Earlier this summer, Wizards of the Coast announced a major shakeup coming to Dungeons & Dragons: the addition of Universes Beyond. Essentially, this means that Wizards now has a formal process for adding pre-existing properties to D&D, two of which have already been announced: World of Warcraft and Star Wars.
For those who partake in Wizard of the Coast's other wildly popular, fantasy-based property that you play on a table, Magic: The Gathering, this might sound extremely familiar--and you might not be too happy about it. Universes Beyond as a concept was introduced to Magic: The Gathering in 2021, shortly after the company released a The Walking Dead crossover that was then retroactively made part of the initiative. Since then, dozens of IP have made the jump from their respective worlds to the world of Magic: The Gathering, and while these used to feel tertiary and WOTC stated they would not be allowed for use in the game's Standard format, it soon revoked that promise with the release of 2025's Final Fantasy-focused set.
It's worth noting that MTG's various Universes Beyond sets have been phenomenally successful commercially--it's clear that there are plenty of MTG fans who do want these collaborations, and they show up in droves to purchase and support Universes Beyond. However, it's not unusual for veteran players to lament these franchises' inclusion and how Universes Beyond has fundamentally altered the game.
Some cite a lack of depth and balance to the sets, as well as too many Legendary character cards, as their greatest issues with Universes Beyond. Others feel the initiative is a cynical cash grab, introducing more scalpers and collectors to the game's ecosystem while also diminishing the game's sense of immersion and drawing too much attention away from MTG's in-universe sets. I've said it before and I've said it again: I think the criticism is understandable and fair--even if I did buy multiple boxes of Final Fantasy and view things more optimistically than some of my peers.
Cloud and Sephiroth as depicted in official Magic: The Gathering art.The mixed reception to Universes Beyond by the MTG community has, understandably, caused some to side-eye WOTC's decision to bring it to Dungeons & Dragons--a fact that several members of the D&D team told me they are well aware of. There is a stigma that exists, and it is now up to the folks at D&D to figure out how to assure players none of this will impact the trajectory of the world's most popular TTRPG. Fortunately, I think the dramatic differences between D&D and MTG make this a fairly easy feat. In fact, I'd argue that due to their differences, Universes Beyond coming to D&D is perfectly fine, actually.
Unlike Magic: The Gathering, it is incredibly easy to opt out of Universes Beyond in D&D. TCGs offer a competitive environment, in which players build a deck in isolation (two-headed giant being the rare exception) and then meet up to battle in anticipation of unknown variables. A game of commander could easily consist of one player showing up with Sephiroth, one showing up with Kaalia, The Vast, one showing up with some Edge of Eternity space pilot, and another, SpongeBob SquarePants--and unless you discuss it beforehand, there's no real way of knowing this will happen until it does. D&D, on the other hand, is a different story.
D&D is a collaborative game, one that relies on a social contract that is generally established well before playing to ensure things run smoothly. It is extremely common for Dungeon Masters (DMs) to host a Session 0 prior to the start of any campaign, in which the entire party gets a sense of each player's characters, what they want out of the experience, and, most importantly, what they don't want. Any DM worth their salt will make time to ask players what level of violence is too much, if they're comfortable with sexual situations, and plenty of other important questions. This often includes a discussion about the campaign's tone and setting as well, and unless the group universally decides upon playing a zany adventure set in Bikini Bottom, chances are slim that you're going to be tasked with stealing the Krabby Patty formula.
Honestly though, this would be a pretty solid party.Yet even if your group does decide to set your campaign in, let's say the Marvel Universe, there's another important distinction to consider: D&D doesn't feature the same interactivity between universes (save for one high-level magic spell, Dream of the Blue Veil, that I haven't seen anyone ever actually use). Once again, unless it's pre-established, you don't have to worry about your Spider-Man bumping into one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while swinging around Brooklyn. Sure, you could go the Fortnite route and allow your DM and players to add whomever they want to the game, but generally speaking, campaigns are focused on fostering immersion and maintaining narrative cohesion.
