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0 Magic: The Gathering will start the official spoiler season for Edge of Eternities on July 8th, according to Mark Rosewater’s Tumblr account, Blogatog. Barely three weeks apart from the release of the Standard legal Final Fantasy set. Oh, and just last week, they also announced another Secret Lair, this time casting Sonic the Hedgehog and friends. It almost feels like there is no time for fans, players, and collectors to just breathe and enjoy a new product before a new one is already announced, and another is close to launching.
Back To Canon Lore
Three weeks after its release, it is safe to say Final Fantasy was a tremendous success for Wizards of the Coast. Even among the most sceptical fans, such as myself, it is undeniable that this Universes Beyond crossover was a total hit. The emotional storytelling, the fan-favourite characters, and the beautiful, shiny foil alternative art have made this a highly in-demand set, consequently also making it one of the most expensive MTG products ever.
Nonetheless, it is nice to see MTG returning to its own lore and franchise characters. Remember Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas? Yeah, he now goes by Tezzeret, Cruel Captain, and by the looks of his artwork, he is his own boss now. Edge of Eternities brings MTG lore to a new space frontier full of space ships, faraway planets, and sci-fi-like magic. The set releases about two months after the Final Fantasy set, which is the new norm now. Remember when Magic sets were released every three to four months? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Fans Want Time
Magic used to have breathing room between major sets. They used to give players time to delve into the rich lore and explore new strategies with the new cards. Nowadays, as soon as you get excited about one product, the next one is already being teased, previewed, or released. Instead of deepening their love of the game, many players are feeling overwhelmed. How can players get “hyped up,” full of anticipation for a new set if they’re still savoring the last one?
From a purely business perspective, this kind of release velocity runs the risk of one set cannibalizing the other. When a set like Final Fantasy dominates attention and spending, upcoming releases can struggle to make a dent. Imagine a customer who just dropped $200+ on a Universes Beyond set they’ve been waiting years for. How likely are they to splurge more for a Sonic Secret Lair drop? Or maybe start preordering Edge of Eternity singles? Widening the gap between releases could let each product breathe, giving Wizards more time to market and more opportunity to fully milk each one. Instead, they’re stepping on their own toes, leaving potential sales on the table.
Additional Products Announced
A Sonic The Hedgehog Secret Lair product was announced on June 27, and, honestly, it looks great! The problem here, again, is not with the product itself, but with the speed at which Wizards is releasing products. Just one after another. A week prior to that announcement, on June 21st, during the Las Vegas ProTour, they revealed Avatar Aang from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set. Honestly, from a customer standpoint, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed trying to keep up.
I’m afraid that by the time this piece is finished and published, the information will already be outdated. I even bet a new product will have been announced or revealed by the time you finish reading! At this current pace, Wizards of the Coast will very soon run out of franchises to collaborate with.
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