Despite the massive success of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe and increasing hype for Tom Holland's return as the friendly neighborhood hero in Brand New Day, the latest Spider-Man collection for Magic: The Gathering has been hit with major backlash, and a new survey sent out by Wizards of the Coast seemingly acknowledges the negative response from fans. However, the survey itself is now facing its own controversy, with one question being perceived as a form of deflection for the less-than-stellar reception of the latest Magic: The Gathering crossover.
Considered to be one of the most popular trading card games of all time, Magic: The Gathering is beloved for its unique fantasy setting and competitive gameplay, drawing in thousands of new fans across the globe each year. While criticism towards the inclusion of Spider-Man has already addressed the immersion break of the MTG fantasy world, with cards set in New York City and bearing titles like Hot Dog Cart, the latest backlash is now being turned directly towards Wizards of the Coast.
Magic: The Gathering's 2025, 2026 Release Roadmap Explained
Magic: The Gathering is suddenly filled to the brim with new Secret Lair drops, main Standard-legal sets, and more Final Fantasy cards through 2026.
Latest Magic: The Gathering Survey Hit with Community Backlash
An official survey sent out by Wizards of the Coast asks for consumer feedback on the Marvel's Spider-Man set for Magic: The Gathering and includes one particular question that has quickly sparked heated conversations among fans. Most of the survey focuses on questions such as player thoughts on the Spider-Man cards being Standard Legal for competitive play and which other franchises and IPs fans would like to see introduced into Magic: The Gathering, but a question about negative influencer comments has been perceived as an insult to the community. The official question reads: "To what degree did negative influencer commentary impact your perceptions of Magic: The Gathering / Marvel's Spider-Man before the set released?" Audiences immediately flooded online spaces, discussing what many feel to be an attack on potentially valid criticisms.
Some have pointed out that the controversial question does seem to acknowledge the poor performance of the collection, though many have voiced a concern that the question may also be placing the blame for the negative reception on community influencers and not the set itself. Perhaps of greater note, the other questions in the survey indicate that Magic: The Gathering will be moving forward with even more collaborations, with further Marvel crossovers and an Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG set already confirmed for November 2025, so there is currently no indication that any changes will be made to the set, regardless of feedback online or via the survey.
At the time of writing, official sales numbers for the Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man collection have not been shared, but heated discussions in MTG communities suggest a subpar reception. Whether the upcoming Magic: The Gathering collaborations with Avatar and other Marvel properties will face the same critiques remains to be seen, so interested fans may want to stay tuned for any potential updates on the Spider-Man set and future news from Wizards of the Coast.
Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
- August 5, 1993
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- Richard Garfield
- Player Count
- 2+
- Age Recommendation
- 13+