Top 10 Candidates for Future MTG Universes Beyond Sets

We all know Universes Beyond as a business model is here to stay, whether you like it or not. Admittedly, the Lord of the Rings set is what finally got me into Magic: The Gathering, and boy, did I jump in head first! I’m no encyclopedic fan, and mostly play casual commander and Arena, but as a fan of fantasy, a creator, and a gamer, I can’t believe it took me so long to give MTG a try!

That being said, I thought I’d make this list of ten candidates I think would make for great UB sets in the future. I will note that I did not consider smaller releases like Secret Lair drops, only a full set will do for this list! Also, this is ordered on collabs I, personally, would be the most into, factored in with how much success I think that UB set could have. There are plenty of others I think would make great sets, and maybe some of your picks would have made this list instead, had I thought of them! But me? I got Lord of the Rings AND Avatar: The Last Airbender already, so I’m not complaining!

No. 10: Dune

Personally, I lean a bit more towards the fantasy side of the speculative fiction scale, but sci-fi definitely has contributions to offer, particularly to Magic, as has most recently been demonstrated by the “Edge of Eternities” release. Some elements of the genre fit better than others, but when it comes to looking for a big franchise to meld along with MTG’s fantastical flavor, “Dune” has a lot in its favor.

It’s probably the hottest sci-fi franchise at the moment, with two smash hit movies in the past few years, widely popular both critically and commercially. There would be plenty of highly recognizable characters, locations, and items or references to pull from, all key foundational pieces required for a UB set to work. 

Ultimately, what lands Dune at the bottom of this list is my personal lack of investment in the franchise. I’m simply not as into it as other players and fans of the books would be, but, hey, the same could be said for Doctor Who. And I’m all for everyone having a collab they really love coming to pass.

No. 9: The Witcher

Hand, meet glove.

What started as a series of novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski has grown into a series of excellent ARPG video games, and several spotty Netflix projects. A set in Magic: The Gathering not only sounds fitting on paper, but like a logical next step! The series is famous for it’s ambiguous tones, deep compendium of magic and monsters, and memorable characters. Perfect! Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer sharing battle with Elesh Norn and the Phyrexians or the Draconic clans of Tarkir feels epic and seamless.

What’s great about this collaboration is that there’s so much transferable functionality already at work, not only from the rich source material, but when analyzing the video game series, as well. WotC would have no trouble at all giving certain characters, groups, or strategies a strong sense of consistency, lore-accurate flavor, and a comprehensive distinction between how a deck primarily focused on fighters and equipment might fare against a deck full of monsters or villains from across The Continent.

No. 8: “A Song of Ice and Fire” / Game of Thrones

Elephant in the room, the lack of completion to the series makes this one really tough to place any higher. While it definitely feels like a seamless transition, I wonder how the set would set itself apart beyond the beloved characters and the obvious depth in the worldbuilding of the books.

ASoIaF has a rather “soft” magic system, as defined by another fantasy author -- more on him in a bit -- and this, along with a sense that there are still gaps yet to be filled in the histories of Westeros, might hinder the set before it can really get developed. And, obviously, there is the looming factor that the series, and therefor, the story, isn’t yet told in totality. What if there are still a bevy of iconic, fan-favorite moments yet to take place? Characters that have yet to make their lasting impact, or yet to even be introduced? 

Don’t get me wrong, I would be fascinated to see how the Starks differ from the Lannisters and the Targaryens when it comes to how they play in a game of Magic. The problem is, this is all speculative. Far more so in this entry than others. That’s why I can’t place this candidate, while a great one, any higher on my list.

No. 7: The Cosmere

I would like to point out that I didn’t specifically name The Stormlight Archive, because that feels rather hypocritical right after everything I mentioned about ASoIaF. For those of you who may not know him, Brandon Sanderson is one of the largest fantasy authors of this generation. He wrote popular series like both “Mistborn” trilogies, his sprawling, epic saga, a ten-part series he’s halfway through as of this post, “The Stormlight Archive,” and various standalone novels, including what he called the “Secret Project” series, a group of four (now five) standalone novels that he wrote in secret during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then released via a massively successful Kickstarter campaign in 2023. It was, at the time, the most successful in the website’s history.

“But what’s The Cosmere?” you may be asking. This is the interconnected universe in which nearly all of Sanderson’s novels take place, and one of the chief reasons it places higher than ASoIaF, the other being that Sanderson has publicly confirmed he’s been in talks with WotC about working on a MTG set together in the past, but there’s been no news beyond that. I’m sure that Brandon would help create an entirely new plane for the MTG lore, if Wizards asked him to. And it’d be great! Although, I’m sure he’s far too busy with his own various projects for such a massive undertaking. At least, any time in the next couple years or so.

