While the next round of Final Fantasy games may be a ways off, there's still a lot for fans of the franchise to be excited about in the near future. For instance, Final Fantasy 9 is having some kind of 25th anniversary celebration in June 2025, and many fans suspect that the long-rumored FF9 remake will finally be revealed as part of the festivities. Final Fantasy is also about to make a major appearance in a different medium, as an official crossover with Magic: The Gathering is set to begin on June 13, and it's more than just a few collector’s cards.
As part of Magic: The Gathering’s new approach to its Universes Beyond crossover sets, most of the new Final Fantasy cards will be legal in Standard, as well as in other constructed formats like Legacy, Vintage, and Commander. Hundreds of Final Fantasy cards are about to make a permanent impact on Magic: The Gathering’s casual and competitive play spaces, and leading the charge are four Commander Precon decks themed around particular games and characters. These decks adapt some of Final Fantasy’s most popular entries, and their release is the perfect time for fans to revisit these legendary games.
Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Set Preview: Lore-Accurate Commander Decks
The Best War Games previews the upcoming Magic: The Gathering Commander decks dedicated to four Final Fantasy games, and they are perfect matches for the lore.
MtG's Final Fantasy 6 Commander Deck - Revival Trance
The FF6-themed Revival Trance is where the Commander decks start. While the cards in this deck cover every numbered entry in the series, Terra, the member of FF6’s ensemble cast who is most often positioned as the protagonist, acts as one of its headliners. It's rather ironic, then, that the Revival Trance deck is themed around the FF6's World of Ruin, where Terra can go un-recruited until the final dungeon. The freedom offered by the World of Ruin’s party-building is one of the best reasons to play Final Fantasy 6, and the feeling of having old friends return is precisely what this revival-themed Magic deck invokes.
MtG's Final Fantasy 7 Commander Deck - Limit Break
Final Fantasy 7 steals the show with its Limit Break deck, which puts the spotlight on Cloud and Tifa. Final Fantasy 7 is the fan-favorite Final Fantasy for many reasons, and this Magic deck taps into some of the game's iconic systems with its Limit Break and Equipment cards. Although the FF7 Remake trilogy isn't quite done yet, it’s still prime time to celebrate the game’s conversion to card form with another playthrough of the original.
MtG's Final Fantasy 10 Commander Deck - Counter Blitz
Not to be outdone, Final Fantasy 10 arguably serves as the main source of inspiration for how the series' summons were brought to Magic: The Gathering, and there are many Summon cards to be found in the Counter Blitz deck. There are also many cards that focus on putting counters on creatures, which may remind players of FF10's unique Sphere Grid system. For players who are looking for a game with characters that can be built in any way imaginable and with a focus on Summons that rivals even Final Fantasy 16, embarking on a summoner’s pilgrimage in Final Fantasy 10 is the way to go.
MtG's Final Fantasy 14 Commander Deck - Scions & Spellcraft
Final Fantasy's primary ongoing MMORPG is the focus of the final Commander deck, which centers around casting noncreature spells and has Y’shtola in the face Commander slot. While Scions & Spellcraft is flavored closest to the Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers expansion, the deck features plenty of cards that reference events before and after that chapter in the story. As it stands, Final Fantasy’s integration into Magic: The Gathering wouldn't be what it is without such iconic material to adapt, and players may want to prepare themselves for the Scions & Spellcraft deck by jumping into FF14.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre(s)
- RPG
