Throughout recent years, Wizards of the Coast has been no stranger to brand crossovers. Starting with a controversial crossover with The Walking Dead in 2020, Wizards would eventually found the Universes Beyond product line. From here, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have steadily been expanding the scope of this MTG sub-brand.
In 2023, for instance, Wizards is releasing a pair of major Universes Beyond products. The first of these, launching on June 23rd, is The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Draft set. As a direct-to-Modern release, this set should be chockablock with exciting and powerful cards to delight players!
As if that Universes Beyond release wasn’t enough to excite players, Wizards is also releasing Doctor Who Commander Decks later this year. With incredible new art and plenty of new cards, this Commander release should delight players. Just as we saw with the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks, that greatly improved the sub-brand’s once-controversial standing.
For those that still want more, you’re in luck, as throughout 2024, MTG is getting Assassin’s Creed and Final Fantasy crossovers. If that’s still not enough for you, dear MTG player, then worry not, as Hasbro recently entered into a new partnership with Mattel. Focusing on creating toys and games together, it’s possible, albeit unconfirmed, that this partnership may lead to even more Universes Beyond crossovers!
A Crossover for the Ages
As revealed by Hasbro and Mattel yesterday, this new multi-year licensing agreement has the brands joining forces to create “co-branded toys and games from some of their most popular brands.” While this could leave a lot up in the air, for better or worse, Hasbro was surprisingly descriptive throughout the announcement. Subsequently, we already know what’s in store for the coming years from this collaboration.
Kicking things off in the Fall of 2023, Hasbro will launch “Barbie branded Monopoly games.” Following on from this, Mattel will take the reins to produce “Transformers branded UNO games, slated for release later this year.” Additionally, Mattel will also be producing “Transformers branded Hot Wheels vehicles,” which will launch in Early 2024.
So far, these are the only products that the toy manufacturing giants have announced to be released shortly. From the wording of the announcement, it is unfortunately unclear if any more products will be produced beyond Early 2024. This small detail, however, didn’t stop Hasbro and Mattel from talking up the announcement throughout their press releases.
“We are excited to pair some of the most popular brands together for the first time. This collaboration features world-class IP, celebrates the timeless appeal of these brands, and creates unique play opportunities for fans.” – Nick Karamanos, Senior Vice President of Entertainment Partnerships at Mattel.
The Universes That Could Be
While Hasbro and Mattel only announced a few upcoming products, this licensing agreement obviously has some huge possibilities. After all, these two giants have many properties that could crossover in one way or another. Thanks to these possibilities, some MTG players have already theorized that more Universes beyond crossovers could be in the works.
For the time being, it’s important to note that nothing official has been announced in this regard. That being said, however, it’s certainly a compelling thought experiment to think about what could happen, even if it won’t.
On Reddit, the main attention-grabbing potential product from this collaboration was a Universes Beyond Masters of the Universe crossover. With Reddit user u/Marsattx describing it as a “very fitting IP,” there’s undoubtedly relevant thematic crossover. Similarly to the recent Dungeons & Dragons, Honor Among Thieves Secret Lair, this should prevent a hypothetical Universes Beyond crossover from seeming too out of place.
Alongside this suggestion, u/akaTwoFace2309 also joked that Hasbro and Wizards could pair up some more unlikely brands for MTG crossovers. “Barbie Secret Lair, let‘s f*cking goooo.” While this might not seem like the most obvious suggestion, there’s a real chance it would delight some MTG players. Alongside this, following the upcoming Barbie movie, it could also introduce MTG to swathes of new players.
Pitching another idea, u/Environmental_Eye_61 mused that “Hot Wheels Secret Lair go vroom.” Out of all the suggestions so far, this one arguably might be the most out of place. Saying that, however, The Brothers’ War did launch alongside the Transformers crossover cards. Thanks to this past precedent, it’s not unreasonable to think Wizards could release a vehicle-themed Secret Lair that gives existing cards new art.
It’s Hope or Nothing
To complement the suggestions on Reddit, we can’t help but pitch our own. Given all the possibilities from Mattel’s immense library of products, I’d personally love to see an Uno Secret Lair. Sure, this suggestion might be absolutely bonkers, however, there is some thematic crossover. The Draw 2 card in Uno, for instance, could easily be an alternate art version of Divination, for instance. Similarly, the Uno Reverse card could be Emrakul, the Promised End. Skip could easily be a reprint of Temporal Manipulation. You could even reprint Opportunity as the iconic Draw 4 Uno card.
At the end of the day, as fun as these ideas may be, Hasbro, Wizards, or Mattel haven’t announced any MTG Universes Beyond crossover plans. It’s possible in the future, they might. However, for the time being, nothing has been confirmed. Subsequently, as fun as an Uno, Barbie, or Hot Wheels Secret Lair may be, it’s probably best we don’t get our hopes up too much. Instead, players should look forward to the actually confirmed releases on the horizon.
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