Nevertheless, between his massively successful series, and several critically and commercially successful standalone novels, all sharing the same canonicity, Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere would be a shoe-in for a Universes Beyond set, even now, with his biggest and most ambitious saga still in-progress.

No. 6: The Legend of Zelda franchise

Honestly, it’s already becoming difficult to order these potential collaborations because, whew! This one just feels like money.

There are few fantasy video game franchises as historied and as beloved as The Legend of Zelda. Even people who aren’t much into video games have probably heard of it, and the fact that the series has been around for around 30 years speaks for itself about how iconic it has become.

What fascinates me about this potential set is how the creators at WotC would approach the series’ sometimes flaky continuity. Just look up “Complete Zelda Timeline Explained,” and you’ll see what I mean! Also, sometimes the franchise takes a big shift in artistic tone and design philosophies. When you put “Ocarina of Time,” Windwaker,” “Skyward Sword,” and “Tears of the Kingdom” side by side, it’s amazing to think they’re all a part of the same narrative!

WotC might face some challenges giving the set an overall sense of cohesiveness, but they would not at all be short of iconic creatures, items, weapons, places, and moments to garner inspiration from. The Master Sword, Koroks, the Triforce, the various forms of Ganon! If you ask me, this set could easily compete with the “Final Fantasy” set in terms of “top video game UB set,” and that is one tough bar to clear!

Honorable Mention: The Avengers/X-Men

I just wanted to throw this bit in here before we get to the Top 5, because it’s pretty much a given sometime down the line. With the announced collaboration between Marvel and WotC in 2024, and the upcoming Spider-Man set releasing in September 2025, it’s a pretty safe bet that sets for other Marvel heroes like The Avengers and X-Men are on the way. For this reason, I didn’t include them on the list, because that felt like too much of a layup. Due to the decision to give the larger branches of Marvel’s universe their own separate releases, as opposed to one big Marvel set, I don’t know what exactly is in store for this initiative, but it’s certainly down the pipe! The two biggest, obviously, being a set each for The Avengers and The X-Men franchises.

Both of these iconic teams feel much more commercially lucrative as of the general zeitgeist of pop culture over the last decade or two. The appeal is obviously there, and while many might argue the MCU is past the peak of it’s powers, Marvel’s Magic: The Gathering collab has only just begun. Just how big their teamups can be, we’ll get a glimpse of shortly. Nevertheless, if it wasn’t already a virtual guarantee these sets will be coming, maybe we’ll even get one next year(!), they’d definitely make the list somewhere. The reason they aren’t included on the list proper was because it felt kind of easy to fill up two whole slots that way, particularly since it’s more of a foregone conclusion at this point that these sets are already in our future.

Now, back to the list!

No. 5: Resident Evil

Yeah, higher than Zelda! That’s how interesting I think this set would be! This may seem like a bit of a surprise entry to some, but I bet once you thought about it for a moment, maybe gave the idea some time to digest, you liked it more and more, didn’t you?

Thanks to “Murders at Karlov Manor” and “Duskmourn: House of Horror,” we know WotC can bring horror and thriller to MTG pretty seamlessly. Merge that with the iconic status of Resident Evil, and tell me that isn’t enticing? Perhaps they could bring back the “Room” cards, and maybe open them up to bigger locations throughout the video games, or perhaps something new between that and a “dungeon” from the D&D set. Clue tokens, monsters, weapons, CHRIS REDFIELD? It’s a match made in heaven!

Another thing I like about this idea is that WotC can be very selective over not only where they pull their inspirations from for functions and other design features, but how they implement them. So, while I know there’s some that love RE5 and 6, if they wanted to lean more into breathing new life into the first three games, highlight everything about RE4 that makes it the best in the franchise, or give players a more unique experience like RE7 and 8 did, they have more than enough meat on this bone to ravenously devour.

Truthfully, I think a collab like this would feel a lot more fun than Zelda, even if it may not fit quite as easily, because it would be a fun, fresh change of pace that isn’t so far out of left field that we doubt whether WotC could handle it. To me, Resident Evil falls right in the sweet spot when it comes to Universes Beyond.

No. 4: The Justice League / DC 

Well, they got Marvel! Realistically, it only makes sense to seek partnership with Warner Bros. for properties like DC Comics, and maybe others, for the classic clash of the comic book titans, now for Magic players to battle it out themselves. In truth, any argument that could be made in support of WotC’s Marvel collab could be made for one with DC. Of course, there is also the idea of playing “Batman, The Dark Knight,” or a Legendary Land called “The Cave of Solitude.” Tell me that doesn’t sound the least bit fun. Maybe sticking Urza or Jace in the Batmobile? How’s that for a sick addition to your vehicle or Voltron decks?