This leads to yet another reason why Universes Beyond coming to D&D is fine, actually: For some players, it is significantly easier to role-play and sink your teeth into a story when you already somewhat know it. I can't tell you the number of folks I've seen get into D&D or TTRPGs in general because they played through a campaign that appealed to one of their specific interests, or featured a setting they knew well. Imagine you're a die-hard Star Wars fan, for example. If I told you right now that you had to create and embody a character who is currently sitting across from Han Solo at the Mos Eisley Cantina, you probably have a decent idea of what type of person you are. You know the sights and sounds, how the people who inhabit this world carry themselves, and you most likely have a decent grasp of what's going on in the universe, giving you an expanded vocabulary and understanding of the world.
I've written and played in numerous "Universes Beyond" campaigns over the 15 years or so I've been playing D&D in an effort to get my friends to jump in. Prior to UB becoming an official D&D term, these were just called "homebrews," and they've been around for just about as long as the game itself and are a key part of its culture. I've been in campaigns set in the world Avatar: The Last Airbender, Universal's Dark Universe, and multiple From Software titles--and those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head.
Chewbacca and Han Solo, as depicted in the film Solo.Jumping into your first campaign can feel a bit like trying to perform a play without a script and in a language you don't speak--one that is being observed by a table full of people hanging on to your every word and whom you most likely will see again. It can be intense! As such, I'm all for anything that makes that process a bit less frightening, and establishing a sense of familiarity is a great way to do that. Although you might not want Star Wars at your table, there are always going to be people out there who do. I think it's great that they can learn this game we all love in a more comfortable environment. And it's not negatively impacting anyone, right?
Well, that's what I think, at least. But I understand--and think it's worth addressing--the argument that Universes Beyond actually could negatively impact those who favor in-universe settings. Since the announcement. I've seen folks express concern that this new initiative could lead to less frequent and poorer-quality content for them.
Though there is no way of knowing with absolute certainty this is not the case, I don't think it's overly optimistic of me to say that Wizards of the Coast has provided evidence against this, with the company confirming it has brought in additional publishers and ramped up hiring. In my conversations with both the senior vice president of Dungeons & Dragons, Dan Ayoub, and the franchise's product architect, Laura Hohman, the pair reinforced the fact that Universe's Beyond will not disrupt the development of D&D's in-universe settings.
"I have been seeing the concerns," Ayoub began. "And this is entirely additive. This is not going to detract from anything we are doing on the D&D side. When folks see the roadmap next year, they are going to see even more than last time, with different ways to engage with it. Talk is cheap, and I realize it is easy for me to say that. My hope is that people are just going to see it."
"Universes Beyond really has been treated in an additive way to our roadmap and even to our team," Hohman added. "We've been hiring on top of our additional staff to support these, so it really hasn't been taking away any resources."
Dark Sun is but one of the many in-universe settings making a return next year.So, in addition to even more D&D, it also seems that we're actually seeing the creation of jobs and opportunities over at Wizards of the Coast. In a time when securing jobs--especially in anything entertainment-, games-, arts-, or media-related--is all but impossible, this feels like a feat in itself.
All that said, while I don't agree with the criticism, I completely understand it. These reactions and a heightened sense of defensiveness are extremely natural. I'd argue they're good, even. Capitalism, "enshitification" (yes, that's a real term), and how companies operate in general--with an unquenchable thirst to own everything and everyone, and the lofty goal of obtaining the infinite growth their stockholders dream of--has fostered rightful distrust. We should be questioning how these companies are operating and if it aligns with our values and interests. It's okay to want the folks behind properties that are largely driven by communities to respect the time, love, and parts of our selves we've poured into their creations.
But in this situation, wariness feels unwarranted--and it's pleasantly surprising, honestly. This is one of those extremely rare situations where it feels like an entire ecosystem is actually winning, though I suppose only time will tell if my optimism is actually naivety. For now, I'm firmly on the side that Universe Beyond will expand both the number of folks interested in, and working for, Dungeons & Dragons, and I'm all for anything that gets more folks at the table.