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

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

Author : Matthew Update : May 01,2025

Even if you're not an avid player of Magic: The Gathering, you've likely heard about its exciting collaborations with other video game franchises in recent years, such as Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed. Now, we're thrilled to give you an exclusive first look at one of the most anticipated crossovers yet: Final Fantasy. This collaboration isn't just limited to one game; it spans across four iconic mainline Final Fantasy titles—6, 7, 10, and 14—each represented in the set's preconstructed Commander decks.

Flip through the image gallery below to get a sneak peek at the lead card and packaging for each deck. Dive into our discussion with Wizards of the Coast to learn more about what these decks offer, why these specific games were chosen, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Reveal

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Set to launch this June, the Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy crossover will feature a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, complemented by the four preconstructed decks showcased in the gallery above. Each deck contains 100 cards, blending reprints adorned with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards tailored for the popular Commander format. These decks are uniquely themed around specific Final Fantasy games, offering a deep dive into the lore and beloved moments of each.

"Final Fantasy games are rich with flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings that choosing a single game as the theme provided more than enough material to design a full deck of cards around," says Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, who leads the Commander design for this set. "Focusing on one game per deck allowed us to delve deeper into the lore, capturing even more cherished moments from the game's storyline."

The selection of Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14 for these decks was driven by a balance of gameplay potential and the widespread recognition of each game's narrative. While Final Fantasy 7 and 14 were straightforward choices, Holt notes that Final Fantasy 6 and 10 required more deliberation, ultimately selected due to their popularity among the development team. "This project was a labor of love, with passionate Final Fantasy fans at every stage of development," Holt adds.

Navigating the narrative direction, especially for Final Fantasy 7 amidst its ongoing remake trilogy, posed unique challenges. Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Narrative Lead for the set, explains that the Final Fantasy 7 deck aims to capture the essence of the original 1997 game while incorporating the modern aesthetics from the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth. "Our goal was to evoke nostalgia for the original while enhancing the visual fidelity with elements from the modern series," Deveney says.

For Final Fantasy 6, which lacks the modern art references of the other games, the team worked closely with the original Final Fantasy 6 developers to ensure the character designs felt true to fans' memories. "We synthesized elements from Yoshitaka Amano’s original concept art, the game's pixel art sprites, and the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster portraits to create a fresh yet familiar look," Deveney explains.

Choosing the lead characters for each deck was another critical decision. While Cloud was an obvious choice for Final Fantasy 7, other selections involved more brainstorming. For Final Fantasy 6, Celes was considered due to the deck's focus on the World of Ruin, and Yuna was a contender for Final Fantasy 10. Ultimately, the team opted for the lead characters, with Final Fantasy 14's Y'shtola chosen for her popularity and spellcasting abilities, particularly during her Shadowbringers arc.

Crafting a deck that encapsulates an entire game's story, characters, and themes within the constraints of Magic's five colors was a complex task. "We had to decide on the color identity for each game and the gameplay we wanted to achieve," Holt explains. The Final Fantasy 6 deck focuses on rebuilding your party from the graveyard, while Final Fantasy 7's deck leverages Cloud's equipment strategies with a white-red-green color identity. Final Fantasy 10's deck draws inspiration from the Sphere Grid system, and Final Fantasy 14's deck emphasizes noncreature spell casting.

While the Commander format centers on the leader, Final Fantasy games are about the entire party. Holt assures fans that each deck will feature a range of beloved and villainous characters from the games, integrated as new legendary creatures and exciting spells.

The Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy set is slated for release on June 13. Each of the four 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. And don't worry if your favorite Final Fantasy game or character isn't included in these decks; Holt promises that all sixteen mainline games will have their moments in the accompanying products.

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