Summary
The world ofMagic: The Gatheringhas long been invaded by new lines of cards that can change the game in major ways.Wizards of the Coastcontinues to add new drops, incredible art cards that feature amazing artists, and strange new mechanics that make the game feel ever-changing and can help players look at this decades-old game as if it is as fresh as when it was first released. However, in Secret Lair drops and in the Universes Beyond series, which bring other properties intoMagic, huge crossovers are possible and allow fans of other games to find characters, places, and objects that they love within the decks of the timeless trading card game.
While some of these new mashups can feel a little thoughtless, most of them make it clear that the creators are fans of the properties that they include and act as love letters to the universes that make an appearance. Here areall theMagic: The Gatheringcrossovers, ranked in order of their ambition and quality.
16The Walking Dead
Release Date: June 20, 2025
A card drop that was later added to theUniverses Beyondseries, and was one of the first cross-overs to release,The Walking DeadSecret Lair dropincludes iconic characters from the TV show like Rick, Daryl, and Michonne. There are a number of Walkers too, with tokens and a special legendary artifact that allows for Negan to wield his signature weapon, Lucille.
This set is smaller than some others, featuring only some new art for older cards and five legendary creature cards. A few of the legendary survivors have skills that can reorient their decks into very capable stacks, chaining extra benefits when attacking with zombies or buffing other humans. While this drop was a huge success on release, this selection of cards is a little outdated today.
15Stranger Things
Release Date: June 05, 2025
Featuring eight unique cards that are the heroes and villains from Netflix’s massively popularStranger Thingsseries, this Secret Lair drop introduces a whole new keyword toMagic. The ‘Friends Forever’ ability is equivalent to ‘Partner,’ letting players have two commanders as long as they share the keyword and are friends. This means that commander decks can be built around Eleven and Mike, or any other duo from the main cast ofStranger Things.
The other characters that appear are legendary creatures that can turn the tide of battle on their own. For example, the Mind Flayer can exile spells from the bottom of a player’s library and cast them using any mana color.The possibilities with these cards are expansive.
14Street Fighter
Release Date: May 13, 2025
In a huge video game crossover, one Secret Lair drop featured the most iconic warriors fromStreet Fighterjoining the fray as creatures to battle inMagic.Each character has skills that match their fighting style, with rivals like Ryu, Ken, Blanka, Chun-Li and E. Honda all having a chance to shine.
A reskinned card that functions as a Lightning Bolt spell takes on the title of the infamous Hadoken. This selection of cards may not cover every fighter in the beloved series, but it will be sure to impress fans of the famous fighting game franchise.
13Fortnite
Release Date: July 28, 2025
One of the biggest games of recent years,Fortnite’sreach is hard to comprehend, and it even made its way into the decks ofMagicplayers in a 2022 Secret Lair drop.
While the eight cards that were released with this drop are all reskinned versions of pre-existing cards, and feature no new unique options, the inclusion of recognizable places and people means that those familiar withFortnitewill see the game realized on the tabletop. New art for land cards also appears and plunges the backdrop of Slurpy Swamp and Polar Peak intoMagicfor extra battle royale fun.
12Warhammer 40,000
Release Date: June 12, 2025
Releasing in the same Secret Lair drop as the Blood Bowl and Age of Sigmar cards, and then getting four complete Commander decks to flesh out the world and the opportunities for different playstyles,Warhammer 40,000brings theImperium, Chaos, Necrons, and TyranidstoMagic The Gathering.
Marneus Calgar slams onto the battlefield, and can summon Astartes warriors to join him. Be’lakor swoops in to rally any other demons in play to smash the opposition. Becoming one of the best-selling Commander decks and being reprinted multiple times, fans clearly loved bringing theWarhammer 40kworld intoMagic, even if these cards cannot be used in some other formats.
11Transformers
Release Date: May 07, 2025
AUniverses Beyondrelease that brought the kooky cartoon ofTransformersfrom the 90s to the tabletop, with Autobots and Decepticons rolling out intoMagic. Each of this collection of cards can transform between their vehicle or robot version, with the keyword ‘Transform’ being changed to ‘Convert’ for this release.
Each of these cards manipulates the board by changing from a vehicle that has strange and powerful abilities to a transformed mechanical hero who can destroy the opposition with high-powered attacks and toughness.
10Dungeons & Dragons
Release Date: June 16, 2025
Appearing first as a Secret Lair drop and later releasing as a major crossover inDungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, the classic tabletop RPG appears in a collection of strange and superbMagiccards.
For long-time fans of the massive TTRPG, some of the Planeswalkers and creatures will be familiar, with faces like Mordenkainen, Zariel of Avernus, and the floating Beholder enemies all colliding in deck-building battles. New dungeon cards task players with traveling each turn to give themselves buffs or summons, adding new mechanics for whole new layers of strategy.
9The Lord Of The Rings
Release Date: July 27, 2025
AnotherUniverses Beyondrelease that exploded intoMagicbringing hordes of new players,Tales of Middle-Earthadded an inspired new mechanic, allowing a creature to become the ‘Bearer of the Ring’ and tempting them, which will eventually drain the health of both the player and their opponent.
Some cards, like Aragorn, Company Leader, can add additional effects to the Ringbearer to imbue them with more power or offset the downsides of the evil relic. The selection of cards on offer in boosters and two reconstructed decks meant that, for fans ofTheLord of the Rings, there is plenty to explore in Middle-earth.
8Spooky Drop 2023
Release Date: Jul 24, 2025
Cramming a multitude of crossover events into one October special, theSpooky Drop in 2023included unique releases forThe Princess Bridethat put players in control of The Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya. In the same breath,Magicintroduced reskinned cards that reflected the dark and disgusting universe ofEvil Dead.
Famed Deadite destroyer, Ash Williams, takes center stage but finds himself in the same release as full-art cards that depict the usualMagicmonsters in the style of the campyCreepshowfilms.This release was chock-full of cult-favorite referencesthat make this one of the best crossover releases to date.
7Doctor Who
Release Date: June 07, 2025
One of the most anticipated crossovers was with the legendary British series TV showDoctor Who. A special Universes Beyond release that was accompanied by a few extra card drops to flesh out the set, Commander decks were released for a number of the Doctor’s incarnations and his companions: the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane, the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler, and the Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin Khan.
Another deck features some iconic villains from the series led by Davros, the engineer of the Daleks. With some ‘wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey’ mechanics that allow players to set up spells to fire in future turns and every incarnation of the Doctor using different abilities, this set is a must-have for fans of the classic sci-fi series.
