Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming set,Tarkir: Dragonstorm,looks like it may be a solution to the game’s recent story issues. The quality of recentMagicsets hasn’t declined much mechanically, but there has been a downward trend in terms of their story quality. While the most obvious culprit is gimmicky, themed sets,Magic’s story has been somewhat disappointing even before their introduction. AlthoughTarkirlooks as though it could reverse this trend, I’m worried it might be a bit too late to rehabMagic’s IP at this point.
Questionably themed sets likeOutlaws of Thunder JunctionandMurders at Karlov Manoronly represent half of the issue withMagic’s original IP at the moment. The other major obstacle isUniverses Beyondsets likeSpider-Manor therecently announcedAvatar: The Last Airbenderset.UniversesBeyondsets aren’t just occupying a large percentage ofMagic’s annual release schedule, but they have also started to overshadow sets likeTarkir: Dragonstormthat exist within Magic’s IP. I’m worried that the effort seemingly spent improving the newTarkirset’s flavor may be in vain at this point.
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm Feels Authentic To Magic’s Universe In A Way Recent Sets Haven’t
Magic: The Gathering’s story has been hurting for a little while now, and I would attribute part of this decline to the game’s reluctance to spend more than a single set in one setting. Previously,Magic’s story would focus on one plane for multiple sets, allowing for a deeper and more satisfying narrative to develop. Now that we hop between planes with every new set, even really well-made settings likeBloomburrowaren’t given the room to develop strong narratives. This was perhapsbest exemplified by the recentAetherdriftset.
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Aetherdriftwas a racing-themed set which spanned three different planes inMTG’s multiverse, including one that has never had its own dedicated set: Muraganda.Aetherdriftwas tasked with giving players an updated look at the planes of Avishkar (formerly Kaladesh) and Amonkhet and also fleshing out Muraganda all in one set. This made its story feel somewhat rushed, anddidn’t really do any single plane justice. If ever there was a concept that would have been perfect for a three-set block, this was it. However, that wasn’t the only issue withAetherdrift’s story; it was also a “hat set.”
Some members of theMagic: The Gatheringcommunity have coined the phrase “hat sets” to describe sets likeAetherdrift,Outlaws of Thunder Junction, andMurders at Karlov Manorthat feel out of place in the game’s established setting. ProminentMTGYouTuber,Tolarian Community College, does a thorough job explaining the concept, but in short, it boils down to the idea thatMagichas just been slapping different “hats” on their characters and ignoring their established history, sometimes literally likeThunder Junction’s cowboy hats. A perfect example is the demon cult leader Rakdos suddenly becoming a lackey for an outlaw gang.
Previews forTarkir: Dragonstormhave been a refreshing reminder of the type of storytelling and world-buildingMagic: The Gatheringis capable ofwhen the game isn’t leaning too heavily into gimmicks. Tarkir’s fan-favorite clans are back, and Wizards of the Coast announced onTwitterthat it was working with cultural consultants to add depth to the world and flesh out the plane’s cultural influences beyond stereotypes. If this is the new normal forMagicset design, that could be great news for the game’s story. However, I’m worried the effort will prove to be too little, too late.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm Is Being Overshadowed By Universes Beyond Previews
Sets Like Final Fantasy And Spider-Man Are Taking Attention From Tarkir: Dragonstorm
AlthoughTarkir: Dragonstormseems to be correcting some of the inherent issues withMagic: The Gathering’s recent storytelling trends,it also has to deal with the proliferation ofUniverses Beyondsets. AlthoughTarkir: Dragonstormis the next set, its previews were preceded by ones for theupcomingFinal Fantasycrossover. Although we did get someDragonstormpreviews after that, they were quickly overshadowed by the announcement of an upcomingAvatar: The Last Airbenderset and some previews for September’sSpider-Manset.
By their nature,Universes Beyondsets tend to draw more attention than sets taking place inMagic’s original IP. This is because they don’t just attractMagic: The Gatheringplayers, but also fans of whatever IP the game is crossing over with.Tarkir: Dragonstormis also competing with some of the most widely attractiveUniverses Beyondsets thatMTGhas released sinceTheLord of the Rings.Spider-Manis one of the most popular fictional characters in existence, andFinal Fantasyis a juggernaut in the gaming world.
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This stiff competition mixed with the already waning trust and interest inMagic: The Gathering’s original IP meansTarkir: Dragonstormhas its work cut out for if it is to reviveMagic’s story. While it might not seem like it, what with the success ofUniverses Beyondso far, I don’t thinkMagic: The Gatheringcan really afford to fully abandon its original IP. I think there are some things Wizards of the Coast - and likely more so its parent company Hasbro - need to consider before lettingUniverses Beyondfully eclipseMagic’s narrative.
Magic Should Be Concerned About Abandoning Its Original IP
Magic Needs Its Original IP To Survive Long-Term
Magic: The Gatheringseems to be shrinking its original IPwhen instead it should be focusing on growing it. Gaming properties have been largely successful in recent years at growing their IPs outside their original medium.The Super Mario Bros. Moviewas a major financial hit for Nintendo, andArcaneearned theLeague of LegendsIP new fans who weren’t (and still aren’t) interested in playing the game. AlthoughMagic: The Gatheringhas been threatening to create a television project for years, it has yet to materialize.
The less prevalentMagic’s original IP is,the more the game will simply become an engine for outside IPs to use instead of creating their own TCGs. As we’ve seen withFinal Fantasy, this would also mean a ballooning in price forMagicproducts as Wizards of the Coast passes the licensing fees onto the consumer. IfMagic’s original IP disappears altogether, or degrades to a point where it doesn’t have many fans, players may just pick and choose sets for IPs they like as opposed to buying some of each release, since they are becoming prohibitively expensive.
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I enjoyMagic: The Gathering’s mechanics, but its unique worlds and beautiful artwork played a big role in keeping me interested in the game. I don’t hateUniverses Beyond; I am eagerly awaiting theFinal Fantasyset, and frequently play aMy Little PonyCommander deck. However, I’m also starting to skip a lot moreMagicproducts than I used to now that there are sets dedicated to IPs that I don’t connect with. I’m worried that, ifMagic: The Gatheringcontinues to sacrifice its IP in favor of others, it will continue to lose previously dedicated fans like me.
Sources:Tolarian Community College/YouTube,Wizards of the Coast/Twitter
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is a strategic collectible card game where players use customized decks featuring creatures, spells, and abilities to reduce opponents’ life totals to zero. It combines fantasy themes with tactical gameplay, resource management, and deck-building. Published by Wizards of the Coast, it remains an influential trading card game over three decades after its initial release in 1993
