Magic: The Gathering is having quite a year so far, and there is still more to come from the CCG. 2025 will see Wizards of the Coast releasing a number of sets within its Universes Beyond initiative, which, like its related Secret Lair collections, brings other popular IPs into Magic: The Gathering's world. Of note, the Final Fantasy crossover became the single highest-grossing set in MTG's history, raking in $200 million in a single day, and all but assuring more adaptations to come if that was ever in doubt.
The Final Fantasy crossover also impacted the meta in a significant way, and opinions on this have been more than a little mixed. The next Universes Beyond set is the Marvel's Spider-Man crossover, which also has been making waves in more ways than one since its reveal. While these collections can be great fun and a good way to onboard newcomers, some believe they're encroaching on MTG's core identity too much. And in an interesting case, Wizards' plan to address this for the Spider-Man set and others going forward, specifically on digital-only platforms, makes for a fascinating "What If?" Consideration.
MtG's Through the Omenpaths Digital-Only Adaption of the Spider-Man Universes Beyond Set Could've Made it Big
Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Sets Have Been On a Roll, But Not Everyone is On Board
Magic: The Gathering' s main expansions and Universes Beyond sets this year include:
- Final Fantasy (released June 13)
- Edge of Eternities (released August 1)
- Marvel's Spider-Man (releasing September 26)
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (releasing November 21)
Of these, only Edge of Eternities is a completely new in-universe set, making the ratio of Universes Beyond to original expansions of 3:1. And while the collaborations have proven generally popular, some portions of the fanbase have been less than thrilled about this approach. Magic: The Gathering's Spider-Man crossover will now be the first to receive a treatment pertaining to its inclusion in MTG's online and digital formats.
Magic: The Gathering's Digital-Only Through the Omenpaths Sets Provide Alternative Versions of UB Crossovers
Communications Director Blake Rasmussen released a statement earlier this year addressing WotC's vision and plans for Magic: The Gathering Arena and MTG Online regarding how it will handle integrating some Universes Beyond going forward. Rasmussen outlined:
Through the Omenpaths releases will be digital sets that are Universes Within versions of Universes Beyond sets that otherwise wouldn't be coming to digital Magic platforms. These digital cards will be mechanically identical to their Universes Beyond tabletop counterparts but with unique creative treatments, different art, and different names.
As an example of how this will work, the Aunt May card from MTG's Spider-Man set is redesigned as Zora, Spider Fancier in Through the Omenpaths:
Rasmussen also clarified that:
We will not be creating Through the Omenpaths sets mirroring every Universes Beyond set, only the ones that will not be coming to digital platforms. This lets our formats remain mechanically at parity with one another digitally without having to create patchwork solutions. We are currently only planning to create Through the Omenpaths releases for full sets that are legal in all formats. Marvel's Spider-Man (as well as future Marvel sets) will not be coming to digital platforms. Instead, we will release our first Through the Omenpaths set on September 23.
It's an interesting proposition that will serve to streamline each set across their print and digital versions while potentially satisfying fans on both sides of the fence regarding Universes Beyond. At the very least, players across all platforms will receive versions of each new set.
But hypothetically, in a reality where Through the Omenpaths was its own original set, it would have resulted in an even split between Universes Beyond and new MTG collections for 2025. It's possible then that this might have resonated better with fans overall while still providing all the new cards that will be included in the Spider-Man collection. And depending on fan reaction, this could see Wizards balancing or staggering out UB sets with fresh ones more evenly in the future.
- Franchise
- Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
- 1993
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Age Recommendation
- 13+