Latest news with #UniversesBeyond
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Imagining What's Next For MTG: Universes Beyond
Since 2021 the Hasbro owned Wizards of the Coast has been inking very popular deals with known IPs to integrate into Magic: The Gathering sets, appearing first in Secret Lair drops, then as stand-alone expansions. MTG: Universes Beyond has brought us full expansions of Lord of the Rings, Fallout, Assassins' Creed, Doctor Who, Final Fantasy, and Spider-Man. That's not including Warhammer 40,000 Commander, Jurassic World, Stranger Things, and others mixed in with new expansions and Secret Lair packs. Not to mention the recently announced Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion. So what's next? Let's take a walk down speculation lane and list five hopeful dream expansions we'd like to see. MTG: Universes Beyond: Legend of Zelda The first one that pops to mind is Legend of Zelda. Primarily the latest versions for the Nintendo Switch like Breath of the Wild. It was an expansive game, so it offers plenty of creatures, abilities, lands and artifacts for the taking. Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos would be fun to see as Magic cards, but think about all the wild animals. It's a laundry list. There are at least five different horses. This set could challenge Bloomburrow for adorable animals with weapons. And all of these animals could be biome specific, with abilities mirroring their mana association. Naturally characters like Link and Zelda themselves would be Legendary mythic cards, leading commander decks, but it's the crafting that would set this expansion apart. So why not bring that mechanic to Magic: The Gathering? In Breath of the Wild it was crafting food items, Tears of the Kingdom added weapon crafting through the fuse and ultrahand abilities. I think we can integrate both. Food related abilities that activate as sorcery, tied to artifacts or other creatures, offering regeneration or a poison-type response could be a possible mechanic. As well as artifacts that mutate into weirder, more powerful weapons. With such a depth of characters and a wildly robust crafting menu, integrating Legend of Zelda into Magic: The Gathering seems like a no-brainer. MTG: Universes Beyond: Star Trek To me, a lifelong Star Trek fan (yes, even Enterprise and Star Trek: Nemesis) this one is the most obvious expansion. Can you imagine a Kahless the Unforgettable, Warrior King as a Legendary Commander with the ability to inspire other Klingon warriors on the battlefield through some boosting mechanic? There's so many humanoid alien species to choose from, and some — like the Gorn — could mutate from their original series form to their Strange New Worlds form. Piggybacking on the Aetherdrift expansion, this one would be full of vehicles. From the Enterprise itself, to smaller craft like those wasp-like Klingon shuttles, to that one time Picard drove an off-road golf cart looking for Data's head in the sand. And if there isn't a card to morph Janeway and Chakotay into slugs I'd be disappointed. And there could be a ton of spatial anomalies as enchantments that change the structure of the battlefield, just like they do in an episode of Star Trek. And don't even get me started on bringing back the room mechanic from Duskmorn for Holodeck simulations. As a bonus, similar to the Nazgul cards from the Lord of the Rings expansion, there could be a dozen different Jeffrey Combs cards. MTG: Universes Beyond: Sailor Moon Arthur Collins of Comfy Cozy Gaming was fairly enthused about the possibility of a Sailor Moon expansion, even if it's just fantasy at this point and immediately suggested possible new mechanics such as upgrades for Commanders that give them better powers, using the cats like Luna or Artemis for enhancements and villains that can spawn more monsters each turn. He also suggested Power Rangers, but he only gets one mention here so Sailor Moon it is. I don't know much else about Sailor Moon honestly, never got into it. Fun little tidbit when doing some searching; there was a Sailor Moon collectible card game that seemed to lift some mechanics from games like Magic: The Gathering. It had body, mind, and soul power cards (akin to mana), and temporary cards (instants) that affected the current gameplay. There were also location cards that offered a boost to villain cards. So there's no doubt that this franchise could be integrated into a Magic expansion. MTG: Universes Beyond: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles How is this not already an expansion? Magic slipped in some Transformers cards a few years back with the Brothers War expansion, so there's surely a market for that kind of nostalgia. Even though both properties are still going strong, which is even more appealing. Aside from character cards for Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, this set could have an entire mechanic based around the ooze. Not just a mutate mechanic, but perhaps something similar to manifesting dread or something like that. Even though there is depth to the TMNT universe, it's not as broad as some of the other options on this list. So perhaps these cards would be better as a Secret Lair drop or an addition to a future expansion. One thing that does stand out with TMNT, especially with the toy lines, is how many different variations of each character there are. A lot of opportunity for different creature cards there. Plus, we'd finally get a skateboard artifact. And pizza tokens. MTG: Universes Beyond: Futurama Someone suggested The Simpsons as a Magic: The Gathering expansion, and while that universe is full of unique characters and lore, it just doesn't feel right. Feels too much like