Magic: The Gathering fans concerned that the sales success of Universes Beyond sets is going to wipe away the classic MTG multiverse should put their worries to rest, according to the game’s head designer Mark Rosewater. Writing on his blog, Rosewater explains that in-multiverse sets have, for the most part, sold very handsomely, and he has no fears for the future of these sets.
Worried MTG fan ‘thanosisking’ wrote to Rosewater on March 12, stating “most Universes Within sets have been received as average at best… while all the Universes Beyond have sold like hotcakes”. He put the question to Rosewater: “if this trend continues, do you see a world where Universes Within are scrapped entirely?”
Rosewater says that these assumptions about the sale of MTG sets are unfounded, stating “the last four in-Multiverse sets (Bloomburrow, Duskmourn, Foundations, and Aetherdrift) all did well”. Late sales also mean “Outlaws of Thunder Junction looks like it’s going to end up in spitting distance of expectations”. Of the last six main draft sets, “only Murders at Karlov Manor did poorly”, according to Rosewater.
Thanosisking’s concern may be unfounded, but it is understandable. The MTG release schedule for 2025 contains three Universes Beyond sets, all of which will be legal in Standard paper and MTG Arena decks. These booster packs will be sold at a higher price point than typical standard sets, presumably to cover the licensing fee associated with using external intellectual property, pushing the cost of standard up for players.
I find it telling that the worst selling recent set that took place on a canonical MTG plane was also the one with the worst draft experience and the least cards relevant to constructed formats. I’ve argued before that, while the story of MTG is very cool, it’s never been closely connected to the card game, nor a significant reason why people buy cards. Admittedly, Murders at Karlov Manor also made a dog’s ear of the Magic story – but so did Aetherdrift, and that apparently sold just fine.
One thing Karlov Manor did get right was that funky little mystery ARG which unlocked extra content in MTG Arena. If there are any bonuses like that around the MTG Tarkir Dragonstorm release date, our guide to MTG Arena codes will tell you how to unlock everything.
Source: Wargamer
