<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Season&#039;s Beatings" href="#" target="_blank">Season&#039;s Beatings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=artist%3Akevwalker&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kev Walker</a></em></p>
<h2>Seasons Greetings!</h2>
<p>This week, we're going back in time and covering everything that came out for <em>Universes Beyond! </em>Here, we'll be giving an in-depth review for each of the major releases this year (<em>Secret Lairs</em> get their own section). This'll be a long article, so let's save my word count, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commence the Endgame" href="#" target="_blank">Commence the Endgame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Release #1: <em>Final Fantasy</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rinoa Heartilly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div></div>
<p>For this year, we begin with a bang so loud it could be heard across the world. The <em>Final Fantasy</em> set took the community by storm, becoming the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-best-selling-mtg-set-before-official-release-date">fastest-selling set before it was even released</a>!</p>
<p>In addition, this set had something for everyone. Commander, as a whole, got plenty of goodies from the main set, to the bonus sheet, to the <em>Secret Lairs</em> (more on those in that section). I even set out to write an article featuring only cards from this release, which you can read about <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beyond-the-multiverse-the-final-fantasy-sendoff">here</a>. Many cards, including the new additions from the precons, are still being played in the format.</p>
<p>Even though he's banned in Standard, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still sending chills down the spines of players everywhere. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perhaps the most powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect ever printed, and on a commander option no less.</p>
<p>However, I can't say this was all a bed of roses. The set had a higher power level than usual, including Vivi, who has traumatized Standard players everywhere, and thus may react when we use a deck for him.</p>
<p>Speaking of Standard, this set was the first in the <em>Universes Beyond</em> product line to be Standard legal, a decision I don't endorse. Maybe the next set will be better, no?</p>
<hr />
<h2>Release #2: <em>Spider-Man</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Soul Stone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parker Luck"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cosmic Spider-Man"></div></div>
<p>...Okay, maybe not.</p>
<p>This set was met with quite the negative reception. Sure, this release drew in some people, but even I admit that this was the worst <em>Universes Beyond</em> set this year. This is true especially when we compare it to the other releases.</p>
<p>The highlight card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Soul Stone" href="#" target="_blank">The Soul Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card with Commander usage, and some long-term implications. Many were quick to point out a new plane in the Multiverse, named New York City (this is a joke, by the way). While I could go on about how it was received, it's not to say its Commander applications were useless.</p>
<p>Aside from The Soul Stone, we got our mitts on some tri-color commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwen Stacy" href="#" target="_blank">Gwen Stacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a five-color option in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmic Spider-Man" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmic Spider-Man</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you asked me what I did with this set, I'd tell you nothing, but I did plan on making Cosmic Spider-Man with cards mostly from this set. We also got a lot of new Spider support, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mary Jane Watson" href="#" target="_blank">Mary Jane Watson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who's certainly going on a date with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shelob, Child of Ungoliant" href="#" target="_blank">Shelob, Child of Ungoliant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>...Wait a minute. Nah, it's probably nothing.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Release #3: <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA)</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ozai, the Phoenix King"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avatar Aang"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire Lord Azula"></div></div>
<p>To out my thoughts shortly: <em>Spider-Man</em> walked, so <em>ATLA</em> could run.</p>
<p>There's no mistaking it. People were excited for this set, and for good reason. While we did get yet another five-color option in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar Aang" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar Aang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, his design was actually more creative than what we got with Cosmic Spider-Man.</p>
<p>Plus, we also got as plethora of unique and interesting two and three-color commander choices. One of the most popular of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Lord Azula" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Lord Azula</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who'll be copying spells left and right. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Lord Zuko" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Lord Zuko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another take on an exile deck that'll give <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks a new color.</p>
<p>The heavy presence of Ally cards really bolstered the creature type, even giving it a couple of new commanders in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Tenacious Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks will never be the same again, I assure you.</p>
<p>While this set wasn't on the same power level as <em>Final Fantasy</em>, the flavor and unique mechanics makes it a major competitor for <em>Universes Beyond</em> Set of the Year.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Bonus: The Secret Lair Drops</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jodah, the Unifier|sld|1932"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sonic the Hedgehog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kratos, God of War"></div></div>
<p>To wrap up this review, we have ourselves a myriad of Secret Lair Drops that gave us some new IPs to work with.</p>
<p>Kicking this off was <em>Marvel,</em> again. This time, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadpool, Trading Card" href="#" target="_blank">Deadpool, Trading Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Great card, if you want to give judges a headache.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadpool, Trading Card"></div></div>
<p>Secondly, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beyond-the-multiverse-whos-that-under-the-sea-spongebob-squarepants"><em>SpongeBob SquarePants</em> Superdrop</a>, which brought us reskins of existing cards. Nothing too special about these drops beyond that, unless you were lucky enough to pull a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe|sld|7009" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Next, we had the aforementioned <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-x-final-fantasy-three-new-drops-revealed"><em>Final Fantasy</em> drops</a>, which were jam-packed with strong reprints to go with the main release. On a personal note, I remember this release destroying my mental health so badly that it took me months to recover (There's a part of me that hasn't).</p>
<p>Later in the year, we got the next batch of drops <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-x-sonic-three-new-drops-officially-announced">in the form of the <em>Sonic the Hedgehog</em> franchise</a>. These featured mechanically unique legends in one of the drops, while the rest were reskins of existing cards. There was chatter about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow the Hedgehog" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow the Hedgehog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> making waves in higher brackets, but I don't know if that's still true.</p>
<p>After that was a <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-drops-for-spider-man-release-on-september-22nd">Superdrop themed around <em>Spider-Man</em></a>, but I remember the Venom-related drops being the most prominent of the lot.</p>
<p>Next, we had a big surge in IPs, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/big-reveals-at-the-secret-lair-panel-at-magiccon-atlanta">from <em>The Office</em> to various <em>PlayStation</em> games</a> and, eventually, to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-webstore-hints-at-monster-hunter-drops"><em>Monster Hunter</em></a>. The <em>PlayStation </em>ones were all mechanically unique with several interesting new commanders. In the midst of it all was the <em>ATLA </em>superdrop, which featured <em>ATLA</em>-themed reprints for those wanting to play with the IP.</p>
<p>...Whew. That was a long list.</p>
<hr />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ziatora, the Incinerator|SLD|2238"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joel, Resolute Survivor|SLD|2198"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reaper King|SLD|2170"></div></div>
<h2>Ride Unto a New Dawn</h2>
<p>And that's a wrap for this year's <em>Universes Beyond</em> releases.</p>
<p>With next year featuring four sets, plus loads of <em>Secret Lair </em>drops, it'll be interesting to see if I can contain it in one article.</p>
<p>Originally, this week was supposed to be for a deck tech, but a hiccup in the scheduling has moved it into next year. This is better for me, because it meant that I can avoid the awkward situation of ruining my advent calendar to write up my articles, especially in the middle of the month. Good thing I got a second box for this purpose.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, tune in next time where I explain the rules of my shenanigans, and kick off the festivities.</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/fire-lord-zuko-commander-deck-tech</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/beyond-the-multiverse-guru-pathik</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-commander-from-every-year-of-the-2000s</p>


