Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has maintained an incredibly engaged player base since its release in 1993. It was the first of what we now call trading card games (TCGs). MTG’s collectable, playable card game format has been the blueprint for other successful TCGs, like Pokémon TCG and Yu-Gi-Oh.
In 2020, MTG began introducing IP crossover card sets called ‘Universes Beyond’ (UB), the first of which was in collaboration with The Walking Dead franchise, and last September, the much-anticipated Spider-Man set was released. As a confessed fanatic of the ol’ web-head, the set release was a ‘spectacular’ crossover between my favourite table-top game and favourite character(s). Whilst adding IPs to the game feels long-awaited for many, some players aren’t happy about it.
The cause for upset is that the UB sets are legal in the ‘Standard’ game format, in which players make a 60-card deck from any of the last 16 released sets. They complain that UB cards spoil the illusion of the imagined universe.
The main sets have featured mostly Western fantasy and folklore character designs (think wizards, dragons, knights, and ancient beasts) since Magic’s conception. Players feared that introducing popular external IPs could sully the traditional lore and art style that fundamentally shaped the game. It is called Magic: The Gathering after all. “Indeed, the return of the vinyl record and portable record-player suggest that there may be aspects of the legacy media that audiences today are keen to hang on to.” (Turnbull 2020 p.31)
“You can still provide IP crossovers for players who want that experience, but it doesn’t need to be forced into the primary competitive format for everyone to deal with,” suggests Niall Walsh (2026), a writer for The Gamer.
But Magic has always offered an element of creative control and self-expression through personalised deck building and format variations.
“Produsage–the collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement” (Bruns 2008 p. 21) Players paint over, reimagine, or create their own cards. Entire Instagram accounts are dedicated to reposting cards with their text partially redacted, revealing a humorous, Bart Simpson-style message, like changing ‘Null Group Biological Assets’ to ‘Biological Ass’.
Yes, the older cards’ aesthetic synergy creates a charming and interesting world of lore to indulge in. But there’s no denying that UB sets have positive impacts, like luring back lapsed players and introducing new players to the game. “All the data says Universes Beyond is having a very healthy impact on the longevity of the game. Right now […] there are more people playing Magic than there have ever been in its thirty-two year history,” MTG’s Head Designer wrote in a Tumblr post from 2025.
Multiple formats and deck flexibility are part of MTG’s appeal, especially in social matches. Considering the most popular game format, Commander, was first conceptualised by a fan in 1995, produsage is undeniably an asset to the Magic fanbase. I can understand how playing ‘Hot Dog Cart’ in response to ‘Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn’ might shatter the fourth wall of a players deck, and I agree with Walsh’s excerpt overall. But bending the rules, inventing formats, and incorporating unique art variants is a welcome addition to the game if you ask me.
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References
Bruns, Axel 2008, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, Peter Lang Publishing Inc, New York
<https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oj2A68UIHpkC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&ots=z42XXa1BQs&sig=ghlfBKiVEhaszUcx4wlWbVTdInQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false>
Rosewater, M 2025, Tumblr, viewed 31 March 2026
Turnbull, Sue 2020 Media Audiences : Is Anybody Watching?, Red Globe Press, London. Available from ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=6274056.
Walsh, N 2026, The Gamer, viewed 31 March 2026