a bad marketing idea. But that doesn't mean all Matt Groening properties aren't ripe for conversion into Magic cards. Enter Bender and the Planet Express ship. And Fry could be the least effective Commander card ever printed. Laziness could be an ability. And the rarest, most powerful card would be Seymour Asses. A fun mechanic could be embracing the nonsensical. Like, nothing has to make much sense, just like on the show. From the Professor's wild inventions, to Bender showing off a new attachment or internal function that wasn't there previously, to the absolutely wild approach to physics and dimensional space. Like a black hole instant that reroutes damage somewhere else, or tap a mountain and Bender shoots fire for one damage. Again, this feels like a Secret Lair drop, but could certainly be its own expansion. MTG: Universes Beyond: other possibilities Finally, we have the mega-obvious ones that will surely be expansions at some point. If Hasbro can make deals with Disney/Marvel, then surely someone has already mentioned a Star Wars expansion. This is a are generational science-fiction pop culture property ripe for integration into the world of Magic: The Gathering. And if you are going to have a Zelda expansion, might as well go full Nintendo with Mario, Donkey Kong, and Kirby. For that matter, may as well go full Marvel with X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four and so on. Really, at this point, anything is fair game for at least a Secret Lair drop. Borderlands, Halo, and Starcraft come to mind. Josh Knowles of KnowTechie suggested I at least mention the possibility of more Final Fantasy with Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy Mythic Quest. He also suggested Dark Souls/Elden Ring with persist mechanics but I quit Dark Souls 2 about 20 minutes in and never looked back, so it didn't get a fleshed out mention. Frankly, if you can think of a popular franchise, so can the team at Wizards of the Coast, so there's a possibility any IP could translate to MTG: Universes Beyond. Even the Care Bears.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
MTG: Spider-Man Continues A Fantastical Collectors Dream
MTG: Spider-Man is the next Universes Beyond set, releasing later this year. But it started with a bunch of Secret Lair drops in 2020. The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, Street Fighter, and Fortnite were some of the early Universes Beyond releases from Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering brand. These cards, some reskins, were terribly popular with collectors, chasing the pop culture crossover dream. While the resell value of most of these drops has stayed steady, it was the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks in 2022 that really pushed Universes Beyond into the forefront of comic book store shelves. These Commander sets go for hundreds of dollars, according to a quick search on TCGPlayer. And that resell value has renewed heated interest into a brand that for a while, was meeting a tad of (anecdotal) stagnation in the market. Wizards of the Coast realized they had something going with these crossovers, leading up to next month's full release of Spider-Man (after a Marvel Secret Lair drop last year). Not all releases have seen a full release in the sense of booster packs, Commander decks, and all the other selling packs. Notably, The Lord of The Rings, Assassin's Creed, and Fallout have found their way into the hands of collectors, with plenty of new cards and a few reskins mixed in. Final Fantasy came out earlier this year, and collectors were chasing that Traveling Chocobo card for sure. And if you were able to get your hands on a Collector's Booster, you can pay your rent selling a couple of those. So will Spider-Man reach the same level of ridiculous value? Probably. Because there is an Infinity Stone. You thought The One Ring was cool? Wait until you pull a cosmic foil Soul Stone. If you are lucky, maybe Post Malone will buy it off you. MTG: Spider-Man respects the art One of the best things about these Universes Beyond releases, besides the resell value, is the artwork. With Spider-Man, we're going to see Showcase Scene cards. These cards can be combined to form a scene that feels like it was lifted from a comic book. Spider-Man comic cover artists such as Steve Ditko will be featured on cards starring iconic Spider-Man characters. Let's take a look at some of the cards you'll likely be slipping into card protectors in a few weeks. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder It's clear that you are going to find a lot of double-sided cards in this expansion. Not my favorite to play with because you have to remove them from the sleeves to transform them. That's a personal issue though. But the mythic cards should carry a moderate resale value at least. This set is leaning heavily into the multiverse aspect, with characters that found their way from the comics to the big screen along with Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It's clear this set isn't settling on the traditional universe populated by Tobey Maguire and his new best friends Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield. It's all the Spider-Mans from all the places. And their best villains and abilities. Plus, some great lands. Collectors love unique lands, and our first taste with Multiversal Passage certainly fits the bill. The Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man expansion releases on September 26th, 2025 and there will surely be a ton of local comic store events leading up to the release. The pre-release parties are where you get the good stuff, especially those collector boosters before everyone else snaps them all up.
