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The Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy set has been in development for 4 years - and MTG's creators enjoyed FF XVI like fans to get a genuine feel for it
The sleepless weekend inside Wizards of the Coast offices (and employees' households) when Final Fantasy XVI was released.
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When a mainline Final Fantasy game is released, it's an event. If you're like us, you and your friends talk it up, you pre-order the game, and when its release you get sucked in so much that you call in 'sick' to work (Sorry, boss!). But it's even more so if you're working on a top-secret project crossing over the Final Fantasy series with Magic: The Gathering, as a group of Wizards of the Coast employees were when Final Fantasy XVI came out in 2023.
At least in their case, they didn't have to call in sick to work. In fact, their bosses encouraged it.
"We've been working on the [Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy set] for four years. Well, as we all know [Final Fantasy XVI] came out two years ago, so it came out during the development process of the set," says Gavin Verhey, Wizards of the Coast's lead designer on the Final Fantasy set, during a panel here at PAX East 2025 in Boston this weekend.
"So we actually had a weekend when the game came out where we all started playing and trying to figure out what could go in, what could go in, this card, this card."
His Wizards of the Coast co-worker Zakeel Gordon was also in part of this group madly diving into Final Fantasy XVI headlong. Gordon is the product architect and executive producer of the Final Fantasy set.
"Zakeel was always two hours ahead of me and Daniel, and we were like non-stop playing," says the narrative lead for the FF set, Dillon Deveney, of him and their other co-worker, lead game designer for the Final Fantasy commander decks, Daniel Holt.
"My wife is here, she can confirm: I was not sleeping at all and somehow he was always ahead of it," Deveney continues. "I have no idea how you were just so... it was a wild weekend. Our group chat exploded with like a thousand messages every single night. Like this an an awesome concept. This could be a card. This could be a card."
"You have to get this character in there, right?," chimed in Verhey, recounting the mad rush.
"We should totally use that quest! [Then someone else would say] 'I missed that! I have to go do it,'" Deveney continues.
Final Fantasy XVI is well represented in the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy set, as seen from the various cards revealed so far - with more to come.
Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy for MTG Arena will be available for Arena pre-order on May 10, with the physical cards (and decks) having a global in-store pre-release on June 6. The general global release of MTG - Final Fantasy will follow on June 10.
About PAX East 2025
PAX East is a celebration of gaming and gaming culture featuring thought-provoking panels, a massive expo hall filled with the best publishers and studios, new game demos, musical performances, tournaments, and a community experience unlike any other. No matter your preferred genre or platform, if you love games, welcome home.
Dates
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Location
Boston
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