Universes Beyond

Universes Beyond (abbreviated as UB^[1]) is a “sub-brand” of Magic: The Gathering that exists in addition to, and alongside, the regular line of products.^[2] The series was announced by Chris Cocks in February, 2021 during the Hasbro 2021 Investor Event.^[3][4] The sets featured in this series are never Standard-legal,^[2][5] but are generally legal in eternal formats.

Description[ | ]

Not unlike the original Deckmaster concept, Universes Beyond is a series that combines the gameplay of Magic: The Gathering with worlds, characters, and stories of other IPs.^[2][6] The series is branded slightly differently from regular products and has a specific look as a result. These are still Magic cards, but the card frame is distinct and has a triangular holofoil stamp that denotes them as the non-canon cards. This holofoil stamp was first seen on cards of the Secret Lair Drop Series: The Walking Dead, and that set was grandfathered in into the Universes Beyond series. Another border color for UB cards was dismissed, because R&D (and Sales) feared that the UB sets wouldn't get treated as “this is a different subset of Magic”, but rather as “this isn’t a real Magic card”.^[7]

Distribution and appearance[ | ]

Universes Beyond products are not only found in Secret Lairs but are sold in the whole range of Magic products. Wizards of the Coast occasionally do associated Secret Lair products related to the main release, like the Secret Lair Godzilla lands when Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths came out. There also are occasional standalone products like The Walking Dead, but the intention is to typically make Universes Beyond as available as any other Magic product.^[8]

Wizards of the Coast announced that on occasion they could utilize the treatment from the Ikoria Godzilla cards (existing Magic cards skinned with the alternate universe). But mostly, the sets are like The Walking Dead (alternate universe cards that stand on their own). According to Mark Rosewater, it is not feasible to have a Magic version for every new UB card, but R&D can make Magic versions of any UB card if the need arises.^[9] The other way around, Universes Beyond may feature straight reprints from original Magic sets with the same card name (but new art) and same mechanical cards but with a new name. It depends on how well the name fits the IP.^[10] If an original card has in-property words, R&D can print an in-universe version of it with substituted words and new art.^[11] Any Universes Beyond mechanics are fair game for other sets. Some might need a name change.^[12]

Secret Lairs[ | ]

In June 2021, the statement that there normally wouldn't be In-Universe reprints was amended for Secret Lairs.^[13] It was announced that for upcoming Universes Beyond Secret Lairs, Wizards of the Coast planned to:

• Create and print rebranded versions of the mechanically unique Secret Lair Universes Beyond cards that are set in Magic 's Multiverse approximately six months (the exact time may vary) after their release in Secret Lair.
• Make the in-Magic versions available on The List, findable in Set Boosters for as long as players are still interested in opening them. To start, they'll appear on The List more frequently than other cards to make them easier to find.
• Possibly reprint those cards in other products.
• Consider the non-canon cards and the canon cards' equivalent game pieces, meaning you can only play four copies (or one copy) of either the Magic version or Universes Beyond version in your deck. There will be a special card treatment that indicates that the cards are related.^[14]

WotC initially did not plan to go back and do this for the cards from The Walking Dead.^[13] Neither did they plan to extend this treatment to the larger, non-Secret Lair, product releases. However, implementing something similar to this with The Walking Dead wasn’t off the table in the future.^[15] This came true in October 2021, when Wizards of the Coast decided that they would apply this to The Walking Dead as well.^[16]

In 2024, Set Boosters were changed to Play Boosters. Mark Rosewater reaffirmed that Wizards of the Coast planned to make sure that unique mechanical Secret Lair cards, in some form, would find a home in randomized booster product.^[17]

Booster inserts[ | ]

In 2022, for the first time ever, some Universes Beyond cards were distributed through a premier set, advertising another Hasbro brand. Transformers cards could be found in The Brothers' War Set Boosters, Collector Booster and Bundles. Note that these are original designs, and not skinned cards.^[18] When this type a set reappeared with the Jurassic World Collection in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, they were christened "Booster inserts".^[19] However, feedback/data research later showed that players prefer Universes Beyond cards to be separated from the in-universe Magic cards.^[20]

Commander sets[ | ]

Sets like Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks, Doctor Who and Fallout are given the Commander treatment, with the main focus on several Commander decks.

Draft sets[ | ]

Some IP's have room for a fully draftable set. Examples are The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth and Final Fantasy.

Commander sets and large UB draft sets like won't receive 1:1 in-multiverse (Universes Within) versions, but R&D reserves the right to make them for individual cards if the need arises.^[21][22] If a Universes Beyond card with an IP-specific creature type (e.g. astartes) would be rebranded, it would receive a brand new creature type in the Magic version. The <IP name> and <unique new creature type> would be one-for-one in the rules much like the names of the Godzilla skinned cards.^[23][24]

Beyond boosters[ | ]

Beyond Boosters were introduced for Assassin's Creed, as a variant on Epilogue Boosters. These mini-boosters aren't draftable. They contain both new cards and reprints.^[19]

Supplemental sets[ | ]

Ravnica: Clue Edition was the first self-contained supplemental set in the Universes Beyond range.

Non-canon[ | ]

The Magic story will not be told through any of the Universes Beyond sets.^[25][26]

Planeswalkers[ | ]

Wizards of the Coast originally said that Planeswalker cards in Universe Beyond sets wouldn’t represent actual planeswalkers as that concept doesn’t exist in most properties. R&D explored choosing a new word, but decided the confusion in gameplay wasn’t worth it as the cards act in a game-sense like planeswalker cards.^[27] As a joke, they did introduce the Universewalker for Heroes of the Realm.

Later, it was said that they were planning to do planeswalkers in Wizards owned IPs only, and that Universes Beyond sets are not going to have planeswalkers.^[28][29]

List of featured brands[ | ]

This is a list of featured IPs or "universes".

Non-UB crossovers[ | ]

Note that the Dungeons & Dragons crossovers are not part of Universes Beyond, because Wizards of the Coast owns both the Magic and Dungeons & Dragons IPs.^[2]

• 2021 Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
• 2022 Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate

Early Hasbro-owned cross-over products were the 2017 HASCON promos and 2019 Ponies: The Galloping. The latter had a follow-up with Secret Lair Drop Series: Ponies: The Galloping 2 - Extra Life 2023.

Crossovers that have the skin treatment can be part of Universes Beyond but some of them are not. For example, the Godzilla Series and the Dracula Series do not have the triangular holo foil stamp used for Universes Beyond.

Another crossover without the UB holo stamp are the five Outlaws of Thunder Junction Standard Showdown promos with Cowboy Bebop inspired art.^[36]

References[ | ]

External Links[ | ]

• Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2022). "Designing for Universes Beyond". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (October 3, 2023). "The Challenges of Making Universes Beyond". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (February 20, 2024). "Game On". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.