Final Fantasy Commander Decks Revealed, Feature Cloud, Tidus, and More

Even if you're not a regular player of Magic: The Gathering, you're likely aware of its recent video game crossovers, featuring iconic titles like Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed. Now, we're thrilled to offer an exclusive first look at one of the most anticipated crossovers yet: Final Fantasy. This collaboration spans four mainline Final Fantasy games, including Final Fantasy VI, VII, X, and XIV, each represented in unique preconstructed Commander decks.

**Flip through the image gallery below** to get a sneak peek at the lead card and packaging for each deck. Continue reading for insights from Wizards of the Coast on what to expect from these decks, the rationale behind selecting these four games, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Reveal

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Set to launch on June 13, this Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy crossover will feature a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, along with the four preconstructed decks showcased above. Each deck contains 100 cards, a mix of reprints with new Final Fantasy artwork and brand new cards tailored for the Commander format. Each deck is themed around a specific Final Fantasy game, offering a deep dive into their lore and capturing beloved moments from their storylines.

"Final Fantasy games are rich with flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings, providing ample material to design a full deck around a single game," says Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, the Commander Lead for the set. "This approach allowed us to explore the lore extensively, capturing even more cherished moments from each game's narrative."

The selection of Final Fantasy VI, VII, X, and XIV for these decks was driven by a balance of gameplay considerations and the popularity of each game's story. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were clear choices, VI and X required more deliberation but were ultimately selected due to their popularity among the team. "This project had the full engagement of our team, filled with passionate Final Fantasy fans," Holt notes.

For Final Fantasy VII, the deck's narrative draws from the original 1997 game, yet it incorporates modern aesthetics from the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth. "Our goal was to capture the essence of the original PS1 game's story while enhancing it with the visual fidelity of the modern versions," explains Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer and Narrative Lead for the set.

Final Fantasy VI posed a unique challenge due to its limited modern art references. Deveney shares, "We aimed to stay true to the pixel art sprites and concept art while also expanding upon them. We consulted directly with the Final Fantasy VI team to ensure the character designs resonated with fans' memories, blending nostalgia with fresh elements."

Choosing the lead characters for each deck was a thoughtful process. Cloud was a natural choice for Final Fantasy VII, but other selections required brainstorming. For Final Fantasy VI, Celes was considered due to her role in the World of Ruin, but Terra was ultimately chosen as the lead. Yuna was a contender for Final Fantasy X, but Tidus was selected to represent the game's Sphere Grid system. For Final Fantasy XIV, Y'shtola was chosen for her popularity and spellcasting abilities, focusing on her Shadowbringers arc.

Each deck's color identity was carefully chosen to reflect the game's themes and desired gameplay. The Final Fantasy VI deck, centered on the World of Ruin, focuses on rebuilding your party from the graveyard. Final Fantasy VII's deck, featuring Cloud, incorporates equipment strategies with a white-red-green color identity, emphasizing power and the lifestream. The Final Fantasy X deck, led by Tidus, uses a white-blue-green strategy inspired by the Sphere Grid, while Final Fantasy XIV's deck, with Y'shtola, adopts a white-blue-black color identity, focusing on noncreature spell casting.

While the Commander format centers on the leader, RPGs are about the entire party. Holt assures fans that each deck will include a variety of beloved and villainous characters from the Final Fantasy series, appearing as new legendary creatures and in action on other spells.

The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set will be released on June 13. If your favorite Final Fantasy game or character isn't featured in these decks, don't worry—Daniel Holt confirms that all sixteen mainline games will have their moments in accompanying products.

Similar to the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks from 2022, these Final Fantasy decks will be available in both a regular version (MSRP $69.99) and a Collector’s Edition (MSRP $149.99), the latter featuring all 100 cards in a special Surge foil treatment.

*Read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney:*