Magic: The Gathering has changed a lot since I was a kid. I remember getting a deck or two for my tenth birthday because my parents thought it was the same thing as Yu-Gi-Oh. A+ for effort, but I was definitely too young to figure out the rules and spent most of my time playing a PC game that came with it. Fast-forward almost two decades, and I’ve never returned to the TCG.
But thanks to my colleague Joe Parlock, I’ve slowly been absorbing MTG knowledge through osmosis over the past few years as I learn about Streets of New Capenna, Innistrad, and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Sets that have been beloved and critiqued by fans thanks to how they’re exploring new characters and narratives while stretching what it means to belong in this very broad universe. I’m still learning the ropes, but it seems that Wizards of the Coast is eager to push MTG to new and unexpected places, even if it’s frustrating the hardcore.
MTG’s Crossover Sets Are A Blessing And A Curse
I understand the concern. There is serious money in crossovers, and slowly, but surely we’ve seen MTG incorporate major properties like Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, or Final Fantasy into the main game instead of focusing on additions to the canon universe.
These aren’t just individual booster packs or limited-edition Secret Lairs – although those do exist – but full sets that take the place of the more traditional ideas we would have seen only a couple years ago. These still exist, but if you’ve been following MTG for decades and now you are stuck with IP-ridden decks you have virtually no interest in, that can’t be easy to stomach.
‘Universes Beyond’ is the moniker given to these crossover sets, essentially giving the game cart blanche to incorporate whatever it likes in the future.
On the flipside, however, it has done an incredible job of bringing newcomers into the fold. I feel confident in saying that MTG is bigger than ever, and I wouldn’t be writing this piece if I wasn’t exposed to its brilliance both as part of my job and the existence of crossovers which gave the fan service I needed to stand up and take notice. Yes, I’m a simple creature, but if this is the impetus I require to care about anything beyond the luscious Final Fantasy cards, then so be it.
But The SpongeBob Secret Lair Is An Exception
This brings me to the SpongeBob Secret Lair, which saw its cards revealed earlier this week to a mixed reception. There will be a total of three drops arriving as part of the crossover and some will feature original art of characters like SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr Krabs, or Sandy; while others are playing around the viral internet nature of the yellow character with a healthy dose of memes. These aren’t heavily reimagined renditions of memes either, but are illustrated by regular MTG artist Tyler Walpole.
Now that I think about it, this isn’t very different to how I’d imagine MTG would do a Shrek Secret Lair. It would no doubt feature a mixture of original art, viral memes, and iconic references.
At first glance, I thought they were fake or mock-ups made by some sarcastic fan wanting to dunk on MTG’s current obsession with incorporating marketable IP. But nope, it’s legit, and you know what? I’m okay with it. Magic: The Gathering has been consistently pushing things in recent years, proving to casual and hardcore fans alike that its interests lie in both its own universe and offering crossovers that appeal to its increasingly mainstream audience.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this Secret Lair sold out very quickly due to the limited nature of the cards, and the surrounding discussion has once again thrown the game into the news to the degree that I felt compelled enough to write about it. I’m sitting up and taking notice, and this is exactly what Wizards of the Coast wanted. It’s making money, growing its audience, all as it encourages discussion amongst a community that is incredibly invested in its next move.
Besides, the SpongeBob Secret Lair is a love letter to characters that many players grew up with while simultaneously capitalising on an aspect of internet culture that persists until this day. I understand the desire to be precious and protective of a universe like MTG, but when it comes to this occasion, why not loosen up a little bit?
Magic: The Gathering
- Franchise
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Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Player Count
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2+