"Final Fantasy Commander Decks Unveiled: Cloud, Tidus Featured"

Even if you're not a dedicated player of Magic: The Gathering, you've likely noticed its recent surge in video game crossovers, featuring titles like Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed. However, the latest collaboration is set to thrill fans and newcomers alike: Magic: The Gathering is teaming up with Final Fantasy. This isn't just any crossover; it spans four iconic mainline Final Fantasy games, represented through specially designed preconstructed Commander decks.

**Explore the image gallery below** to get an exclusive first look at the lead card and packaging for each deck. Dive deeper into our discussion with Wizards of the Coast to learn about the contents of these decks, the rationale behind selecting these four games, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Reveal

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Scheduled for release in June, this Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy crossover will offer a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, complemented by four preconstructed decks showcased in the gallery above. Each deck contains 100 cards, a mix of reprints with new Final Fantasy artwork and brand-new cards tailored for the popular Commander format. These decks are uniquely themed around a single Final Fantasy game – specifically, games 6, 7, 10, and 14.

"Final Fantasy games are rich with flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings, providing ample material to design a full deck around a single game," explains Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, the Commander Lead for the set. "Focusing on one game allowed us to delve deeply into its lore, capturing cherished moments from the game's storyline."

The selection of these four Final Fantasy games was driven by a blend of gameplay considerations and the popularity of their stories. While Final Fantasy 7 and 14 were straightforward choices, Final Fantasy 6 and 10 required more deliberation but were ultimately selected due to their popularity among the development team. "This project saw immense enthusiasm from our team, filled with passionate Final Fantasy fans," Holt adds.

Navigating the narrative direction for each game posed its challenges. For instance, with Final Fantasy 7's ongoing remake trilogy, the Commander deck aims to honor the original 1997 game while incorporating the modern aesthetics of the remakes. Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer and Narrative Lead for the set, explains, "Our goal was to capture the essence of the original PS1 game's narrative, enhanced by the modern aesthetics of the remakes. We aimed to blend the old and new to create a nostalgic yet fresh experience for fans."

Final Fantasy 6 presented a unique challenge due to its older, pixel art style. Deveney notes, "We wanted to stay true to the fans' expectations while expanding on the original art. The character designs should evoke the memories fans have, even though they are a blend of various references and new ideas." To achieve this, Wizards of the Coast collaborated directly with the Final Fantasy 6 team to ensure the updated designs met the standards required for Magic art.

Choosing the lead characters for each deck was another critical decision. While Cloud was an obvious choice for Final Fantasy 7, other selections required more thought. Celes was considered for Final Fantasy 6, and Yuna for Final Fantasy 10, but the team ultimately opted for the lead characters. For Final Fantasy 14, Y'shtola was chosen due to her popularity and her role as a spellcaster, with her deck focusing on her Shadowbringers arc.

Crafting a deck that encapsulates an entire game's story, characters, and themes within Magic's five-color system was a complex task. Holt explains, "We had to decide on the color identity for each game and the desired gameplay. All four decks include White, which helped us include a wide range of heroes."

The deck for Final Fantasy 6 focuses on the latter part of the game, emphasizing rebuilding your party from the graveyard. Final Fantasy 7's deck, led by Cloud, integrates equipment strategies with a white-red-green color identity, reflecting the game's themes of power and the lifestream. Final Fantasy 10's deck, inspired by the Sphere Grid, uses a white-blue-green strategy to empower creatures. Final Fantasy 14's deck, with a white-blue-black color identity, focuses on noncreature spell casting and includes key characters.

While the Commander format centers on the leader, RPGs are about the entire party. Holt assures fans, "Final Fantasy games are full of beloved and villainous characters, and we've made sure to include many of them in these decks as new legendary creatures and exciting spells."

The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set is set to launch on June 13. Even if your favorite Final Fantasy game or character isn't featured in these decks, Holt promises that "all sixteen mainline games will have their moments in the accompanying products."

Similar to the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks from 2022, these decks will be available in both a regular version (MSRP $69.99) and a Collector’s Edition (MSRP $149.99), the latter featuring all 100 cards in a special Surge foil treatment.

*For a deeper dive, read the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney below:*