FF Commander Decks Unveiled: Cloud, Tidus Lead

Even if you're not a Magic: The Gathering player, you've likely noticed its recent video game crossovers—Fallout, Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed, and more. Now, get ready for an exciting new collaboration: Final Fantasy! This isn't just one Final Fantasy game either; from Terra to Y'shtola, four mainline titles are represented in the upcoming Commander decks.

Browse the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck. Then, delve into our conversation with Wizards of the Coast to uncover details about the deck contents, the game selection process, and much more.

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering - Commander Decks Revealed

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Launching this June, Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover includes a fully draftable, Standard-legal set and four preconstructed Commander decks (shown above). Each deck boasts 100 cards—a mix of reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander. While Commander precons usually center on characters, colors, or strategies, these decks uniquely focus on individual Final Fantasy games: VI, VII, X, and XIV.

"The rich lore, beloved characters, and unique settings of Final Fantasy games provided ample material for designing full decks," explains Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, Commander Lead for the set. "Focusing on a single game per deck allowed us to delve deep into each game's story, capturing beloved moments we might have otherwise missed."

"...we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”

The team selected these four games based on gameplay desires and story recognition. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were easy choices, VI and X required more discussion, ultimately chosen due to team favorites. "Everyone in the building was invested in every development stage," says Holt, "because we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans."

Even within these choices, directional decisions were necessary. The Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy's concurrent development raised the question: would the Commander precon reflect the original or the remake? Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer and Narrative Lead, clarifies that the deck's story follows the 1997 classic, but incorporates modern aesthetics from the remakes.

"We aimed to capture the original PS1 game's narrative, using Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth's modern 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, it feels familiar and nostalgic to players of both versions!"

Final Fantasy VI, lacking modern art references, presented a unique challenge. Deveney explains their approach: staying true to the pixel art sprites and limited concept art while enhancing them. "The character designs should feel like how you remember them," Deveney says, "despite being a hybridization of references and new ideas." WOTC even consulted the Final Fantasy VI team to update character designs for Magic art standards.

“We developed a workflow… synthesizing the most consistent elements… into something ‘new.’ We also encouraged our artists… Then, we would meet with the Final Fantasy VI review team…”

Beyond game selection, character choices were crucial. While Cloud was an obvious pick for VII, other choices involved brainstorming. Celes was considered for VI, and Yuna for X. Ultimately, they chose the lead characters. Final Fantasy XIV, being an MMO, presented further complexities.

"For Y'shtola, it was a mix of popularity and her being a spellcaster," Holt explains. This deck represents her Shadowbringers arc. While a customizable "Warrior of Light" commander was explored, it proved too complex, though the deck still features many Warrior of Light moments.

Fitting an entire game's story into a Magic deck presented a challenge. "We decided on color identity for each game and the desired gameplay," Holt says. All four decks include White, "for theming and to encompass the heroes."

The VI deck centers on the game's second half, focusing on rebuilding your party from the graveyard. VII's white-red strategy, enhanced by green, incorporates "power matters" cards and references the Planet and Lifestream. X's white-blue-green strategy reflects the Sphere Grid leveling system. XIV's white-blue-black identity allows for a noncreature spellcasting theme while including key characters.

"...fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck..."

While Commander focuses on the leader, supporting characters are also included. "Getting them in these decks was very important," Holt states. "Fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters as new legendary creatures and on spells."

The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set releases June 13th. All sixteen mainline games will have representation in accompanying products. Both regular ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector's Edition ($149.99 MSRP) versions of the four decks will be available, the latter featuring Surge foil cards.

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