MTG designers reveal Final Fantasy crossover secrets, card design challenges, and gameplay strategies for the epic June 2025 release
Introduction to the Crossover
Ahead of PAX East 2025, I had the opportunity to discuss the groundbreaking MTG Final Fantasy expansion with Wizards of the Coast’s key architects: Gavin Verhey (Principal Game Designer) and Zakeel Gordon (Executive Producer). This conversation offered rare insights into blending two iconic gaming universes that have captivated players for decades. As someone deeply invested in both franchises since childhood, each spoiler reveal felt like witnessing gaming history unfold.
Q) Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today about Final Fantasy. Could you please introduce yourselves to our audience?
Gavin Verhey: I’m Gavin Verhey, serving as Principal Game Designer on Magic: The Gathering, and I had the privilege of being Lead Set Designer for the main Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set.
Zakeel Gordon: I’m Zakeel Gordon, Executive Producer for Tabletop Magic, and I functioned as Product Architect for the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy collaboration.
Card Selection and Representation
Q) The MTG Final Fantasy set is such a massive set, and narrowing it down to potential cards for each expansion must have been a nightmare. How did you determine how many cards each game got, because while each game is important in its own way, each game is not the same in terms of depth/length.
Gavin Verhey: The curation process demanded extensive effort and careful consideration. Our fundamental approach centered on ensuring equitable representation across the entire Final Fantasy franchise while honoring each installment’s unique legacy.
We established clear design parameters: every numbered Final Fantasy title receives at minimum one rare card and at least ten total cards. This foundation provided structural consistency while allowing flexibility for games with richer content ecosystems. Naturally, certain titles like Final Fantasy VII warranted additional representation due to their immense popularity and abundance of iconic elements players would expect to see.
Our overarching philosophy emphasized celebrating the complete franchise spectrum. This commitment explains why our PAX East presentation systematically showcased content spanning Final Fantasy I through XVI, ensuring every era of the series receives its moment to shine.
Pro Tip: When building your collection, pay attention to the game identifier in each card’s bottom left corner – this helps identify which Final Fantasy installment each card represents for thematic deck building.
Card Design Challenges and Solutions
Q) Final Fantasy 14 is one of the more interesting games in the franchise, because its first appearance, as many know, wasn’t very successful. As one of the players who was there for the Megaflare that ended it all, were there any restrictions on potentially referencing that version of the game? I think it would’ve made a rad boardwipe, for example.
Gavin Verhey: We extensively debated including direct references to Final Fantasy XIV’s original troubled launch. While we opted against explicit callbacks to that specific catastrophic event, we incorporated subtle nods that veteran players will appreciate.
The card “A Realm Reborn” symbolizes the phoenix-like rebirth following that period. Additionally, though Bahamut appears as a Final Fantasy X representative, we preserved Megaflare as his signature ability. This ensures XIV veterans immediately recognize the iconic attack’s devastating potential. Further easter eggs await discovery for those particularly invested in that chapter of Final Fantasy history.
Q) Speaking of MMOs, I want to go back to Final Fantasy 11’s Absolute Virtue. As a control player, what a great card! As an FF11 Vet, what a horrifying sight! Did any of its previous designs feature something like Hexproof or Indestructible, considering just how difficult this boss was in its time?
Gavin Verhey: Absolute Virtue presented significant design challenges that required multiple iterations. Translating “unkillable and frustrating” into enjoyable gameplay proved particularly difficult.
Early versions featuring Indestructible, Hexproof, and Lifelink created oppressive gameplay experiences. Another iteration returned it to hand or library upon death, which also proved unsatisfying. Our breakthrough came from reimagining the creature’s role from unstoppable threat to formidable protector.
The final design as an 8/8 flying creature with protection from all colors creates a “protect the queen” dynamic where players can enhance it with external hexproof or indestructibility sources. This maintains thematic resonance while enabling interactive gameplay.
Zakeel Gordon: Internally, we’ve been tracking card popularity metrics, and Absolute Virtue has surged to top positions following its reveal. The combination of accurate creative execution, stunning artwork, and compelling mechanics clearly resonates with players.
Common Mistake: Don’t play Absolute Virtue without protection backup – experienced opponents will remove it immediately. Always have hexproof or indestructibility sources ready.
Q) This might be a sort of loaded question, but speaking of Superbosses like Absolute Virtue, we haven’t seen any Superbosses revealed yet that I can think of — FF14’s version of Shinryu doesn’t count — except on the launch of the expansion, I guess. Can we expect any of those to appear, like Ozma, Warmech, Penance, Yiazmat?
Gavin Verhey: I can confirm at least one additional Superboss appears in the set with mechanics reflecting its legendary status. This Mythic Rare creature embodies the quintessential Superboss experience – when you encounter it, you’ll immediately recognize it as the card I specifically ensured inclusion for.
Q) One of the challenges that would no doubt come with a set like this is bosses that have more than forms/appearances: Ultros and Seymour to name just a few. Since we don’t know everything in the set yet, would something like that preclude characters like that, or did you pitch ideas for those types of appearances?
Gavin Verhey: Double-faced cards provided the perfect technological solution for representing character transformations and evolution – a signature Final Fantasy narrative element. Villains particularly benefit from this mechanic, with numerous antagonists featuring multiple forms.
