Magic is becoming a nightmare, especially for those who just want to play: the Final Fantasy case

It is total chaos around Magic: The Gathering X Final Fantasy, the new crossover expansion released on June 13th. Since the presales were officially opened on May 14, the set has been the subject of an unbridled race for purchases, with the Commander Collector Editions already exhausted anywhere and the boxes of envelopes that are becoming a collector’s asset before even arriving on the shelves.

A situation that is putting the large community of Magic in crisis (50 million players globally), but also Fins Fantasy fans, Japanese videogame series of Square Enix who has sold 200 million copies all over the world. Two extremely vast and passionate fans. This explains why Magic: The Gathering X Final Fantasy is the best -selling set of always before going out on the market.

The success of the Universes Beyond line in Magic

To understand the weight of this expansion, you need to take a step back. Magic: The Gathering, published by Wizards of the Coast (the same company as Dungeons & Dragons), was born in 1993 from the mind of the mathematician Richard Garfield. With its “Alpha” set, it revolutionizes the collectible card games industry. The concept is simple: the player impersonates a magician who has the spells represented by the cards. The structure, on the other hand, is much more complex. And it is precisely the depth of the game that allows Magic to reinvent himself at any expansion. Later, with The acquisition of Wizards of the Coast by Hasbro in 1999, the brand begins to look at the world of large -scale entertainment.

This transformation culminates in 2021 with the launch of the Universes Beyond initiative, which opens the doors to crossover with external franchises: From Doctor Who to Fallout, passing through the Lord of the Ringsof which many will remember the “only ring” card purchased by rapper Post Malone for over 2 million dollars. A road, that of Universs Beyond, aimed at bringing Magic Fanbase outside the card game.

In the case of the set of Final Fantasy, the illustrations of the cards, many of which resume the artwork of Yoshitaka lovewell -known Japanese artist who worked on the videogame series starting from the first chapters, those of the late 80s and 90s. Then there are all the heroes and heroines up to Final Fantasy XVI, the last chapter of the series released in 2023, if not the mascots, such as Chocobo and Moguri. Not to mention the representation of immortal scenes of the Finalfantasian imagination, such as the dance between Squall and Rinoa of Final Fantasy VIII. The rules of the various cards also refer to the typical dynamics of the Japanese role -playing game.

A careful and quality job, which triggered an unprecedented Hype, both among Magic’s players and among Final Fantasy fans. He reports an American shopkeeper on Reddit: “As for the shops, he is already breaking record and raising the bar so high that I don’t think he will be beaten for a long time. In the first hour of pre-orders he has already sold more than double the whole weekend of pre-launch of the Lord of the Rings, which was our second box with the highest turnover ever.”

The anger of the Magic community

The earthquake around Magic X Final Fantasy goes beyond the hype generated by the objective quality of the cards. The set in fact brings with it Important news that change the approach to the game, primarily from an economic point of view. This is the largest set in the history of the Wizards of the Coast collectible card game. Based on the spoilers that emerged on Reddit and other reference platforms, 430 cards are currently confirmed, but the number may increase. As a rule, an expansion of Magic counts from 270 to 330.

This makes Almost impossible to complete the entire collection without a considerable investment. The problem ends if we consider that, for the first time, a universes Beyond set will also be valid in standard and modern tournaments, forcing those who play competitive to deal with greater expense. First the crossover cards could only be used in the Commander format, which allowed the Magic fan to participate in the other most common competitions without necessarily buying the new sets.

It is not over: to complicate things, The decision to reduce the number of envelopes in the packaging. The regular boxes now contain only 30 boosters (against traditional 36), however maintaining the same list price of about 150 euros. Price that, due to the high demand, has seen under 170 – 190 euros. Regarding the Collector Box, which offer rarer and more valuable cards, often foil or with Art Variant, the situation is even more chaotic. From a list cost of about 380 euros, there has been figures exceeding 600due to the scarcity of stocks and the phenomenon of retailers who cancel the pre -ters to sell them to inflated figures.

A situation that triggered the anger of the community, between reports of incomplete supplies and disappointed collectors. YouTube is full of fans who complain about these practices: Tolarian Community College, a profile that has over a million subscribers, headlines a “Magic: The Gathering has become much more expensive” video. The YouTuber Mtg Mox Man complains about how horrible the practice of pre -orders has become.

Magic X Final Fantasy is a success announced even before the official release, however the general enthusiasm is accompanied by a growing frustration. Magic enthusiasts complain of the risk of distorting the game, increasingly oriented towards collecting and spectacular crossover, and less and less linked to the original identity of its magical universe. On the other hand, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro clearly aim to expand the audience, intercepting new public with high -impact operations like this. A guaranteed commercial triumph, but at a high price, literally.