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Of Course the ‘Avatar' Cabbage Guy Is Getting a ‘Magic' Card
Edge of Eternities is barely out, and Spider-Man hasn't even swung onto shelves yet, but that's not stopped Wizards of the Coast from marching on into promoting the next next set coming to Magic: The Gathering—its 'Universes Beyond' crossover with Avatar: The Last Airbender. Alongside previews of how the world of Avatar will work mechanically in the landscape of the game, our first extensive preview of what to expect in the set confirms the obvious: Cabbage Guy is getting his own Magic card. Today Wizards of the Coast hosted the first preview stream for the Magic: The Gathering – Avatar: The Last Airbender set. We had already seen a couple of cards a few months ago, in the form of an alt-art card for Aang himself illustrated by Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko, and then, at SDCC, a partial tease for a card for Princess Yue, Sokka's romantic interest who famously sacrificed herself to become the new Moon Spirit. That's rough, buddy, but at least she'll now be forever immortalized on a Magic card. Yue's full card was one of many revealed during today's stream—with fan favorites like Aang, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and even Appa and Momo all getting highlighted cards, alongside legendary figures like the Fire Lord Sozin, whose mythic status in the Avatar world will be represented as a transformable Saga Creature, a mechanic introduced with characters like Clive Rosfield and Terra Branford in the Final Fantasy set earlier this year. The stream also gave us our first indicator of how Magic will incorporate elemental bending as a major mechanic in the set. Airbending lets players exile nonland permanents to cast them for a reduced mana cost, Waterbending lets players pay an extra cost through mana and tapping their own artifact or creature cards in order to activate extra abilities, Earthbending is a keyword that lets you transform your land cards into creatures, and Firebending is another keyword that lets players spend extra red mana to amplify a card's offensive power. But of course, all those important mechanics are of no interest when there's memes to be had. The Last Airbender is full of memorable moments, and the Magic set will be no exception: two particularly memetic cards were revealed in today's preview in the form of Avatar Enthusiasts, a card inspired by the froth-mouthed freakout of the Kyoshi Island residents from the show's fourth episode, 'The Warriors of Kyoshi,' and the Cabbage Merchant, of course inspired by the one and only cabbage guy from episode five, 'The King of Omashu.' Naturally, as a purveyor of cruciferous vegetables, he helps green decks generate food tokens. Helpful! Magic: The Gathering – Avatar: The Last Airbender is set to release on October 28, just over a month after the release of Magic's actual next set, Marvel's Spider-Man, on September 24. Wizards of the Coast may be starting to hear fans' concerns about sets capturing that Magic aesthetic feel, but perhaps not so much that their wallets want more of a break. You can check out all the Avatar cards revealed so far here. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Wizards of the Coast Is Beginning to Get ‘Magic' Fans' Gripes With Less Fantastical Aesthetics
Magic: The Gathering is having an even bigger moment than usual this year, thanks to a lot of attention around its splashy crossovers and its rapid rollout of sets. But with that attention, there's definitely been some consternation about just how wide-reaching Magic's aesthetic is getting, between experimental in-universe sets and those aforementioned 'Universes Beyond' bringing more and more licensed material into the game. In a fascinating new article looking at the major sets of the last year, the game's head designer is starting to reckon with those lessons learned… lessons that are going to make for a very interesting reaction to the game's next big collab. Today Magic head designer Mark Rosewater released his 2025 State of Design article on the official Magic website, looking back at feedback and lessons to be learned from the release of almost every major Magic set released in the last year (up to, but not including, Edge of Eternities, which released on August 1). There are lots of interesting points Rosewater makes in the piece, reflecting some of the biggest fan concerns about Magic's direction from a mechanical and aesthetic point of view, from the game's eagerness to move on from themes every set, creating an issue where mechanical elements are introduced and then left unsupported, to an awareness of