Cloud, Tidus Featured in New Final Fantasy Commander Decks

Even if you're not a *Magic: The Gathering* player, chances are you’ve heard about its recent wave of exciting video game crossovers—think titles like Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed. But hold on to your mana crystals, because the latest collaboration might just be the most epic yet: *Final Fantasy*. And this isn’t just a one-game cameo—it's a celebration spanning four iconic entries in the series. From Terra to Y’shtola, these preconstructed Commander decks bring together beloved characters and themes from *Final Fantasy VI*, *VII*, *X*, and *XIV*.

Take a peek through the image gallery below for an exclusive first look at the lead cards and deck packaging. Then dive into our full breakdown with Wizards of the Coast, where we explore what each deck has in store, why these four games were chosen, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering – Commander Decks Reveal

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Set to drop this June, this *Magic: The Gathering* x *Final Fantasy* crossover will arrive as a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, complemented by four themed Commander decks highlighted in the gallery above. Each of these 100-card decks blends reprints featuring newly commissioned *Final Fantasy*-themed artwork with brand-new cards crafted specifically for the Commander format. What makes these decks unique is that each one centers around a single *Final Fantasy* title—namely *VI*, *VII*, *X*, and *XIV*.

“Each *Final Fantasy* game is packed with rich lore, unforgettable characters, and immersive settings,” says Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, Commander Lead for the set. “Focusing on a single game per deck gave us enough depth to really capture key moments and themes that fans would recognize and appreciate.”

The team’s selection process was a mix of gameplay balance and franchise popularity. While *Final Fantasy VII* and *XIV* were obvious choices, *VI* and *X* required more internal discussion. Ultimately, they were selected due to strong support from passionate *Final Fantasy* fans within the WOTC team.

"This was a project everyone here wanted to be involved in," adds Holt. "We have so many *Final Fantasy* enthusiasts on staff that every stage of development drew a lot of interest."

Storytelling Through Gameplay and Design

When it comes to storytelling, some decks offered more creative flexibility than others. For example, *Final Fantasy VII*’s remake trilogy was developed alongside this MTG set, raising the question: does the deck follow the original or the updated storyline? According to Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer and Narrative Lead for the set, the answer is both.

“Our main narrative focus was on the 1997 original *Final Fantasy VII*,” Deveney explains. “However, we used the visual fidelity of *Remake* and *Rebirth* to enhance character designs and iconic scenes. Where moments appear in both versions, we had the freedom to choose how to represent them—whether as classic pixel nostalgia, modern reinterpretation, or a fusion of the two.”

For *Final Fantasy VI*, the challenge was even greater. With no modern HD remaster to pull visuals from, the design team leaned heavily on Yoshitaka Amano’s legendary concept art, original sprite designs, and the Pixel Remaster version to create a fresh but familiar look. Collaboration with Square Enix ensured that character designs felt authentic while meeting Magic’s artistic standards.

Choosing the Commanders

While Cloud was an easy pick for *Final Fantasy VII*, selecting leaders for the other decks involved deeper consideration. Celes was discussed for *VI*, given her prominence in the World of Ruin arc, and Yuna was considered for *X*. However, the team ultimately went with the core protagonists to maintain thematic clarity.

Y’shtola’s inclusion in *XIV* came down to her popularity and role as a powerful spellcaster. Her story during the *Shadowbringers* expansion provided a rich foundation for a white-blue-black control-style deck focused on noncreature spells.

Gameplay Meets Lore

Translating each game’s essence into Magic’s five-color system was no small feat. As Holt explains, “Each deck’s color identity was chosen based on both theme and desired gameplay mechanics. It’s no accident that all four include White—it helped cover the heroic themes we wanted across the set.”

• Final Fantasy VI: Focuses on rebuilding your party using graveyard recursion, mirroring the second half of the game.
• Final Fantasy VII: Combines equipment strategies (Cloud’s sword) with green for Planet-themed cards and lifestream references.
• Final Fantasy X: Inspired by the Sphere Grid leveling system, this white-blue-green deck emphasizes creature empowerment.
• Final Fantasy XIV: Leverages white-blue-black to highlight spellcasting and key character moments from the MMO.

And while each deck centers around a main character, supporting casts aren't forgotten. “Fans can expect to see many beloved characters featured throughout the 99 cards in each deck,” Holt teases. “From new legendary creatures to dynamic spell illustrations, there’s plenty of love for the entire party.”

What’s Next?

With sixteen mainline *Final Fantasy* titles to draw from, this release is just the beginning. Holt assures fans that “all sixteen games will have their moment to shine in future products.”

The *Final Fantasy* Commander decks will launch June 13 in both standard ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector’s Edition formats ($149.99 MSRP), with the latter offering all 100 cards in Surge foil treatment—just like the *Warhammer 40,000* Commander decks before it.

Stay tuned for our full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney coming soon.