Universes Beyond: the mashups nobody saw coming

• Magic was once about wizards slinging spells across planes. Now it’s also about assassins, time travelers, and apparently Dwight Schrute from The Office.
• Universes Beyond started as a quirky experiment, but it’s now a pillar of the brand. Love it or hate it, Magic is living in the age of crossovers.
• And yes—within days we’ll see Dwight Schrute, Jaws, and even Furby joining the card pool. This isn’t a fever dream. It’s the cardboard future.

The My Little Pony charity promos

The first true crossover happened in 2019 with My Little Pony cards. They weren’t tournament legal, but they sold to benefit charity and instantly became collector’s items. It was a litmus test: if Magic players could handle pastel equines, maybe they could handle anything. Spoiler: the test passed.

The Walking Dead Secret Lair: the controversy that sold out

When The Walking Dead Secret Lair dropped, Magic Twitter imploded. Characters like Rick, Negan, and Michonne were black-bordered, mechanically unique, and only available through the drop. “Pay-to-win” cries were loud—but the cards sold out instantly. Even today, Negan, the Cold-Blooded and Rick hold value, proving that controversy doesn’t kill crossovers—it fuels them.

Doctor Who Commander decks: bigger on the inside

Doctor Who got full preconstructed Commander decks in 2023, spanning multiple Doctors, villains, and timey-wimey mechanics. Suspend, time travel, and historic spells suddenly made sense in ways only a TARDIS could. These weren’t just reskinned cards—they were flavorful builds that felt authentic. It showed Wizards could blend IP into Magic without losing depth, much like we saw in our archetypes breakdown where personality drives gameplay.

Fallout: post-apocalyptic Magic

Fallout’s Universes Beyond release brought radioactive deserts, Pip-Boys, and Nuka-Cola straight into Commander. Mutants and power armor fit surprisingly well into Magic’s creature design, and treasure tokens never felt more thematic than when called “caps.” Fallout worked because its mechanics echoed its lore—survival, scavenging, and blasting things with oversized weapons.

Assassin’s Creed: freerunning through cardboard

In 2024, Assassin’s Creed leapt into Magic as a Universes Beyond set that doubled down on parkour flavor. Historic synergies, legendary assassins, and stealth mechanics gave decks a unique vibe. It didn’t just feel like Magic with a skin—it felt like an extension of the Creed universe that happened to shuffle into 60-card sleeves.

The upcoming curveball: Dwight, Jaws, and Furby

Here’s where things go off the rails. Wizards is about to release Dwight Schrute (The Office), Jaws, and Furby into Magic. Yes, Dwight Schrute.

In fairness, Dwight o’Lantern is going one of my decks.

Imagine getting combo-killed by the Assistant (to the) Regional Manager. Or losing to a Furby tribal deck. Or being eaten alive by a giant shark mid-pod. If nothing else, it proves Universes Beyond has no ceiling. If it exists in pop culture, it might exist in Magic.

Why these crossovers actually work

• Collectability: Even if you don’t play them, these cards are conversation pieces. Owning a Jaws Magic card is just cool.
• Flavor-first mechanics: When mechanics match the IP, the cards feel natural. Doctor Who’s time counters or Fallout’s scavenging themes land perfectly.
• Crossover audience: Every new franchise is a gateway drug. Maybe a Fallout fan buys a Commander deck and suddenly gets hooked on the game itself.
• Memes matter: Dwight Schrute in Magic? That’ll go viral faster than you can say “Bears. Beets. Battlecruiser format.”

The collector angle

Crossovers supercharge the secondary market. Secret Lair promos, serialized versions, and alternate frames create chase pieces that sell for huge premiums. It’s the same effect we saw in our look at foils, extended arts, and Secret Lairs: scarcity + nostalgia = dollar signs. Whether you’re in it for love or money, these crossovers have become must-haves for many players.

The risk factor

• Oversaturation: Not every fan wants to see SpongeBob or Shrek next to their Llanowar Elves (though let’s be honest, some of us do).
• Timeline whiplash: Jumping from gothic vampires to ’90s toys like Furby can feel disjointed.
• Reprint equity: Each crossover is one less chance to reprint critical Magic staples. If your deck still doesn’t have an affordable Dockside Extortionist, it’s easy to side-eye Dwight Schrute.

Why players secretly love them anyway

Because they’re fun. That’s it. Magic can get bogged down in optimization, metas, and competitive grind. But when you slam down a Furby card in a Commander pod, everyone laughs. When someone topdecks Jaws to eat the biggest creature at the table, it’s a story you tell for weeks. That’s why Universes Beyond keeps working. It injects joy into a game that sometimes takes itself too seriously.

Final thought

Universes Beyond may feel weird, but weird works. My Little Pony proved it, The Walking Dead controversy fueled it, Doctor Who and Fallout refined it, and now Dwight, Jaws, and Furby will test just how far Magic can stretch. Whether you roll your eyes or preorder immediately, crossovers aren’t going away. They’re part of Magic’s future, and honestly? I’m here for the chaos.