New Reveals | Universes Beyond Avatar: The Last Airbender is Ready to Bend MTG!

Magic: The Gathering fans, brace yourselves, because we got an early look at the next Universes Beyond set, Avatar: The Last Airbender, with the set's development team, and we are in for an absolute treat! Both die-hard MTG players and lifelong fans of Aang and the gang will love this set as it's shaping up to be one of the most thematic, collectible, and downright exciting releases we've seen in years.

Let’s break down why this crossover is pure fire (and water, earth, and air) with a ton of card galleries showing off some of the spectacular work this team has put in!

 Heroes That Honor the Legacy

Chris Mooney, one of MTG’s lead mechanics designers, made it clear: getting the characters right was non-negotiable. Every card reflects the deep relationships and growth arcs from the show. Expect to see your favorite heroes in multiple versions across the set, each capturing different moments in their journey.

Equally as important are the villains, and they get the same white-glove treatment as our historic heroes. Villains also bring back clue tokens, but more on that later.

Hybrid Animals Take the Stage

From turtle-ducks to badgermoles, the hybrid creatures of ATLA fit seamlessly into Magic’s multiverse. Hybrid animals are seen all across the ATLA universe and will be no different in MTG. These animals also gave the designers a chance to be a little creative with creatures like the Badgermole by envisioning what it might look like as a baby in Badgermole Cub.

Field Notes treatments (first seen in Bloomburrow) are also returning to the spotlight, featuring the series' most iconic beasts in 8 rares and 7 mythics that collectors will scramble for.

 Mechanics That Bend Reality

Bending is the heart of this set, and each element plays differently:

• Waterbending is the most flexible, just like in the show.

• Firebending lets you add mana during combat. There were questions on whether this mana could be stored by cards like Electro, Assaulting Battery. The answer was yes.

• Airbending is a new bounce outlet that is sure to be quickly taken advantage of.

• Earthbending gives you a bunch of new stompy land friends.

• Sagas continue their run to tell unforgettable stories, including those of lesser-known characters who finally get their moment to shine.

• The Ally type returns, echoing the bonds between Team Avatar and their allies.

• Instant subtype: Lessons are back, reflecting the show's core theme of growth. These don’t use “learn,” so they’re main-deck only, perfectly timed with next year’s Secrets of Strixhaven set.

• Clues represent the hunt for the Avatar, adding a flavorful twist to gameplay.

Collectability That Hits Like a Comet

This set is dripping with collector appeal:

• Full-art Appa lands, need we say more?

• Borderless Battleposes in neon ink, straight from the show’s opening sequence (Collector Boosters only).

• Elemental frames that echo Tarkir Dragonstorm's style, showcasing each character’s bending affinity.

• Double-faced Sagas with full-art treatments.

• Episode art cards, one for every single ATLA episode (61 total!). Nonfoil in all boosters, foil in Collector only.

 New Products for Every Kind of Player

Yes, several people asked about Commander precons, but the team pushed back, saying that their polling showed that Avatar: The Last Airbender was the perfect route to bring in friends and family that may have been on the MTG fence, much like Final Fantasy.

This set Jumpstart as a focus for new players. The shuffle up and play variant makes the game super accessible to anyone who can find product and has a little bit of pocket money to spend. Just pick up two packs and play!

Jumpstart also allowed the team to get in a bunch of other characters that had to be cut from the main set. ATLA fit a ton of characters into just a few seasons, and it was a chore to get them all in this MTG set as well.

• Commander Bundle: 9 Play Boosters, 1 Collector Booster, and 9 foil promos—including guaranteed Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Swiftfoot Boots.

• Beginner Box: Aang vs. Zuko - perfect for onboarding new players with a thematic duel.

Secret Lair: My Cabbages!

The Secret Lair set My Cabbages! will drop this November and is a lovingly chaotic tribute to ATLA's most resilient vendor and his leafy wares, blending Avatar: The Last Airbender humor with iconic spells. Each card features cabbage-themed reimaginings of classic instants and sorceries, starring the Cabbage Merchant in various states of distress.

Chain of Vapor shows him mid-evacuation, vegetables in hand; Meltdown and Nature’s Claim capture fiery and botanical destruction with the cry “Not my cabbages!” echoing through the art and flavor text. Anguished Unmaking and Putrefy take the drama up a notch, with cabbages strewn across rain-soaked streets and monster-ravaged stalls. It’s a flavorful, meme-worthy drop that turns removal spells into emotional damage.

Universes Beyond Avatar: The Last Airbender Hits Shelves this November, Yip Yip!

This crossover isn’t just fan service, it’s a masterclass in adaptation. Through elemental mechanics like firebending and earthbending, emotionally resonant flavor text, and character-driven card design, every detail shows how deeply the team understood and respected the Avatar universe. The cards don’t just reference the show; they feel like the show, capturing its humor, heart, and high-stakes drama in ways that make each draw and play a storytelling moment.

With ATLA expanding into new projects, fans are wondering: Will other Universes Beyond sets get the same treatment? The Lord of the Rings is already on that path. Could we see deeper dives into other worlds soon?

And yes, there was talk about bloodbending and metalbending, but the focus was to flesh out the main 4 and not jam in others. It’s clear the design team gave serious thought to how these advanced techniques could show up in gameplay. Fingers crossed for future expansions!

It’s clear that this set was built with reverence and joy, turning beloved characters and iconic scenes into gameplay that’s both flavorful and unforgettable. This set isn’t just a crossover, it’s a celebration. A love letter to fans of both Magic and Avatar.