Examples include Garland transforming into Chaos and Sephiroth evolving into Safer Sephiroth. Commander decks offer additional avenues for showcasing characters at different progression points. For major characters in the four Commander-focused games (VI, VII, X, XIV), we utilized multiple product slots to represent their complete character arcs.
Commander Deck Insights
Cloud is among the many great commanders coming to the game in the MTG Final Fantasy set (Image via Wizards of the Coast)
Jason Parker: So the Commander decks, are they, because I know normally Universe Beyond Commander decks, it’s like X amount of cards are brand new, and the rest sort of fit the theme. How much of the Commander deck is brand new?
Gavin Verhey: Each Commander deck contains approximately 35 brand new cards specifically designed for this collaboration. When combined with typical land counts (around 38 lands) and essential reprints like Arcane Signet, these decks offer substantial new content while maintaining Commander functionality.
Every single card features exclusive Final Fantasy-themed artwork, creating completely immersive thematic experiences. The land bases blend across the four decks, while all non-land cards remain game-specific. This means holding a Final Fantasy VII Commander deck feels like experiencing that game’s narrative through card gameplay.
Zakeel Gordon: Beyond the 35 new cards, reprints enable inclusion of additional characters, NPCs, and creatures through reskinned artwork. This approach allows fans to display Final Fantasy fandom across their entire Commander collection while maintaining mechanical consistency.
Advanced Strategy: Mix and match Commander deck components to create hybrid thematic decks – the unified artwork style enables seamless blending of characters across different Final Fantasy games.
Gameplay and Format Impact
Q) I know you don’t develop with Modern/Eternal formats in mind, but are there any cards you’ve seen that might wind up making a real splash in those formats?
Gavin Verhey: As the first Universes Beyond set legal across all formats, we carefully considered broader format implications while prioritizing Standard balance. Several cards show promising Eternal format potential.
Cloud demonstrates strong prospects for Eternal play, particularly in Pioneer and potentially Modern equipment strategies. While lacking Stoneforge Mystic’s cost reduction, his equipment tutoring ability aligns perfectly with existing archetypes like Hammer Time.
Vivi presents intriguing combo potential – his mana generation based on power enables using pump spells like Giant Growth as ritual effects. While Legacy penetration seems unlikely given format power levels, creative decks might emerge.
For design evaluation, I consider Cube inclusion as the ultimate test of long-term Magic appeal. Numerous cards from this set demonstrate strong Cube potential, indicating they can compete with Magic’s most powerful historical cards.
Q) Since you’ve already cracked packs and done some testing, what are some of the most interesting interactions you’ve seen?
Gavin Verhey: After four years of development and extensive testing, we’ve identified numerous interactions, but player creativity always surpasses designer expectations. The millions of Magic players worldwide inevitably discover combinations our 40-person team couldn’t anticipate.
I often describe design as building elaborate hedge mazes – we create intricate, beautiful structures, then players arrive with torches to burn through them as efficiently as possible. We implement safeguards and complexities, but the community’s innovative spirit consistently reveals unexpected pathways.
Zakeel Gordon: One particular Limited interaction involving the bonus sheet creates unexpectedly powerful combinations we discovered late in testing. The juxtaposition of specific reprints with main set cards produces delightfully bizarre game states that players will enjoy discovering.
Optimization Tip: Focus on the bonus sheet interactions during Limited events – these often create the most unexpected and powerful synergies that can dominate games.
Developer Favorites and Personal Insights
Q) It’s so hard to pin down a favorite Final Fantasy. As someone who has played all the mainline entries at the very least, so many times, for me it’s FF4, FF6, and FF10. What are your top three (and why)?
Zakeel Gordon: Final Fantasy X stands as my definitive favorite – both as a Final Fantasy title and as my overall favorite video game. It arrived during a formative period in my life and its impact remains profound. I’ve purchased it across every console generation and frequently recommend it as an introductory RPG.
My second choice is Final Fantasy VII, the undeniable classic that revolutionized the genre. Third place ties between FFVI and the underappreciated FFXV. Despite mixed reception, FFXV delivers a beautifully emotional journey with a particularly powerful conclusion.
Gavin Verhey: Selecting favorites proves incredibly challenging given the series’ consistent quality. Final Fantasy IX claims my top position with its return to high fantasy aesthetics, compelling character arcs, and nostalgic Black Mage representations. As lead designer, I admittedly weighted FFIX content slightly beyond baseline allocations.
Final Fantasy VI consumed countless childhood hours with its epic narrative scope. I vividly remember renting it repeatedly from video stores, desperately hoping save files persisted between rentals. Final Fantasy I holds special significance as my first purchased game, though my initial inability to comprehend saving mechanics led to leaving the NES running continuously between cabin visits.
MTG Final Fantasy releases on June 13, 2025. It features a series of four incredible Commander decks, and fan-favorite characters like Emet-Selch, Jumbo Cactuar, and many more.
Collection Strategy: Prioritize acquiring cards from your favorite Final Fantasy games first – the emotional connection enhances gameplay enjoyment and collection satisfaction.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » “There is a card called A Realm Reborn”: Gavin Verhey and Zakeel Gordon discuss MTG Final Fantasy, FF14 1.0, Meld, and more (Exclusive) MTG designers reveal Final Fantasy crossover secrets, card design challenges, and gameplay strategies for the epic June 2025 release