Universes Beyond has always been a contentious subject since it first debuted in 2020. Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast has come a long way since the debut crossover with The Walking Dead. Massive strides have been made in the accessibility, look, and general feel of Universes Beyond cards. Nowadays, like it or not, Universes Beyond is a core part of the MTG experience.
In 2025, we’re getting three full Standard-legal Universes Beyond sets. The first of these, Final Fantasy, is currently being given an early look and players are already hugely excited. Unfortunately, while there is a lot to be excited about, not everything is perfect. The unique Universes Beyond frame, for instance, has been drawing ire recently. So much so, in fact, that some MTG players want it gone entirely.
A Damning Detail
With a few subtle differences, Universes Beyond cards look like regular in-universe MTG cards. The main and most obvious difference that most players look for is the security stamp. On in-universe cards, we can see the regular oval stamp that’s been present since Magic 2015. This was when the current MTG card frame was introduced too.
In comparison, Universes Beyond cards have a triangular security stamp that’s visible regardless of rarity. Much like regular cards, this stamp is holographic on rares and mythics, but there’s a version visible no matter what. This makes Universes Beyond cards fairly easily identifiable at a glance if the name or art doesn’t give it away.
While this security stamp does the job, Universes Beyond cards do have another feature that sets them apart. Since their introduction, Universes Beyond cards have had a slightly different, slightly shinier card frame. At first, this was all well and good since, while subtle, it helped players differentiate Universes Beyond cards.
At a time when players despised the invasion of Universes Beyond, this subtle feature was a godsend. Anything that made these cards look further from normal Magic cards was seen as a positive. Nowadays, however, players have largely changed their tune, since Universes Beyond is an accepted part of MTG.
Beyond just being a common sight in Commander games nowadays, Universes Beyond is obviously coming to Standard, too. While we don’t know just how powerful these new cards will be, it’s inevitable that some will see play. With this in mind, some players are having preemptive issues about how these cards will look in hand.
A Frame Too Fancy
Taking to Blogatog recently, Tumblr user Trainmastergt asked Head MTG Designer Mark Rosewater about potentially fixing this problem. Stating that “It seems like most players dislike the UB frame,” Trainmastergt wondered if Wizards has considered making the switch. Unhelpfully, Mark Rosewater didn’t give a concrete answer about what’s been happening behind closed doors.
Instead of confirming or denying anything, Rosewater instead turned the question around on his community. Asking “How do others feel?” Rosewater was quickly inundated with feedback, as usual. Unsurprisingly, given what Trainmastergt had said previously, most of the comments from players were rather negative.
“please stop using them and just keep the alternative stamp. the m15 frame looks far more appealing (i lowkey avoid the UB frames like the plague unless the in universe version is a far higher price)”
Moonlitstargazer
“To put it mildly, I dislike the UB frame.”
Zorroaburrito
As with all things, however, MTG players didn’t have a single unified opinion about this complex topic. Several players, like Secretdreamprincess still relished the fact that Universe Beyond cards were as obvious as possible.
“I really like being able to see a card and know that it’s not a Multiverse card but an advertisement. That’s not sarcasm or putting it down, I am genuinely happy it is that easy to see if I’m looking at something in-universe or not. The border that is used is… whatever. It could be better (well, technically that’s always true), but at this point, you might as well stick with it.”
Secretdreamprincess
While it may seem like a small factor, consistency is important to keep in mind here. Anyone exclusively building Universes Beyond-focused decks may want the border to remain so their cards look consistent. Others, meanwhile, may simply prefer the look of the Universe Beyond border altogether, since it’s all a matter of taste.
Notably, while consistency can be a powerful tool, Wizards has overhauled the MTG card frame multiple times before. At this point, we’ve had the M15 frame for a decade, so maybe it is time for an update. If, or rather when, this happens, Wizards would certainly have the option to fix this current frustration.
Only Time Will Tell
Sadly, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens since Rosewater has yet to confirm anything about the Universes Beyond frame officially. Given their answer, it seems possible that Wizards has yet to decide since Rosewater is still searching for feedback. Potentially, this could be used to create a new look going forward, but Blogatog readers hardly speak for every MTG player.
Instead, what we’re more likely to see is survey questions about this specific issue in the future. If it does turn out to be a real problem, then Wizards can design and implement a solution, Doing this, however, will surely take a long time. Currently, MTG sets are in the development oven for at least two years, so I wouldn’t expect to see anything soon.
