Earth’s mightiest heroes traveled through time and space to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, but they were unable to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Just as the Mad Titan predicted, its rapid expansion proved unsustainable. After years of heavy spending on TV shows and movies that only resulted in shrinking audiences and lackluster reviews, the franchise effectively collapsed under its own weight. Now Marvel Studios is scrapping and delaying projects as it tries to figure out how best to move forward.
Magic: The Gathering had its own Avengers: Endgame moment last year with the release of March of the Machine, an epic set that satisfyingly brought decades of storytelling to a close. Unfortunately, Wizards of the Coast seems to be on the same trajectory as Marvel Studios, burning through goodwill and exhausting its fanbase with too many releases.
The reason for this is a much bigger villain than Thanos or Elesh Norn: corporate greed. Wizards of the Coast is the primary cash cow for Hasbro, which has been aggressively trying to squeeze even more value out of the company for years to please shareholders. It’s the same motivation behind the publisher’s failed attempt to rewrite the Open Gaming License for Dungeons & Dragons.
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Financial experts predict that the decisions Hasbro is making could prove just as disastrous for Magic: The Gathering. Bank of America warned in 2022 that the company was “killing its golden goose” by printing too many sets. It reiterated the warning last year, criticizing Hasbro for attempting to “overmonetize” Wizards of the Coast’s two brands, “destroying customer goodwill” in the process. (Wizards, for its part, suggested that D&D and Magic: The Gathering were actually “really undermonetized.”)
Keeping up with MTG or Marvel can seem like a daunting task.
Demand for MCU content and MTG cards skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic as people sought a distraction from lockdowns, and both Marvel and Wizards accelerated their release schedules. But this had the effect of exacerbating an existing problem with both brands: keeping up can feel like a daunting task.
It’s bad enough when you feel like you need to watch multiple seasons of TV to understand what’s going on in the next Marvel movie. Magic players who really want to win games need to be aware of the mechanics and cards they’re likely to face and use the most modern tools available. The research and testing that goes into developing a deck is a huge part of what makes the hobby so satisfying, but it’s exhausting and frustrating when that work is largely rendered irrelevant a month later.
The cost isn’t just in time, it’s also in money. The loss of customers is especially felt in Magic: The Gathering’s Eternal formats, which allow for the use of cards that aren’t legal in Standard. Magic’s limited Secret Lair releases were fine when they were relegated to cosmetic collectibles for fans who wanted a version of one of Ikoria’s dinosaurs that looked like Godzilla. They started to become a problem when premium sets included mechanically unique cards that could help win Legacy and Vintage tournaments, like The Walking Dead’s Rick, Steadfast Leader.
MTG crossover releases change not only the game's mechanics but also its character, leaving aside decades of complex storytelling in an original multiverse in favor of a Fortnite-style mashup of popular IPs.
After the huge success of the Lord of the Rings crossover Tales of Middle-earth proved to be one of the few bright spots for Hasbro’s business this year, the company is doubling down on licensed cards with Universes Beyond. So far, the plan has included Commander decks dedicated to Doctor Who and Warhammer 40,000, with more Middle-earth sets and special inserts into standard sets like Jurassic World cards in The Lost Cavern of Ixalan promised in the future. Even the MCU itself is getting the card treatment.
These releases change not only the mechanics of the game but also its character, setting aside decades of complex narrative centered on Dominaria and the other planes of the original MTG multiverse in favor of creating a Fortnite-style mashup of popular IPs. Not everyone is a Vorthos who cares deeply about Magic’s lore, and these sets may appeal to new fans who don’t know who Urza is but are excited to play different versions of the Doctor with friends.
But Marvel learned the hard way just how invested fans are in individual characters rather than the franchise. There have been some high-profile debuts since Endgame's string of deaths and retirements, but audiences have been pretty lukewarm when it comes to the introduction of the Young Avengers and the Thunderbolts. Much of the best superhero storytelling happening right now is outside the MCU in X-Men '97, Invincible, The Boys, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
In the first few months of 2024 alone, Magic: The Gathering has been beset by AI art controversy, released an overpriced set filled with disappointing mythic rares, produced a bland set of Fallout Commander decks, and a soulless Western-themed set packed with Commander cards. Meanwhile, collectible card game players have more options than ever, whether they’re primarily interested in a robust competitive scene, familiar characters, or mechanics that will test their skills. Phyrexians have been prevented from devouring the worlds of Magic: The Gathering, but the game is far from safe from those who think they know best how it should evolve.