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

Even if you're not a Magic: The Gathering player, you've likely seen its numerous video game crossovers lately, including Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin's Creed. But get ready for one of the most exciting yet: Final Fantasy. This isn't just one Final Fantasy game either – from Terra to Y'shtola, four mainline games are represented in the preconstructed Commander decks leading this set.

Browse the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck. Then, read on for our chat with Wizards of the Coast about what to expect, the game selection process, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Revealed

13 ImagesLaunching this June, Magic's Final Fantasy crossover includes a fully draftable, Standard-legal set and four preconstructed decks (shown above). Each deck contains 100 cards: reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander. While Commander precons usually focus on characters, colors, or strategies, these decks are uniquely built around individual Final Fantasy games – specifically 6, 7, 10, and 14.

“Final Fantasy games are rich with lore, beloved characters, and unique settings; choosing a single game provided ample material for a full deck,” explains Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, Commander Lead for the set. “Focusing on individual games allowed us to delve deep into each game's lore, capturing beloved moments we might have missed otherwise.”

"...we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”“The team selected these four games based on gameplay and story recognition. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easy choices, VI and X required more discussion, driven partly by team favorites,” Holt adds. “Everyone was invested in every development stage; we have many passionate Final Fantasy fans on the team.”

Even with the games chosen, directional decisions were necessary. Final Fantasy VII's remake trilogy ran concurrently with this Magic set's development. Does the Commander precon reflect the original or the reimagining? Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Narrative Lead for the set, clarifies: the story follows the 1997 classic, but the art incorporates elements from both.

“Our approach to Final Fantasy VII was to capture the original PS1 game's narrative, using Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth's aesthetics to enhance character designs, story moments, and locations,” Deveney explains. “Where scenes existed in both, we chose between the original, the modern interpretation, or a unique blend. Hopefully, the deck feels nostalgic to players of both versions!”

“We developed a workflow using concept and card artists to synthesize elements from Yoshitaka Amano's concept art, original sprites, and Pixel Remaster portraits. We then met with the Final Fantasy VI review team for feedback on preserving core elements and incorporating new ones.”

"It's our hope that the [FF6] character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them..."The games were decided, but Commander requires character selection. Cloud was obvious for VII, but others required brainstorming. Celes was considered for VI, focusing on the World of Ruin, while Yuna was considered for X. They ultimately chose the "lead" characters, but Final Fantasy XIV, being an MMO, presented a challenge.

“For Y'shtola, it was a mix of popularity and her spellcasting abilities; her story offered a wide range of abilities to build the deck around,” Holt explains, noting that this deck represents her Shadowbringers arc. A "Warrior of Light" commander was explored, but those ideas were complex, and the deck still features plenty of moments without one.

Deck VI centers on the game's latter half, rebuilding your party from the graveyard. VII's Cloud and big sword fit a white-red strategy, but green was added to incorporate "power matters" cards and references to the Planet and lifestream. X's Tidus and counter passing might suggest a Blitzball theme, but the white-blue-green strategy is based on the Sphere Grid leveling system. XIV's theme was tricky, but its white-blue-black identity allowed for a noncreature spellcasting theme.

"...fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck..."Commander focuses on the leader, but RPGs are about the party. “Final Fantasy games have many lovable AND villainous characters; including them was important,” Holt says. “While I can’t reveal specifics, fans can expect to see favorite characters in the 99 cards as legendary creatures and on spells.”

Magic's Final Fantasy set releases June 13th. If your favorite game or character isn't featured (or even if it is), don't worry – Holt assures us that "all sixteen mainline games will have their moments in the accompanying products.”

Similar to the 2022 Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks, these decks will be available in regular ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector's Edition ($149.99 MSRP) versions. The Collector's Edition features all 100 cards in Surge foil.

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