I occasionally recall a peculiar conversation.
In October 2024, I found myself at MagicCon in the Las Vegas Convention Center – an annual assembly for Magic enthusiasts to enjoy games, exchange cards, and discover what`s next for the franchise. While in the media room with fellow journalists and PR representatives, the discussion turned to the impending “Foundations Of Magic`s Next Era” presentation, where Wizards of the Coast was slated to unveil the game`s future direction.
My press colleagues and I had already been briefed on most of the panel`s content, thanks to an online preview and Q&A hosted by WOTC via Zoom days earlier. A PR contact inquired which announcement we believed would elicit the strongest audience response. Some predicted the Final Fantasy set`s art reveals, others suggested Foundations cards… but when the question reached me, my answer was instant: the re-implementation of MSRP.
MSRP, or Manufacturer`s Suggested Retail Price, represents a recommended cost for a product, put forth by its creator. Prior to the November 2024 launch of Foundations, Magic: The Gathering products lacked MSRP listings, as Wizards had previously allowed retailers to determine their own pricing. Foundations, however, signaled a departure from this approach.
The PR team seemed taken aback by my selection, evidently not considering it particularly noteworthy… yet, later, during the actual panel, the reaction proved otherwise…
The audience erupted in cheers, and I simply glanced at my previous interlocutors and shrugged. The absence of MSRP had long been a sore point for MTG enthusiasts, who had hoped its reintroduction would help mitigate the excessively high prices prevalent in the secondary market.
MSRP: A Fading Hope?
The re-establishment of MSRP was intended to usher in a new chapter for Magic, one where players could consistently acquire desired cards at reasonable costs. Although the suggested prices for the Final Fantasy set were higher than those for internal sets like Aetherdrift and Tarkir: Dragonstorm, most players acknowledged that licensed intellectual properties carry a premium. However, this vision largely failed to materialize, especially with Final Fantasy, where several retailers appeared to disregard the recommended pricing entirely.
As per the official MTG website, the proposed MSRP for Final Fantasy items was structured thus:
- Play Booster: $6.99
- Collector Booster: $37.99
- Commander Deck: $69.99
- Collector`s Edition Commander Deck: $149.99
- Bundle: $69.99
- Gift Bundle: $89.99
- Starter Kit: $19.99
Now, let`s contrast these figures with the preorder prices observed at an independent hobby store:
- Play Booster Box (30 Packs): $174.99
- Collector Booster Box (12 Packs): $699.99
- Commander Deck:
- Final Fantasy 6 – $74.99
- Final Fantasy 7 – $124.99
- Final Fantasy 10 – $124.99
- Final Fantasy 14 – $124.99
- Collector`s Edition Commander Deck:
- Final Fantasy 6 – $219.99
- Final Fantasy 7 – $399.99
- Final Fantasy 10 – $399.99
- Final Fantasy 14 – $399.99
- Bundle: $79.99
- Gift Bundle: $159.99
- Starter Kit: $24.99
Quite a disparity, wouldn`t you say?
Keep in mind, this isn`t the work of a scalper, akin to those rampant in the Pokemon TCG scene; this is a local game store. This is the very establishment where you`d typically go to discuss, learn, and play Magic, and yet, this is the reality. The MSRP, in practice, is effectively nonexistent.
You might have observed an interesting omission in Wizards` announcement: the absence of box pricing. While individual pack prices were suggested, full boxes of packs did not receive an official designation. Wizards` communications director, Blake Rasmussen, clarified this was by design, stating, “The math on the MSRP is just `the box is X times the MSRP of the booster,` so we aren`t going to list that, but it would be the same thing if we did.”
Let`s verify this: 30 Final Fantasy Play Boosters, at $6.99 per pack (MSRP), should total $209.70. Curiously, the local game store`s price mentioned earlier is actually below this calculated MSRP, a rather pleasant surprise.
Moving on to Collector Boosters, and… here`s where the trouble begins: 12 Collector Boosters per box, at $37.99 each, would yield an MSRP of $455.88 for a box. Consistently, every other product from our sample store is priced at least five dollars above Wizards` recommendation.
Crucially, these were merely preorder prices. What`s the situation now? Collector Booster boxes are commanding four-figure sums online and in local game stores. A single Collector Booster currently retails for $120 on TCGPlayer. Play Booster boxes, too, have now exceeded their calculated MSRP, with the lowest TCGPlayer price standing at $230.
While larger retail chains largely adhere to MSRP, they struggle to maintain stock, and there`s no assurance that actual players are the primary purchasers from these outlets. This poses a significant problem, fundamentally undermining the core objective of Universes Beyond releases: to attract new enthusiasts to Magic: The Gathering.
Even long-time MTG players are not exempt from these detrimental consequences. The aforementioned Play Booster price is especially difficult to justify given two significant alterations – one implemented with the debut of Play Boosters alongside Murders At Karlov Manor in 2024, and another initiated earlier this year – both leading to diminished value for their investment.