the game's complexity creep from the sheer amount of interactions possible even when Magic introduces individually simplistic new mechanics. But one of the most intriguing lessons to be learned that Rosewater highlights across several of the sets covered in the piece—Bloomburrow, Duskmourn: House of Horror, Foundations, Aetherdrift, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and Final Fantasy—is a regular criticism Magic has faced as of late: that the game has occasionally pushed its fantastical too far into elements that don't capture Magic's feel. One particular pain point Rosewater highlighted was in Duskmourn, a horror-themed set that included several more direct aspersions to classic horror media, rooted in our own world. 'Players, it seems, are not fans of what I'm going to call 'mundane modernity.' Magic has had many sets, such as Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty and The Brothers' War which push into more of a science-fiction feel, with items far more technically advanced than one would normally find in a fantasy story,' Rosewater wrote. 'That doesn't generally bother many players. Some things Duskmourn: House of Horror did for the first time bothered players, like having characters wearing and using things that we actually use: things like sneakers, or jeans, or a baseball bat. Part of fantasy is the idea that you're coming to a world that is fundamentally different than your own. Fantasy wants to be inspirational, and seeing everyday objects which are a part of all of our daily lives deflates that.' As Rosewater acknowledged, not every Magic set is rooted in explicitly fantastical material, from the sci-fantasy of sets like Edge of Eternities to collaborations in Universes Beyond like Doctor Who or Warhammer 40,000, which have fantastical elements rooted in science-fictional or real-world designs. But Magic also has a strong history of being able to root that kind of aesthetic in fantasy, which Duskmourn's more explicit horror callouts lacked. At a time when Wizards is also reckoning with the increase of non-Magic-original sets in the game, depending on the crossover, it's going to be an issue that continues to concern players (even beyond the general existence of Universes Beyond, complaints around which Rosewater acknowledged as a 'sentiment [that] continually shrinks over time'). It's an interesting thing for Rosewater to acknowledge, though, as Magic is now little more than a month away from the release of its next set, Marvel's Spider-Man. Although there are fantastical elements in a set about a superhero scientist and peculiar foes, like most of good Marvel, it's built into the so-called 'world outside our window.' The Final Fantasy set did a great job translating Final Fantasy to the world of Magic, while drawing on a myriad of aesthetics from steampunk to sci-fi to more traditional medieval fantasy, and managed to effectively balance those aesthetic styles with what players typically expect from Magic. Will Spider-Man walk the web-rope and balance that vibe, or will it end up with reactions like Duskmourn? We'll find out if there are more lessons to learn when the set hits shelves at the end of September. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HAS Q2 Deep Dive: MAGIC Drives Growth Amid Tariffs and Consumer Product Shifts
Toy and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) reported Q2 CY2025 results topping the market's revenue expectations , but sales fell by 1.5% year on year to $980.8 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.30 per share was 68.6% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy HAS? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Hasbro (HAS) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $980.8 million vs analyst estimates of $882.1 million (1.5% year-on-year decline, 11.2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $1.30 vs analyst estimates of $0.77 (68.6% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $302 million vs analyst estimates of $227.6 million (30.8% margin, 32.7% beat) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $1.19 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $1.12 billion Operating Margin: -81.4%, down from 21.3% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $10.77 billion StockStory's Take Hasbro's second quarter results reflected meaningful momentum in its Wizards of the Coast business, particularly with the MAGIC: THE GATHERING franchise, which offset softer performance in the consumer products division. While overall sales declined modestly, management cited MAGIC's 23% year-over-year growth and the robust performance of the Final Fantasy set as