2025: The Year in Universes Beyond

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Wizards of the Coast Logo</em></p>
<p>Wizards of the Coast announced today that they're postponing the upcoming <em>Secret Lair X Monster Hunter</em> drop.</p>
<p>In the announcement, they acknowledge the vocal outcry of fans who were disappointed in the card selection for the drop. They state that they can do better, and that Capcom, the publisher of the <em>Monster Hunter</em> game, is on board with the decision to give it another shot.</p>
<p>No new release date has been given yet, and the announcement states that more info will be coming next year. You can read <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/back-to-the-drawing-board-with-secret-lair-x-monster-hunter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the full announcement here</a>.</p>
<p>So <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-drop-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay tuned</a> to see if they can make this drop more appealing to <em>Magic</em> and <em>Monster Hunter</em> fans.</p>


Wizards Postpones Monster Hunter Secret Lair Drop

<p>Brace yourselves, hunters; Wizards of the Coast just hinted at a new <em>Secret Lair</em> product! According to the official webstore, there is an almost 100% chance that the <em>Monster Hunter</em> series by Capcom is about to get at least one drop, if not a whole superdrop, dedicated to it.</p>
<h2><em>Secret Lair</em> Webstore Says So</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://secretlair.wizards.com/us"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">webstore's</span> header</a>, there's only one piece of confirmed information on this possibility. However, it speaks volumes and is currently leading to intense speculation online:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/screencap.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-169698" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/screencap.png" alt="A screencap from the Secret Lair webstore. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="370" height="136" srcset="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/screencap.png 370w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/screencap-300x110.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 370px) 100vw, 370px" /></a></p>
<p>Yes, this screencap section from the webstore is real, and while it only says three little words, the possibilities are expansive.</p>
<h2>Speculation Abounds</h2>
<p>People on various social media platforms (including Reddit and Discord, to name a couple) are speculating on what any of this means for <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Will the <em>Secret Lair</em> be a standalone drop or a superdrop? We don't know for sure yet, but with a 20-or-so game series like <em>Monster Hunter</em>, a superdrop seems very likely. Furthermore, the closest analog we have for <em>Monster Hunter</em> in <em>Magic</em> right now is probably the plane of Ikoria, which leads some to wonder if there might be some return to form in that regard. Will we see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground" href="#" target="_blank">reskins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ketria Triome" href="#" target="_blank">Triomes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Time will tell, as always.</p>
<p>As for the main content within the property, the monsters, Wizards of the Coast has already learned that they can insert one mechanically unique card in a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop and have it be profitable beyond measure. Therefore, it's a safe bet that if there are multiple drops, they may be themed after the iconic apex predators of the given areas of the series. Again, we haven't got a ton to go by here on the <em>Magic</em> side of things, but it's fun to imagine this will be as cool as it sounds.</p>
<h2>Gauging Interest With Gouging Horns</h2>
<p>Notably, two years ago, Capcom conducted a poll amongst fans for which monster in the <em>Monster Hunter</em> series is their favorite. While Rathalos did not make the cut for inclusion among <a href="https://www.monsterhunter.com/20th/en/vote-monster/result/">the top 20</a> in the end, somehow, the top monster ended up being Zinogre.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Hunters&#039; Choice: Top Monster | 1st Place: Zinogre" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LOLFySDpCgc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This poll, as it stands, is a great springboard point for speculating which monsters might make an appearance on a <em>Magic</em> card or two. It looks like monsters like Lagiacrus or Gore Magala might be popular enough to merit inclusion. Other aspects of the games, such as Equipment and Palicos (customizable Felyne companions to hunters that have become a mainstay of the series), also seem highly probable.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-169699" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico.png" alt="A Palico from the Monster Hunter series. Image credit: Capcom" width="550" height="275" srcset="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico.png 1080w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico-300x150.png 300w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico-1024x512.png 1024w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Palico-768x384.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></a></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>So, at this time, we'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers! How do you feel about a <em>Monster Hunter</em> tie-in for <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>? Is this something you'd like to see in a <em>Secret Lair</em> or Superdrop thereof? What kinds of cards do you think we'll get in either case? Sound off in the comments below if this is interesting to you!</p>


monster hunter

2025: The Year in Universes Beyond

Wizards Postpones Monster Hunter Secret Lair Drop

Secret Lair Webstore Hints at Monster Hunter Drops