A Hasbro investor call saw Magic: The Gathering announced a The Lord of the Rings crossover, alongside other properties, in what's being called Universes Beyond. Magic: The Gathering is the immensely popular card game from Wizards of the Coast that has also made the leap to digital offerings most recently with Magic Arena. The game's popularity has continued to grow in recent years despite challenges that have necessitated a drop-off in in-person play.
That growth has already seen Magic: The Gathering attempt crossovers with other properties, to varying degrees of success. The MTG and Godzilla crossover was more subdued but well-received by fans, while the MTG and The Walking Dead crossover was met with intense scrutiny from players who didn't feel the properties were a good fit for each other. Magic: The Gathering has been increasing the output of its premium or alternate product offerings, most notably with Secret Lair drops, which offer beloved cards in new art styles for fans. An emphasis on more customizable card offerings has been also present in Standard sets, like the upcoming Strixhaven Mystical Archive alternate arts.
In a Hasbro investor call earlier today, Wizards of the Coast president Chris Cocks announced the biggest MTG crossover yet. The game announced its Universes Beyond initiative, which will be a series of different card promotions that feature crossovers with other popular franchises. As part of that announcement, the call revealed a MTG and The Lord of the Rings crossover, alongside a confirmed Warhammer 40,000 partnership as well. Very few details are known at this time about the MTG and Lord of the Rings crossover beyond its existence.
However, in a report from The Wall Street Journal that broke prior to the announcement, it was reported that a full MTG Lord of the Rings expansion was in the works, which would be a dramatic departure from previous crossovers, which have been limited to alternate arts or Secret Lairs. That being said, the report makes sense given that there is a full-on Dungeons & Dragons Magic: The Gathering set due to release later in 2021 - with that already in the works, it stands to reason Wizards of the Coast would be willing to look into other expansions themed around fantasy properties as well.
The news is massive for Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, and will undoubtedly bring even more eyeballs onto the TCG. Fan response, however, has been quite mixed, with many players leery over what this kind of overwhelming crossover could mean for future sets and the identity of Magic: The Gathering. For now, until the Lord of the Rings crossover is confirmed and more details are available, it's a win for Wizards of the Coast - and perhaps a sign of things to come for MTG's future set design, too.
Source: Hasbro, The Wall Street Journal