MTG x Final Fantasy Gift Bag from Summer Game Fest

What Is Final Fantasy?

If you’ve ever touched a video game, odds are you know Final Fantasy. It’s one of the most iconic RPG franchises of all time, arguably the definition of a classic. But how does it tie into Magic: The Gathering? In more ways than you’d think.

Final Fantasy already has a lot in common with MTG: wizards, knights, swords, summons, dinosaurs, robots, it’s all there. While some Universes Beyond sets can feel like a bit of a stretch thematically, Final Fantasy fits right in. It’s a natural pairing.

What Is Available?

As with other Universes Beyond releases, the Final Fantasy set includes a wide variety of products:

Booster packs and boxes (Play and Collector’s versions)
Bundle packs, plus a Gift Bundle (same as the regular bundle but includes a Collector Booster)
A Prerelease Pack
Four Commander decks, available in both regular and Collector’s Editions (the latter featuring the same cards with a full-foil treatment)
A Starter Kit with two ready-to-play 60-card decks: one red/white Cloud-themed equipment deck, and one black/blue Sephiroth-themed spellcasting deck

Commander

The Final Fantasy set brings a massive lineup of legendary creatures to the table, perfect for Commander fans. Honestly, the possibilities feel endless, so I’ll be ranking all the legendary options in a separate article, but for now, let’s dive into the four preconstructed Commander decks.

Limit Break (Naya – White/Red/Green)

The standout precon, Limit Break is a Voltron-style deck headlined by Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. Focused heavily on equipment, it’s designed to turn Cloud, or any creature, into an unstoppable powerhouse. This deck feels the most cohesive and well-rounded of the four, with nearly every card reinforcing the central “buff-up-and-swing” strategy. No surprise it’s the most sought-after deck in the set.

Counter Blitz (Bant – Green/White/Blue)

My personal favorite. Counter Blitz is all about +1/+1 counters—creating them, proliferating them, and moving them around your board. It’s led by Tidus from Final Fantasy X, and the design beautifully captures the spirit of Blitzball. At Summer Game Fest, I chatted with Daniel Holt at the MTG booth (a fellow FFX fan), and he mentioned the counter-passing mechanic was inspired by the game’s signature sport. That clever nod sealed the deal for me.

Revival Trance (Mardu – Red/White/Black)

This one’s a classic graveyard recursion deck starring Terra. She’s a low-cost commander at just three mana, and by turn five, you’re bringing creatures back from the grave. Only restriction is they need to have power three or less. While the spell package helps balance this, it’s risky if you accidentally mill higher-power creatures. If you're not careful, it can backfire, self-mill is a cruel mistress. It’s solid, but for me, it’s the weakest of the four out of the box.

Scions & Spellcraft (Esper – White/Blue/Black)

A spell-slinger’s dream. This deck rewards you for casting big spells, hurting your opponents while giving you the benefits. The curve is high, so some extra ramp would help, but overall the synergy is tight. It’s not the flashiest spell deck I’ve seen, but the payoff system is satisfying. And since it doesn't scream “threat” from the start, you might just fly under the radar and pull off a sneaky win.

Commander Deck Rankings

If I had to rank the decks, here’s how I’d place them:

Counter Blitz – Between my obsession with Abzan counters and my love for FFX, this one’s a dream come true.
Limit Break – Practically tied for first. If Counter Blitz weren’t Tidus-themed, Cloud Voltron would take the crown.
Scions & Spellcraft – Fun mechanics and a clever angle on spellcasting, even if it’s not the strongest version of the archetype.
Revival Trance – Not a bad deck by any means, just the least immediately effective. A few tweaks could make it shine.

Final Verdict

I’ve been an avid defender of Universes Beyond, and yes, even the “hat sets.” If someone gets into Magic because they saw your favorite characters in cowboy hats or wielding keyblades (probably in the future), who cares? That’s still a new player joining the community.

Final Fantasy is a huge franchise with global reach, and this set is likely to bring a lot of fresh faces into Magic: The Gathering. And that’s a good thing. This is the first Standard-legal Universes Beyond set, which means it’ll be in print for a while. So long as it doesn’t negatively impact other set prices, we should welcome this expansion, and the players it brings.

Frankly, this set integrates so well into MTG’s mechanics and flavor that even the usual UB critics have been unusually quiet. That’s saying something. I love what they’ve done here, and I hope it shows people what Universes Beyond can be when it’s done right.

And no, it’s not “just another Fortnite set.”

The Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond - Final Fantasy set is available now at select online stores, select retailers (if you’re lucky), and your local game store (also if you’re lucky). My only recommendation I can give you for getting your hands on this set, is be patient. Don’t support the deep dark second hand market (I’m talking scalpers), and wait. This is a standard legal set, it will get reprints so just stay vigilant and you’ll find what you need. Good luck and enjoy this amazing set!