MTG's Standard Universes Beyond controversy divides community

Mark Rosewater breaks down why Universes Beyond is in Standard

Internet reactions to Universes Beyond (UB) MTG products being Standard legal starting in 2025 were mostly negative. Game designer Mark Rosewater tackled the negativity through his Blogatog on Tumbler, leaning into the concept of adaptations and evolution of the TCG game. And this isn't the first time Rosewater has defended Universes Beyond.

Heading into Foundations spoilers, the interweb was full of Universes Beyond player fatigue complaints, in which Rosewater defended the releases based on market research and player feedback. His Oct. 26 response to UB sets within Standard follow the same line of defense, in that sales and market research "strongly says players want Universes Beyond." 

"It’s not just sales. We do market research. Market research also strongly says players want Universes Beyond, said Rosewater. Note, each individual player wants specific ones, but the collective data is they want it."

As for my take, I'm not offended by playing a Spider-Man card with Liliana or other Magic staples. I enjoy the lore but it's gameplay, specifically Limited, that hooks me and continues to drain my wallet. Product fatigue is still an issue, though, as Standard will now have six sets released throughout 2025 as opposed to four. That's two more Prerelease events for Limited players and at least 500-plus Standard legal MTG cards added to the format over a year that normally wouldn't be there.

Rosewater did leave an "out" regarding the Universes Beyond sets being Standard legal, saying "This cadence is not forever. It's for now."

As with most new products tested by WotC, if sales are up and marketing research shows that Standard players are happy, then the cadence will remain in place. If Final Fantasy and Spider-Man sets produce March of the Machine: Aftermath vibes, then WotC will change the Standard format once again. 

Special Guests in Foundations

Speaking of cadences, WotC will include 10 Special Guests cards within the main Foundations set. These cards are MTG reprints and are not Standard legal. Beware there are also three Commander cards in the Foundations starter kit that are also not Standard legal. Although, it has been reported that the Commander cards are individually wrapped to avoid confusion. 

Here are the 10 Foundations Special Guest cards:

• Condemn

• Sphinx’s Tutelage

• Grim Tutor

• Embercleave

• Goblin Bushwhacker

• Bloom Tender

• Paradise Druid

• Akroma’s Memorial

• Temporal Manipulation

• Fiend Artisan

RIP Greg Hildebrandt

From Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and Magic: The Gathering cards, Greg Hildebrandt will forever remain a legend within the art community. Survived by his wife Jean, Hildebrandt passed away after a lengthy breathing battle caused by heart medication. 

Anime Foundations Jumpstart overload

Anime treatments are returning through the Foundations Jumpstart product, which ironically is not Standard legal. Reprints within the set are legal in the formats they are already legal in and new cards are Eternal legal. 

27 of the new cards within the Foundations Jumpstart set are Legendary creatures designed for Commander archetypes that don't see much play. Each of these Legendary creatures will feature the anime art treatment. Some players are concerned about having to play with special art treatment. But what I think is getting overlooked is the potential value these cards may have on the secondary market. 

The playability of the new Legendary creatures will naturally be a factor in single prices on the secondary market. Because the cards only have an anime treatment, this could spike prices higher than if they featured main deck art. But at the same time, WotC has been flooding the market with anime versions since 2022. Some have successfully been worth money while most are worth around a buck or less.