Magic: The Gathering's Spider-Man set is just one month away from release after Edge of Eternities came out at the start of August 2025, and there is still one set after that until the end of the year, with Avatar: The Last Airbender coming out in November. The overall release schedule and spoiler seasons have changed quite considerably since the start of the year, and this is thanks to the addition of Universes Beyond sets to MTG's Standard and other non-Eternal formats. 2026 is not going to be much different, if at all, since WotC's own Mark Rosewater confirmed plans for a 50/50 split between in-multiverse and UB sets, and while the UB sets for next year are still unannounced, one is already clear.
Universes Beyond sets have undeniably been great for Magic: The Gathering in terms of sales, with the Final Fantasy set selling for over $200 million in just one day, as an example. They are also introducing new players to the game, as they can see their favorite IPs cross over with MTG and decide to finally give it a go, or simply collect some cards. Considering that 2026 will most likely have at least three UB sets, it's very likely that one of them will be dedicated to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Magic: The Gathering's Edge of Eternities Set is the Last Rest Stop for a Long Road Ahead
Magic: The Gathering's Edge of Eternities set is one many players have been waiting for, but the wait for the next in-universe cards could be longer.
Why Magic: The Gathering x TMNT is All But Confirmed
There are a few reasons why a TMNT and Magic: The Gathering collab is likely to happen. These are:
- There is an official TMNT: The Last Ronin game in the works (release date TBD).
- A movie adaptation of TMNT: The Last Ronin is in production (release date TBD).
- A movie sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is officially scheduled for September 2027, previously dated for 2026.
- Nickelodeon owns the rights to TMNT, and there have been two collabs with Magic: The Gathering so far in the form of a SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Lair drop and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set.
- The 2024 Foundations Jumpstart booster packs for Magic: The Gathering featured a creature called Taeko, the Patient Avalanche, which has the subtypes "Turtle Ninja" and a look reminiscent of TMNT.
Considering that MTG's Universes Beyond sets typically launch alongside something new for the respective IP, and considering that the Mutant Mayhem 2 movie was scheduled for 2026, it seems plausible, with everything else going on, that a TMNT UB set will be released at some point next year. The movie is now slated for 2027, though, which means the set could be delayed. However, the Avatar set was also supposed to come out alongside the new movie, which was then delayed to 2026.
Specifically, a Last Ronin set for MTG would make perfect sense as a grittier property.
Why a TMNT Set for MTG is a Matter of When Rather Than If
If anything, the addition of Taeko, the Patient Avalanche, is a massive teaser that wouldn't normally make much sense if there were no plans and no interest in doing a full-fledged TMNT collab. Sure, Nickelodeon and Wizards of the Coast released a Secret Lair drop and are about to see the launch of a full Avatar MTG set, but a random Turtle Ninja creature card that looks a lot like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can't exactly be a coincidence when rights are at play.
One could argue that Taeko, the Patient Avalanche's name itself is a teaser, meaning that fans will need to wait a while before the IP turns into a Universes Beyond set. Seeing the success of TMNT as a franchise and the success of the SpongeBob Secret Lair drop, with the upcoming Avatar set most likely being a big release for MTG, there is little reason to stop collabs between WotC and Nickelodeon. Even if a TMNT set is not yet in the works, meaning it's not truly planned for a release sometime next year or in 2027 tops, it is something that has a very high chance of happening at some point in the future. Thus, this collab seems more like a matter of when than if.
Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
- August 5, 1993
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- Richard Garfield
- Player Count
- 2+
- Age Recommendation
- 13+