). "There will be a different treatment that indicates that the cards are related.". Twitter.
- ↑ Magic: The Gathering (June 7, 2021). "We want to use this new Secret Lair drop as a way to gauge feedback.". Twitter.
- ↑ Magic: The Gathering (October 22, 2021). "TGIF, folks!". Twitter.
- ↑ Hasbro Pulse Con 2022, DAY ONE (Video). Hasbro Pulse. YouTube (September 30, 2022).
- ↑ a b 30th Anniversary Panel at GenCon – A Recap of MTG's Past, Present & Future (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (August 5, 2023).
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 26, 2022). "Is it too much to ask for in-universe versions of the LOTR set?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 15, 2022). "will the new cards in the wh40k commander set be printed into a regular set?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2022). "If you were to print a magic version of one of the Warhammer 40k cards, it'll have to keep its typeline right?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 21, 2021). "I want to voice my general displeasure at the...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 11, 2023). "Can you confirm that Universes Beyond is not and never will be canon?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 5, 2021). "Will UB sets be allowed to make do without planeswalkers?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 11, 2023). "Is no planeswalkers going to be the norm for Universes Beyond, or did they just not fit in 40K and LotR?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Jess Lanzillo, Chris Kiritz, Athena Froehlich & Mark Rosewater (August 5, 2023). "Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Panel at GenCon – A Recap of MTG's Past, Present & Future (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
- ↑ a b Matt Jarvis (October 4, 2022). "Magic: The Gathering is getting Final Fantasy and Assassin’s Creed cards". Dicebreaker.com.
- ↑ Magic: the Gathering (October 5, 2022). "We have a sneaking suspicion some of you are very excited by this other news today…". Twitter.
External Links
- Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2022). "Designing for Universes Beyond". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.