Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond initiative continues to grow, bringing characters and settings from popular intellectual properties into the game. This approach has sparked both praise and criticism, but the Middle Earth setting has been a particular success, uniting fans. The Hobbit set, part of this initiative, returned to a classic Magic world, similar to Ravnica or Dominaria, rather than a more modern setting like New York City, which has been used in sets like Marvel Super Heroes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Gavin Verhey, Principal Magic Designer at Wizards of the Coast, discussed the design philosophy behind the Hobbit set during an interview at Gamescom. The set included a variation of the Amass mechanic, allowing players to build a Goblin Army, one of the five armies from the climax of The Hobbit book. However, a previously used mechanic called "The Ring Tempts You," from the Lord of the Rings: Tales from Middle Earth set, was not included in The Hobbit set. Verhey explained that the team considered it but decided against it due to its complexity and the limited role of the Ring in The Hobbit. Verhey also touched on the possibility of returning to other Universes Beyond planes, emphasizing that Wizards of the Coast is cautious about how they use characters and settings from partner intellectual properties. Each set is based on specific properties, such as the Lord of the Rings set, which only included one reference to The Hobbit, or The Last Airbender set, which had no ties to The Legend of Korra. This is different from sets like Final Fantasy or Doctor Who, where designers have access to the entire franchise's history. Designing Universes Beyond sets presents unique challenges, especially in translating characters into Magic’s color identity system. Verhey noted that characters can be represented across multiple colors, and designers often create multiple versions of the same character to keep the game simple. Ensuring characters are well-represented across all colors can be difficult, especially in worlds that lack a clear Green presence. Wizards of the Coast has announced plans to expand the Universes Beyond concept to tabletop roleplaying games, including collaborations with World of Warcraft and Star Wars for Dungeons and Dragons. Verhey expressed excitement about these new partnerships, highlighting the enthusiasm within the company. Looking ahead, Magic: The Gathering has several upcoming releases, including the reality-shattering event "Reality Fracture," which concludes the multiverse-tearing Omenpath saga. The Star Trek set is expected to feature a new mechanic called Dilemmas, mimicking the tough choices faced by characters in the shows. Additionally, the Mystery Booster Commander Edition will include exciting new Commander cards that creatively break the format’s rules.