Magic: The Gathering’s Edge of Eternities set is a return to form for the TCG, inviting players to explore the vast reaches of space, an uncharted territory for MTG. Along with this new setting for Magic: The Gathering, players were introduced to some fresh faces and mechanics in this set, as well as some returning characters from the game’s past.
For lore buffs, Edge of Eternities offers players a new story experience within the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, focusing more seriously on the world players fell in love with. Players may want to savor every moment they can with this set, though, as it could be quite some time until another set can offer a similar experience.
Spider-Man and Avatar Are the Last MTG Sets of 2025
Edge of Eternities is the last in-universe Magic: The Gathering set to release in 2025. There are still more sets to be released before the end of the year, but these are both Universes Beyond, meaning fans of Magic: The Gathering’s lore will need to wait until next year before they can re-immerse themselves again.
Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man collaboration will be the first set to arrive after Edge of Eternities, releasing on September 26. This should be an exciting set for Spider-Man fans, featuring a diverse array of MTG cards based on the Spider-Man multiverse, but the lack of representation from Magic: The Gathering’s own universes can make this difficult for fans of the series’ mythology.
Following the release of Spider-Man is the Avatar: The Last Airbender set on November 21. There is still relatively little known about what this set will contain, but it could be a great way to encourage fans of the series to try Magic: The Gathering for the first time. However, with the MTG Avatar: The Last Airbender set’s spoiler season starting early, speculation about these cards has slightly overshadowed Edge of Eternities. As ATLA is the last set of 2025, it feels as though Edge of Eternities is the last chance to truly enjoy the characters and worlds unique to the game until next year.
Universes Beyond Is Overshadowing In-Universe Sets
Not All Players Enjoy Universes Beyond IPs
Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond sets have become a point of controversy for players, causing a divide in the community. It’s no secret that they are great for business, encouraging fans of the series represented to buy more packs and incentivizing newcomers to try the game for the first time with familiar IPs, but this ultimately isn’t for everyone.
Having two Universes Beyond sets release back-to-back can diminish the excitement for Magic: The Gathering players who have no attachment to these other franchises crossing over with the game personally face a drought in content that interests them as they wait until the next in-universe set.
This becomes especially problematic for players who don’t have an interest in the upcoming Spider-Man set, as more Marvel sets are guaranteed to follow. The exact number of future Marvel sets is not known, but one Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man card gives an indication of how many players can expect soon. The Soul Stone card is the first of the Infinity Stones, and it is likely the rest will be included individually in other Marvel sets. If this is the case, 2026 may have multiple Marvel Universes Beyond sets, which can be a blessing for some players and a curse for others.
What makes these Universes Beyond sets difficult for some players is that it can feel like a requirement to play with or against them, regardless of interest. Some cards from the Final Fantasy Magic: The Gathering set are broken, and it is likely that Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender’s cards could result in equally threatening combos. This motivates players to use these stronger cards, even if they have no interest in the series.
The Final Fantasy set generated millions for WotC, drawing in many new players to try the card game for the first time. Sets like this are a great way to introduce players to the game, but there is some concern that Magic: The Gathering could become reliant on Universes Beyond. By giving too much focus to other IPs, fans of Magic: The Gathering and its own dedicated universes risk being overlooked.
Edge of Eternities Shows Promise for Future Sets
Although the rest of 2025’s sets are Universes Beyond, Edge of Eternities shows that there is still hope for 2026. While Magic: The Gathering’s 50/50 split means that the main sets need to share space with Universes Beyond, the quality of Edge of Eternities could set a precedent for their quality moving forward.
The next in-universe Magic: The Gathering set is Lorwyn Eclipsed, a set returning to Lorwyn-Shadowmoor which will release on January 23, 2026.
Edge of Eternities is slowly fixing a problem that some players had with the in-universe Magic: The Gathering sets. Murders at Karlov Manor and Aetherdrift introduced new ideas and playful themes to the game, but could feel more like an aesthetic gimmick than a serious set. If Universes Beyond is going to be as present as ever moving forward, the original MTG sets need to expand the existing world in a way that pleases long-time players.
Universes Beyond has become a major part of Magic: The Gathering’s identity, and the success of these sets implies that this won’t change any time soon. Edge of Eternities has offered MTG players some respite by introducing new concepts while taking itself seriously, but it could feel like a long wait until another in-universe set of this quality arrives. Fans of Spider-Man, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the Universes Beyond sets in general have a lot to look forward to for the rest of 2025, but other players will unfortunately need to wait until 2026 to be able to re-explore the familiar planes of Magic: The Gathering.
- Franchise
- Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
- 1993
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Age Recommendation
- 13+