Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond crossovers are revitalizing the game despite purist criticism

I shamelessly love Universes Beyond, and I think it's not just good for Magic — it's saving it.

The purists will tell you that these crossovers are ruining the game, that they're diluting Magic's identity, that they're a cash grab. And you know what? They're not entirely wrong. But they're also missing the bigger picture.

Magic has always been about borrowing from other worlds. The game itself is a pastiche of fantasy tropes, from Dungeons & Dragons to Tolkien to Arabian Nights.

When you see a new player pick up a Commander deck because they love Doctor Who, and then they start exploring other parts of Magic, that's not a loss — that's a win.

Hasbro is a publicly traded company. They have a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value. If Universes Beyond is what keeps Magic profitable, then Universes Beyond is what keeps Magic alive.