The popular Final Fantasy series has helped another game set a new record on Steam, and Magic: The Gathering players have played a key role in this achievement. Magic: The Gathering was launched in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast and has become one of the most popular collectible and tabletop card games of all time. In addition, it has also achieved remarkable success in the digital sphere. MTG is not easy to master due to its complex strategic mechanics and deep lore, and it draws inspiration from classic fantasy RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons.
The Final Fantasy set, released as part of MTG’s Universes Beyond series, celebrates the legacy of the franchise’s 16 core games, starting in 1987. This recent collaboration has been a treat for card collectors and gamers alike, giving them a chance to see many iconic characters and moments in a new setting. Many Final Fantasy fans believe that these Commander decks from MTG serve as the perfect inspiration for future remake efforts, especially for titles like Final Fantasy VII.
Reddit user Kananashino shared a screenshot on the “r/magicTCG” subreddit showing the past seven days of Steam player numbers for Magic: The Gathering Arena—the game is a free-to-play digital version of the popular card game. The post mentioned that as the Final Fantasy set released digitally, Arena surpassed its highest concurrent player count ever within just an hour. While the figure was previously 12,000, it now reached 17,261. A previous review by Game Rant called MTG’s Final Fantasy set a ‘love letter’ to fans—and this new record is clear proof that both franchises, Magic and Final Fantasy, remain extremely popular and influential even today.
Magic: The Gathering’s New Final Fantasy Set Helped Break Arena’s Player Count
Arena surpassed it's all-time peak 1 hour after after FF release. Before it was 12k.
byu/kananishino inmagicTCG
Even before the set’s full release on June 13, 2025, the Final Fantasy community has already seen glimpses of the series’ impressive references in Magic: The Gathering—particularly through land, artifact, and instant cards. Fans are confident that MTG Arena’s player count will grow even more as the set’s full launch approaches. One Reddit user acknowledged that an increase of 5,000 players is impressive, but also pointed out that these figures are limited to Steam users only—while many players also play Arena on mobile platforms like iOS and Android, the real number could be much higher. The hype around the Final Fantasy set not only benefited MTG, but it also indicated that other franchises like Xenoblade Chronicles and Mortal Kombat could generate similar excitement in the future.
The new fantasy set has not only brought a rich dose of nostalgia for Final Fantasy fans, but it has also sparked some interesting speculation. Many believe that Magic: The Gathering’s “Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel” card has provided a possible glimpse of Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3. Based on the final boss of the original 1997 game, the card features a new look for Sephiroth, which has led some fans to speculate that the design could be a hint at the direction of the upcoming remake.