One of the great things about a collab with a juggernaut like DC is that WotC can get as deep and referential as they want when it comes to the cards. Another added synergy it would have to the Marvel sets is the new “Hero” and “Villain” creature types, and it can also present a chance to add onto or further develop whatever mechanical gimmicks the Marvel sets have, especially if there are characters with similar skillsets or powers. 

Come to think of it, that does bring to mind the new, and - as of writing this - mysterious mechanic that will be introduced in the Spider-Man set, “web slinging.” Flavorful, no doubt, but I can’t imagine it will have a ton of crossover with whatever other mechanics WotC has in mind for other more specific Marvel sets… Time can only tell, as we slowly figure out what this web slinging mechanic does, and what awaits in future Marvel UB sets.

No. 3: The Dark Souls franchise

Don’t worry, we’ll get to the golden elephant in the room shortly…

The series that literally created an entire new subgenre of fantasy and action RPG games, Dark Souls and its two sequels are video game trailblazers, and, in my opinion, a study of environmental worldbuilding and creative utilization of as many tools as you have available to you that all fantasy fans must analyze if they want to learn from the best the genre has to offer. 

From ambiguous storytelling with more detailed bits of lore drip-fed in item descriptions and scarce character dialogue, to letting enemy and player behavior and playstyles tell part of the story in itself, down to the genius method in which Hidetaka Miyazaki and developer From Software incorporated the classic video game death/respawn mechanic into the story of the game and the world’s lore. Imagine if there was some new layer to graveyard interaction that the Curse of the Undead or the Unkindled Ones could introduce to Magic! Dark Souls presents Wizards of the Coast with a unique opportunity to try to do the same with their expansive and imaginative mechanical immersion when translating the gameplay of the original series to that of Magic. 

Perhaps there could also be a new “build” mechanic to harken to the stats “From Soft” titles are known for, something akin to the “Class” enchantments, that can see more play in the game beyond just the cards of this set specifically. Or maybe the iconic bosses are a new spin on the Battles card mechanic from “March of the Machines” where everyone wants to take them down, but the player who does gets the benefit from doing it. Not to mention all the iconic inspirations to draw from and the incredibly passionate and devoted fans of the series.

Artorias, the Abysswalker, Great Grey Wolf Sif, Dragonslayer Ornstein and Executioner Smaugh, Gravelord Nito, Seath the Scaleless, Big Hat Logan, Black Iron Tarkus, Knight Solaire of Astora, Seigmeyer of Catarina. Not to mention generic enemies like the Silver and Black Knights, the various demons, the Baselisks, Deathwraiths. Locations like Anor Londo, Firelink Shrine, the Painted Worlds, Blighttown, the list goes on. And, of course, you can't leave out Patches! And these are all just options from the first game in the trilogy! 

Point being, this set is a natural fit for collaboration, ripe with opportunity for creative and interesting implications, and perhaps even bringing something new to the game of MTG. This UB set would be – pun intended – Magic!

No. 2: The Elder Scrolls franchise

Glove, meet hand. (See? I switched it around that time.)

What truly makes this fantasy video game series rank above all the previous ones is not only the flawless fit, but just how great of a fit the pairing is. Remember what I said in the Zelda entry about timelines and canonicity? The need to cement a consistent feeling throughout the set, despite each iteration in the series trying to set itself apart in some way from the others? Well, Elder Scrolls not only doesn’t have that problem, but WotC may actually have to leave some bits of this canon out, that’s how vast it is!

Personally, I think it’d be much easier if the whole series got a crossover, rather than trying to choose one game. Because then, everyone gets a chance to shine, every fan of whichever games feels like their favorite is represented, and WotC can focus more on the immersive quality of the set rather than getting too wrapped up in either making it a functional adaptation for the game, or how strictly they bring across as many aspects from Elder Scrolls as possible. 

Most of the immersion does the work for you, if you think about it. The Divines are Gods, maybe Enchantment Creatures, too, the Daedric Princes can be Devil Gods, Khaajit and Argonians can be Cat Humans or Lizard Humans (which makes me laugh, for some reason). The three different races of elves, or “mer” in the lore, present an interesting opportunity to perhaps split them into specific color pairings. For instance, maybe Wood Elves are green/white, High Elves are Blue/Red or Blue/Black, and Dark Elves are Red/Black or Red/White. And there are plenty of fan favorite characters, locations, weapons, spells, and moments from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim to make a pretty sizable set!

