Avatar is going to be the last Universes Beyond set this year, but is it a "yay" or a "nay?"
The long awaited final Universes Beyond set reveal this year was finally unveiled at MagicCon Chicago a few weeks ago and as it turns out it is Avatar: The Last Airbender. But the question now is whether or not it is this a good thing.
First off, not much is known about the set just yet. We have some official art, some of which will probably be on the cards. And, as usual per Magic standards, it's likely to be quality work. And we also know this is a late November release, so they are obviously going for this to be the Christmas-time set. That's really about it.
But knowing both the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game and the animated series, there are some observations to be had. So....
THE GOOD
The game of Magic really needs its Universes Beyond sub-brand to stay in the realm of fantasy while also not hitting too close to home on existing planes. So, no Redwall thanks to Bloomburrow, no Harry Potter thanks to Strixhaven, etc. And it needs to be something Wizards of the Coast needs to be in a working relationship with the company or parent company of who they want to partner with. There had been some speculation that it could have been Star Trek thanks to Edge of Eternities coming out, but in the end it was Nickelodeon's Avatar.
After the rumblings from fans over Marvel and Spongebob, as well as the several reskinned sets and drops in the past few years, they found an IP with magic, fantasy, creatures, and other MTG hallmarks to go on. So, in terms of selection, they could have done much worse.
The set also promises some unique combinations, like having a flying type bison, a sword made out of a meteor, and several distinct styles of magic all coming in one. It's unique, and that's good.
Also, as said before, the art. Not much to go on, but some seem to be angling towards the realistic style and not all cards having art like on the show. If the art is varied and not all of it is in the cartoon style, then this can spread the appeal. But if all the art is based on the style, there could be problems. Not all players like cartoon artwork. Speaking of...
THE BAD
The universe is a bit too set in the distinct areas of magic, each based on one of the four elements. Before coming out, fans already know roughly what the mana costs will be, with Aang needing at least one mana of each to be brought out. And you know he is going to be one of the rarest cards in the set.
This could make it rock, paper, scissors in terms of play, kind of like Pokémon, which could lead to some rather predictable matches.
And then there is the question of appeal. While certainly a popular show, it doesn't quite have the multi-generational appeal as other Universes Beyond sets do. Assassin's Creed struggled, as did some others with the same range of appeal.
THE UGLY
It's pretty obvious why the set is coming out, and that's because of a new Avatar series coming out - Seven Havens. Everyone always knows when the tie-ins come out, and this is no exception. At the very least, it's being used for hype and to help keep the IP relevant and have it be introduced to the wide range of Magic players. Fans will love it and want to get every card, but many Magic players will likely just skip it in favor of the return to Lorwyn and return to Arcavios sets due up in 2026.
Between Edge of Eternities and the return to Lorwyn it will be about 5-6 months with nothing but Universes Beyond coming out. Except for an odd IP they love, fans are sticking with the uniquely MTG sets. Avatar is coming out not long after Spider-Man, and a UB following a UB doesn't bode well. It is a big enough IP so it will get some hype, but it will also feed into more IP fatigue.
But then there is 2026. Going back to Lorwyn after 19 years. Exploring more of Arcavios. Hopefully more sparing uses of Universes Beyond. And then this year we have a Dragon heavy Tarkir set in Tarkir: Dragonstorm, as well as the outer space set, Edge of Eternities.
That huge gap is going to lead to a lot of hype for a return to Lorwyn, especially after it became a slow burn classic the first time around. Magic is hopefully heading back to the basics after so much UB. So we'll see.