key drivers. CEO Chris Cocks highlighted, 'Final Fantasy took one day to deliver what Lord of the Rings did in six months,' underscoring the magnitude of demand. Management acknowledged that U.S. consumer product sales were impacted by shifts in retailer ordering patterns and macroeconomic uncertainty, as well as timing issues tied to tariffs. Looking ahead, Hasbro's updated guidance is underpinned by ongoing strength in MAGIC: THE GATHERING, further product releases in the Universes Beyond portfolio, and cost management initiatives to mitigate tariff headwinds. CFO Gina Goetter cautioned that the impact of tariffs would be more pronounced in the second half, stating, 'We haven't seen any of that tariff impact in the P&L quite yet ... that starts to manifest in the back half of the year.' Management also pointed to upcoming launches such as Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender sets, as well as ongoing diversification of the supply chain, as central to sustaining growth and protecting margins. Key Insights from Management's Remarks Management attributed the quarter's outperformance to continued MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion and effective cost control amid shifting retailer behavior and trade policy uncertainty. MAGIC: THE GATHERING momentum: The franchise delivered its strongest quarter ever, driven by the success of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set, which became the highest-grossing MAGIC release to date. Management noted that community engagement set new records, with MagicCon Las Vegas drawing over 19,000 attendees and organized play up 40% year-over-year. Retailer inventory timing: U.S. consumer product sales declined as retailers delayed holiday inventory purchases and shifted from direct imports to domestic fulfillment, largely due to tariff-related uncertainty. Management expects much of this delayed ordering to recover in the third and fourth quarters as holiday demand builds. Tariff mitigation efforts: Leadership detailed a playbook for managing higher input costs, including cost reductions, supplier diversification, and selective price increases. About 50% of U.S. toy and game volume currently originates from China, but Hasbro aims to reduce this to less than 40% by 2027. Digital and licensing growth: Hasbro's licensing and digital gaming segments continued to outperform, with MONOPOLY GO! hitting new user and revenue milestones. The company also announced a new casino gaming licensing partnership to further diversify high-margin revenue streams. Operational transformation progress: Management highlighted $98 million in gross savings year-to-date from transformation initiatives across supply chain, SG&A, and product development, aiming to reach $175–$225 million in savings for the year. These efforts helped maintain profitability despite headwinds in consumer products. Drivers of Future Performance Hasbro's forward outlook hinges on MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion, cost control measures, and the ability to navigate tariff-related risks in consumer products. MAGIC product pipeline: Management expects continued growth from upcoming Universes Beyond releases like Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as further engagement and backlist sales. CEO Chris Cocks emphasized that upcoming collaborations and new player demographics could drive additional expansion in 2026 and beyond. Tariff and supply chain strategies: The company is accelerating supplier diversification and onshoring initiatives to reduce reliance on China and limit tariff exposure. CFO Gina Goetter noted that while current tariff expenses are manageable, rates remain fluid and may impact both costs and pricing strategies through next year. Consumer product recovery: Management anticipates a rebound in consumer product sales in the second half as retailers resume inventory purchases for the holiday season. However, they remain cautious given ongoing retailer conservatism and the potential for further shifts in order patterns. Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace of MAGIC: THE GATHERING product launches and new player acquisition, (2) progress in reducing supply chain reliance on China and mitigating tariff costs, and (3) signs of recovery in consumer product sales as retailers rebuild inventory for the holiday season. Developments in digital gaming partnerships and the rollout of new Universes Beyond sets will also be key areas of focus. Hasbro currently trades at $76.55, down from $77.61 just before the earnings. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). 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