The Elder Scrolls lore is full of characterization, dynamic relationships, and long histories. The mythologies, various schools of magic, even game mechanics could cross over in unique ways that are loads of fun for fans to enjoy and Magic players unfamiliar with Elder Scrolls to enjoy learning. If there’s any potential Universes Beyond set to not get upset about, it’d be this one. Well, our next one, too…

No. 1: Elden Ring

The magnum opus of fantasy in video games, and perhaps all Action RPGs. The once-thought impossible attempt at an open-world Dark Souls that somehow turned out even better than anyone thought it could! Elden Ring, thought of as, perhaps, one of the greatest video games of all time, would be the greatest Universes Beyond collaboration since Tales of Middle-Earth, and might be even better. Obviously, being a fantasy IP gets any collab with Magic and Wizards off on the right foot, but this one? This would be special! This fit is so perfect, gloves and hands go out the window! This collaboration between Magic and Elden Ring would forever end the resistance to the concept of UB sets, because it would be impossible to fail. Bold claims, I know.

Something that I would love to see WotC do with a set like this is really lean into what makes From Software’s projects unique in the fantasy genre, across any medium. Elden Ring doesn’t lose any of the mystique or majesty, or the wild and imaginative awe-inspiring elements of fantasy, but it adds that textbook dark and tragic feel the developer is known for to it so well. To honor that, I think WotC would have to make some small - but no less crucial - adjustments to their typical ways for this set.

The art style would be far more “FromSoft” than “Magic.” Maybe it’s just me, but even some of Magic’s ‘darker’ content just doesn’t quite hit the same way that From Software’s creative decisions, big and small, perfectly articulate their narrative and artistic tone. When I think of Magic’s vampires and monsters and tragedies, they have all the epic majesty and striking visuals I love about fantasy, but still with a somewhat romantic influence. Not across the entire game, of course, there's some cards like the Phyrexians and "Bloomburrow's" Calamity Beasts that I think nailed it. But in general, if you're going to do an Elden Ring set, it has to be Elden Ring, and not "Magic trying to cosplay as Elden Ring," if you know what I mean. The world has to be so decrepit, sometimes ancient, a ghost of its former self, and yet, still completely captivating and functional. From Software titles always excel at this, but Elden Ring takes it to another level.

Not only do they do it phenomenally with level design in the Lands Between, but they do it several times. Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula might be the greatest opening area to any open world video game ever. Caelid is an amazingly fresh take on the vaunted and infamous “Miyazaki swamp stage” and then some, Crumbling Faram Azula demonstrates better than any example before of how even platforming can be a critical piece of From Software’s puzzle to success. But I digress, this is not about how great a game Elden Ring is, so let me stay focused on the collaboration itself.

The knights, warriors, monsters, dragons, and other figures all speak for themselves, but there also would be an interesting opportunity to implicate some of the same game design elements over to a UB set. I mentioned the Dark Souls trilogy’s Curse of the Undead and Unkindled Ones, and Elden Ring has an equally, if not even more thematically immersive Guidance of Grace, and leveling up stats, but you also could consider diversifying the weapon equipment between Strength weapons or Dexterity, Incantations and Arcane spells as opposed to Intelligence-based sorceries, the Great Runes.

Originally, I debated putting Dark Souls at number one instead of Elden Ring because the older series would be more easy to digest, I thought. But after thinking about it for a while, and dedicating hours to analyzing the lore and stories of Elden Ring deeper than I ever had in the many more hours I played it, it’s just not a fair comparison. The story of Elden Ring is as epic as any multi-dimensional, inter-planar conflict Wizards has cooked up, and even Dark Souls - while incredibly deep and immersive - doesn’t have that kind of immense scope. Seriously, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite things in Elden Ring like I did in the Dark Souls entry, but in the interest of keeping this succinct, I can’t! There truly is that much to love about this collab!

Think about any card type or play style in Magic. Lands, Creatures, Instants and Sorceries, Artifacts, Enchantments, Elden Ring has a specific major element that can seamlessly fit into all of them. There’s simply no holes, no area to be found lacking. Which is a somewhat odd stance to take for me, because I do make a concentrated effort not to be what the internet calls a “glazer.” But if that’s what it means to highlight what an amazingly fun concept for a collaboration between two beloved games makes me, I might as well be Dunkin’ Donuts!

And that’s my list! I hope your favorite UB candidate was featured, and that you enjoyed the rest of my picks. I did consider some other potential picks, and would be interested in hearing ones you think would be awesome in Magic. Thanks for reading!