When I initially heard that Magic: The Gathering was collaborating with Final Fantasy, I was excited, but also a little confused. I could see why the crossover was beneficial for Magic, since Final Fantasy is a hugely popular gaming franchise, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the two properties share some of their fanbase. However, the benefits for Square Enix didn’t seem as readily apparent to me, so I wasn’t sure why they were willing to license Final Fantasy.

Now that there are previews for MTG’s Final Fantasy cards, I’m not only more excited about the collaboration, I think I finally get it. I’m assuming my reaction to the cards is exactly what Square Enix was hoping for. What I initially saw as a risk for the Final Fantasy brand, specifically one aspect of it, I realize now is likely to be an overall success. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other popular brands follow suit if sales of this collaboration go well.

Final Fantasy Already Has A Card Game

The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Is Still Releasing New Sets

The main source of my initial confusion about the Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering crossover came from the fact that there is already a Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. This game is still being ed and even has two sets - Tears of the Planet and Gunslinger in the Abyss - coming out a few months before and after the Magic collaboration’s release date in June. I didn’t get why Square Enix would risk cannibalizing the sales of its own card game, which is already not as popular as Magic: The Gathering.

My suspicions that this could be a problem for Final Fantasy were seemingly confirmed to me when I tried to check if the FF card game was still alive after the Magic: The Gathering previews. It may be because I play a lot of Magic, but when I searched “Final Fantasy card game” on Google, some of the first links were to pre-orders for the Magic set, and not the actual Final Fantasy card game. However, I recently started to realize why this move still makes sense for Square Enix, even if Magic takes some attention away from its own game.

MTG's Final Fantasy Collab Got Me To Buy Some Final Fantasy Games

Excitement About The Collaboration Got Me Back Into Final Fantasy Games

The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game is less of the brand’s backbone and more like an ancillary structure. Final Fantasy is first and foremost a video game franchise, and even if the Magic crossover damages the card game, it will likely help prop up the main focus of the Final Fantasy brand. Anecdotally, this strategy has already completely worked on me.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth revived my interest in the Final Fantasy series quicker than Phoenix Down could have, so I was pretty excited about the collaboration. When the four face cards from Magic’s Final Fantasy Commander decks were previewed, I realized that I’d only played two of the four games represented on them. I enjoy finding out the story behind Magic cards to see how narrative elements are communicated through their mechanics, so I ended up buying the Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remake, and the Final Fantasy 10/10-2 Remaster to catch up on the games I’d missed.

Partway through wondering which Final Fantasy game to check out next, I realized that I had (not unwillingly) fallen for Square Enix’s promotional strategy. I’m sure I’m not the only Magic player nostalgic for the Final Fantasy series, and I would be surprised if I was the only one playing the games in anticipation of the crossover. Realizing now what a good marketing strategy this was for Final Fantasy, I’m curious to see what other brands that already have their own card games decide to collaborate with Magic.

Other IPs With Card Games Could Get Magic Collabs In The Future

Other IPs May Recognize This Relationship Is Mutually Beneficial

To start, I’ll say that I’m not expecting to see any collaborations between Magic: The Gathering and another major card game. I highly doubt popular card games like Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! would benefit as much from a crossover, since their card games are already a large part of their brands. However, I could easily see an IP like Star Wars doing a Magic collaboration, despite the existence of Star Wars Unlimited. After all, Disney is already working with Magic for the multiple Marvel sets.

There’s also the fact that Magic players may be more likely to check out other TCGs than someone who has never played one. I won’t pretend I’m not a little tempted to check out the Final Fantasy cards and see how they work. These types of collaborations may get players who aren’t into TCGs to start playing, and even check out the dedicated game for a given IP as well as Magic.

Magic seems to be going all-in on crossover sets, and it’s hard to blame it. The Lord of the Rings set sold well, though part of that could be attributed to the One Ring lottery card that sold for two million dollars. Still, collaborations with popular IPs seem to be a hit, and if my reaction to the Final Fantasy set is any indication, that benefit also extends to the property being licensed. It took me a while to come around to the new state of Magic: The Gathering, but now I’m just excited to see what’s next.