What Is Universes Beyond in MTG? Crossover Sets Explained
What Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond crossovers are, how they differ from Magic's own worlds, which formats they are legal in, and where to start.
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Universes Beyond is the name Wizards of the Coast gives to Magic: The Gathering products built on worlds from outside its own, such as The Lord of the Rings, Warhammer 40,000 and Star Trek. The cards play by normal Magic rules. Since 2025, new Universes Beyond booster sets are legal in every Constructed format, Standard included.
What Universes Beyond means for Magic players
Universes Beyond is a series of Magic products that brings characters and stories from other franchises into the game. Wizards announced it in February 2021 as “a series that combines the gameplay of Magic: The Gathering with worlds, characters, and stories that are cherished by millions of fans around the world.” Wizards called it “a brand within Magic,” reserved for “worlds outside those built by Wizards of the Coast.”
That last point is the dividing line. A Magic set placed on a plane Wizards invented, or in a Dungeons & Dragons setting that Wizards owns, is not Universes Beyond. Wizards said so directly about Adventures in the Forgotten Realms in the 2021 announcement.
Universes Beyond vs Magic’s own worlds
Universes Beyond sets differ from Magic’s own sets in where the story comes from, not in how the game is played. The table sets out the main differences Wizards has described.
| Feature | Universes Beyond | Magic’s own worlds |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Another company’s franchise | Worlds Wizards built, including Dungeons & Dragons |
| Card rules | Normal Magic rules | Normal Magic rules |
| Standard legality | Booster sets from 2025 onward; earlier sets were not | Main sets are Standard legal; supplemental products are not |
| Digital versions | Some sets only, sometimes renamed | Most main sets |
Universes Beyond legality, as Wizards states it
Universes Beyond legality changed in 2024. When the brand launched in 2021, Wizards said its cards would not be Standard legal. In October 2024 Wizards announced that, starting in 2025, “new Universes Beyond booster sets will be legal in all Constructed formats.”
Wizards set out three rules in that announcement:
- New booster sets from 2025 are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern and every other Constructed format.
- Older sets keep their legality. Wizards named The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Assassin’s Creed as examples.
- New Commander deck and Jumpstart cards in these sets are legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage, and reprinted cards stay legal wherever they already were.
The Star Trek set follows the newer rule. Wizards’ collecting article says the main Star Trek set is legal in all formats, while its Commander deck cards are legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage. How each format works is covered in MTG formats explained, and Standard in what Standard is in MTG.
Universes Beyond boxes and Commander decks
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Universes Beyond on MTG Arena and Magic Online
Universes Beyond sets are not all on Magic’s digital games. In April 2025 Wizards said FINAL FANTASY and Avatar: The Last Airbender would come to MTG Arena and Magic Online. For some sets, the digital games use “Universes Within” versions that work the same way but carry different names and art. Wizards also said Marvel’s Spider-Man and later Marvel sets would not come to digital.
Universes Beyond crossover examples
Universes Beyond covers full booster sets, Commander decks and Secret Lair drops. Examples Wizards has named in its own announcements:
- Warhammer 40,000: Commander decks, named in the 2021 launch announcement.
- The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth: a full booster set, also named in 2021.
- The Walking Dead: Secret Lair cards that Wizards said would be counted under the new brand.
- Assassin’s Creed: a set Wizards used as a legality example in 2024.
- FINAL FANTASY and Avatar: The Last Airbender: sets Wizards named in its 2025 digital update.
- Star Trek: the newest full set, released November 13, 2026, with four Commander decks. The full lineup is in Magic: The Gathering Star Trek products.
Star Trek Magic packs and decks
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Universes Beyond in Secret Lair drops
Secret Lair is a regular home for crossover cards, from The Walking Dead cards in 2021 to a Star Trek Superdrop in November 2026, which is covered on the Star Trek page.
Secret Lair drops are sold for a limited time on Wizards’ own storefront. How the sales and the queue work is in what Secret Lair is.
Sealed Secret Lair drops
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Where to start with Universes Beyond
A fan of one franchise is best served by that franchise’s Commander deck: it is a complete deck, and the commander is usually a famous character. A player who wants to draft or build Standard decks can start with Play Boosters or a Bundle of the newest set. For a reader new to Magic altogether, which Magic product to buy starts from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
Are Universes Beyond cards legal in Standard?
New Universes Beyond booster sets released from 2025 onward are legal in all Constructed formats, including Standard. Older sets keep the legality they had, and Commander deck cards in these sets are legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage.
What was the first Universes Beyond product?
When Wizards announced Universes Beyond in February 2021, it named Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks and The Lord of the Rings as the first products, and said The Walking Dead Secret Lair cards would be counted as part of it.
Are Universes Beyond sets on MTG Arena?
Some are. Wizards said in April 2025 that FINAL FANTASY and Avatar: The Last Airbender come to MTG Arena and Magic Online, and that some other sets get Universes Within versions with new names and art instead. Marvel's Spider-Man and later Marvel sets do not come to digital.
Is Adventures in the Forgotten Realms a Universes Beyond set?
No. Wizards said in its 2021 announcement that Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is not part of Universes Beyond, because Dungeons & Dragons belongs to Wizards of the Coast.
Sources
- Magic's Voyages into Universes BeyondWizards of the Coast
- Aligning the Universes: Making All Our Sets Legal in All Our FormatsWizards of the Coast
- Through the Omenpaths and Digital Universes Beyond UpdatesWizards of the Coast
- Collecting Magic: The Gathering | Star TrekWizards of the Coast
Filed under Boosters and sealed products
