Let People Like Things. Let People Dislike Things. Keep Playing Magic.

It’s really hard to please people. The internet would have you believe Universes Beyond (UB) is either the second coming or the death of Magic.

Then I sit down for Commander and remember: the game is really, really fun.

How I got here

I didn’t come back to Magic for deep lore or Jace’s character arc. I came back because my girlfriend (now wife) wanted to play with her coworkers. What actually hooked me was Commander and Doctor Who cards landing right when I was ready to dive in.

That’s my on-ramp. Yours might be slamming Miirym dragons until the table groans. Or brewing Karlach for that extra combat or bust energy. Same game. Different stories. That flexibility is what makes Magic absurdly cool.

UB is a Rorschach test

Love an IP? Feels like hospitality. Hate an IP? Feels like invasion. Both reactions make sense.

In 2026, the lineup leans heavy UB: Marvel, The Hobbit, Star Trek, stacked right next to in-universe sets. Some players cheered. Some booed. Nobody shrugged.

And honestly, I get it. Final Fantasy broke records, outselling Lord of the Rings. Of course Wizards is doubling down. This isn’t complicated economics: “you bought it, so we made more.”

Looking ahead at 2026

Here’s the lineup as it stands and how I personally feel about it:

Lorwyn Eclipsed (in-universe): I’m really excited about this. I’ve always loved Lorwyn, and Wilds of Eldraine’s card art and design are some of my absolute favorites. More of that vibe? Sign me up.
To Be Announced UB set: Rumor mill says Nickelodeon or TMNT. Honestly… meh. Not my jam, but I know people will have fun with it.
Secrets of Strixhaven (in-universe): I like Strixhaven a lot. Hyped to see what new twists we get here.
Marvel Super Heroes (UB): I’m kind of superheroed out. I know a lot of folks will love this, but I’ll probably sit it out.
The Hobbit (UB): Following up on the LotR set. Tons of hype here. Just not my cup of tea.
Reality Fracture (in-universe): This one has me really hyped. A new in-universe villain and not much else known, which is perfect. Love the mystery.
Star Trek (UB): Beyond hyped. Star Trek is my favorite IP of all time. I’ve always wanted more games skinned with Trek. Star Trek Armada was peak RTS for me, and Elite Force is literally the only FPS I’ve ever cared about. Put that energy into Magic? Inject it directly into my veins.

That’s the reality of UB: it’s not “all or nothing.” I can’t wait for Lorwyn and Star Trek, I’ll probably skip Nickelodeon, Heroes and The Hobbit. The point isn’t that every set has to be for me. The point is that Magic keeps building more doors and I can choose to save all my money for Star Trek.

The half-measure nobody asked for

Some players genuinely want the mechanics without the IP. “I want the gameplay, not Spider-Man’s face” is a valid position.

Wizards’ answer? Through the Omenpaths: Arena-only reskins that swap Spider-Man’s mask for generic fantasy art. Mechanically identical, just different visuals.

The execution is… rough. The art feels slapped together, like somebody ran the UB designs through a fantasy filter. It satisfies neither camp: IP fans lose the characters they wanted, and lore purists get art that looks actively worse than standard Magic cards. And because it’s Arena-only, Commander players can’t even use them without proxying.

Omenpaths isn't a compromise. It's a dilution that makes both sides unhappy.

What Magic was (and wasn’t)

Magic wasn’t born with sweeping sagas. It started as a game with rad art that only later grew into metaplot and recurring characters. The Weatherlight era is where it really snapped into “story mode.”

That history is worth remembering when people debate “what Magic is supposed to be.” The game has always been evolving. This moment just feels more visible.

The real elephant: Release fatigue

Here’s the thing nobody wants to say out loud: some of the UB backlash isn’t about crossovers at all. It’s about exhaustion.

Spider-Man cards might bother you because you don’t like crossovers. Or because the set design feels sloppy. Or because the art looks rushed. Or because it’s the seventh major release this year and you’re just tired.

Those are separate complaints, but they get bundled together. Magic’s production is a giant machine with years-long lead times. That means the pace you’re experiencing now was locked in back in 2022. Wizards can’t pivot on a dime, even when the community is clearly burnt out.

Where it gets human

Taste becomes identity.

“I like in-universe sets” becomes “UB ruins Magic.” “I like UB” becomes “purists are joyless gatekeepers.”

Once taste equals identity, disagreement feels like erasure. That’s when Reddit turns into trench warfare.

Scroll any thread and you’ll see all sides: folks who miss old-school worldbuilding, folks burned out on constant releases, folks hyped for new IP doors, and folks yelling bring back Lorwyn. None of that is a moral failing. It’s just people wanting different things from the same toy box.

My working theory

Games survive by offering many doors.
Communities fracture when people confuse my door with the only door.
The fix is more doors, clearer signs.

For me, UB was a giant welcome mat. Final Fantasy doesn’t sing to me, and that’s fine. I just don’t buy it. Instead, I build The Fifteenth Doctor and have a blast. You can do the inverse. The skyship keeps flying.

Where I land

You don’t have to like every door. You don’t have to walk through every door. But treating the doors other people use as existential threats? That’s where it breaks down.

More players means more pods means more friends.

That’s not a Hasbro slogan. That’s just how Tuesday night Commander gets better.