Magic: The Gathering's designers have signalled that future Universes Beyond crossover sets will lean more heavily towards fantasy settings, responding to fan frustration over external IPs that feel out of place in the game's traditional high-fantasy world. While collaborations such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel's Spider-Man have proved commercially successful, some players feel they clash with Magic's aesthetic, whereas Tolkien-inspired sets and Final Fantasy have been praised for fitting naturally into the game.

At MagicCon Amsterdam 2026, principal designer Gavin Verhey said internal testing showed fans wanted the upcoming Hobbit set, launching in August, to carry Magic's traditional "house style", while head designer Mark Rosewater described high fantasy as the game's enduring "creative centre" regardless of other experiments. Hasbro chief executive Chris Cocks reinforced this during an investor earnings call, saying next year's Universes Beyond partners would be "a bit more fantasy-adjacent" and confirming none would be set in a modern city like New York, acknowledging direct fan feedback.