2023 is going to be a big year for fans of Magic: The Gathering crossover sets, as The Lord of the Rings sets and the newly-announced Doctor Who Commander Decks and collector boosters will launch in Q3 2023. The MTG x Lord of the Rings crossover set was first announced in 2021 as part of the MTG Universes Beyond line, which features crossovers with a number of different franchises.
The MTG Universes Beyond line has involved some unexpected crossovers, with cards based on The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and Street Fighter franchises. The upcoming Universes Beyond cards also include cards based on Fortnite, as well as four Commander Decks based on Warhammer 40k, featuring the Imperium of Man, Tyranids, Necrons, and Chaos. It's notable that the D&D crossovers with MTG aren't given a special classification, as Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro owns both properties. These crossovers have also gone both ways, with MTG content (like Strixhaven) appearing in D&D.
The Wizards Presents showcase on August 18 featured a number of announcements for MTG and D&D products, giving fans a taste of what's to come. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set for MTG now has a Q3 2023 launch window. This will be a fully draftable booster set and will be classed as Modern Legal, with cards based on characters like Frodo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, and the Balrog of Moria. The set will also feature the Battle of the Pelennor Fields from The Return of the King, as told across 18 borderless seam cards. There will also be a digital MTG Arena Alchemy release, featuring new battlefields, avatars, pets, and more.
Doctor Who & Magic The Gathering Are Having An Anniversary Crossover
One of the biggest announcements made during the Wizards Presents showcase was for an upcoming MTG Universes Beyond crossover set, based on the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who. The set will feature every incarnation of the Doctor, as well as many characters and locations from the franchise. The Doctor Who set will feature four Commander Decks and collector boosters, but won't be a full set in the same way as The Lord of the Rings set. The crossover will tie the 30th anniversary of MTG to the upcoming 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. Screen Rant attended a private press event ahead of the Wizards Presents event, and Hasbro Global Brand and Product Strategy Director Rebecca Aghakhan Shepard revealed that the Doctor Who set has a Q3 2023 release window.
All of the MTG crossovers in the Universes Beyond set have added a lot of famous faces to the game, and while some might grumble at the inclusion of Fortnite characters, they can't deny the appeal of introducing ring-bearers and Time Lords to the field. MTG will have sets based on two of the oldest British fantasy and sci-fi franchises ever made, bringing both the grandeur of Middle-earth and the many inhabitants of the TARDIS into the game. One can only wonder what other franchises will arrive in Magic: The Gathering in the future.