Wizards of the CoastReveals for Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy crossover set have begun and one broken card has players losing their minds.
Magic: The Gathering is set for a big 2025 with an explosive release schedule that’s already off to a cracking start thanks to Aetherdrift. While fans are grappling with the new mechanics for the racing-themed set and deciding on their favorite new archetypes, Wizards of the Coast is already preparing players for future installments in the TCG.
While there’s a tonne of stuff to look forward to, one set stands above the rest when it comes to pre-release hype. MTG’s upcoming Universes Beyond Final Fantasy crossover is the most-anticipated set we’ve seen in quite some time but one early reveal has split fans of the game.
Shown off during the Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy First Look, Jumbo Cactuar has some players hastily crafting combos while others tear their hair out over what its inclusion means for the game.
MTG X Final Fantasy’s Jumbo Cactuar is an absolute menace
Jumbo Cactuar’s 10,000 needles ability brings its total power to 10,000 whenever it attacks. You read that right; 10,000 power. It’s a hilarious bit of flavor that perfectly encapsulates the MTG X Final Fantasy crossover, until you realize it’s Standard legal that is.
The card’s 10,000 power can lead to some absolutely disgusting combos thanks to MTG’s bevy of ‘do X where X is a creature’s power’ abilities. Players have already come up with methods of summoning 10,000 tokens, playing every Land card in your deck, and instantly defeating every other player at the Commander table.
As fun as all these are, winning a one-on-one game is as simple as giving Jumbo Cactuar Trample or making it unblockable for a turn. While some players are excited at the possibilities that the card presents, others are furious it was ever conceived.
“I’m not sure what you guys were even thinking with the Cactuar,” one player told Wizards of the Coast. “Jumbo Cactuar has no place in Commander or any other format. The bans last year were bad enough and now every format is going to be terrorized by a card that never should have been designed or green-lit for production,” another replied.
The MTG X Final Fantasy crossover’s Jumbo Cactuar feels destined for a ban but given the set has yet to release, there’s no telling how many games it will dominate before that occurs.