Firstly, the introduction of Play Boosters signified an unprecedented moment in the game`s history, as a set would no longer feature 15-card packs. Play Boosters contain just 14 cards, positioned as a “middle ground” between the 15-card Draft Boosters and 12-card Set Boosters from previous releases predating MKM. Secondly, starting with Aetherdrift in February, Play Booster boxes now only contain 30 packs, a reduction from the prior standard of 36 packs per set.
In summary, players are now opening packs with fewer cards, sourced from boxes containing fewer packs, all while paying prices significantly exceeding the MSRP. A change is imperative, or both new and existing players will undoubtedly abandon the game in large numbers.
The Accessibility Challenge of Universes Beyond
Picture yourself as a dedicated Final Fantasy enthusiast learning that one of the globe`s most enduring trading card games is partnering with your beloved video game series. Your Magic-playing acquaintances showcase the stunning artwork, unique foiling, and thematic game mechanics, sparking your interest to try the game.
You proceed to your nearest Best Buy or Target, only to find the shelves empty. Undeterred, you recall hearing about a local game store where your friends play a few times a week, so you venture there. Success! The cards are in stock! Yet, a moment of confusion: $125 for the FF7 deck? The official MTG website indicated $70, the sum you were prepared to spend. What accounts for this discrepancy? Understandably reluctant to pay such inflated prices, you return home empty-handed and opt instead to launch FF7 for the intended experience.
While this scenario is illustrative, numerous accounts on Reddit and other online platforms confirm that individuals are indeed facing this precise predicament. These are the very demographics Universes Beyond aims to attract, yet they are being priced out before they can even engage. MSRP was intended to prevent this, but it has seemingly become inconsequential.
In the specific instance of Final Fantasy, Wizards faces an additional, distinct disadvantage. If we reverse the prior scenario – envisioning a Magic player encountering FF cards and developing an interest in trying one of the video games for the first time – the entry barrier is significantly lower. During a recent Amazon Prime Day sale, merely weeks after the MTG FF set`s release, numerous Final Fantasy titles were discounted, including the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remasters (a collection of six games) for just $45.
Even at current full prices, should this hypothetical MTG player wish to acquire all 16 primary Final Fantasy games simultaneously, the cost breakdown (via Steam) would be as follows:
- Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster Bundle: $75
- Final Fantasy VII: $12
- Final Fantasy VIII: $12
- Final Fantasy IX: $21
- Final Fantasy X (via X/X-2 HD): $30
- Final Fantasy XI: Free to download via game`s website, free first month
- Final Fantasy XII (via The Zodiac Age): $50
- Final Fantasy XIII: $16
- Final Fantasy XIV: $20 Starter Edition, monthly subscription
- Final Fantasy XV: $36
- Final Fantasy XVI: $50
- TOTAL: $322
All 16 foundational Final Fantasy games – representing the complete source material for the Magic: The Gathering Set, and offering hundreds of hours of entertainment – can be obtained for only 25% of a Collector Booster box`s price, and just $100 less than the current Play Booster box cost. While acknowledging the distinct experiences of video games versus physical tabletop card games, if the primary objective is to immerse oneself in the Final Fantasy universe, the video games undeniably offer superior value for money.
Universes Beyond was championed as a vehicle to introduce Magic to fresh audiences, and in a literal sense, it has achieved this – assuming these individuals can afford the steep entry cost to access the game. With such a significant financial hurdle, these potential new players might not exhibit the enthusiasm Wizards desires, thereby negating the fundamental objective of Universes Beyond. Considering the upcoming Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender sets, this is a predicament Wizards would prefer to avoid.
A Superficial Solution to a Deep Problem
To be candid, I`m not convinced that the relevant authorities are genuinely troubled by this issue. After all, the Final Fantasy set generated more revenue in a single day than any preceding MTG release. Hasbro implemented MSRP and still reaped substantial profits; from their perspective, the company fulfilled its role, and any remaining kinks will presumably work themselves out.
However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that MSRP was never truly equipped to resolve the core issue. The `S` in `MSRP` denotes “Suggested”—a recommendation, not a mandatory directive. Consequently, Wizards lacks official legal means to deter such price inflation; the price was, after all, merely `suggested,` not rigidly enforced. Unless Hasbro/Wizards commit to rigorously enforcing fair pricing and penalizing non-compliant retailers, irrespective of the form such penalties might take, this problem will persist.
An argument might then emerge: “Of course, it`s Final Fantasy; it was destined for popularity. This won`t recur with any other set this year.” Regrettably, this claim is also proving unfounded:
- Edge of Eternities, the next in-universe set launching August 1, has pre-sale Collector Booster boxes for $430, when `MSRP` for a Collector Booster pack was $24.99, meaning a box`s MSRP would be $299.88.
- The Spider-Man set, due to launch in September, is currently pre-selling at $720 per Collector Booster box.
- Preorders for November`s Avatar: The Last Airbender set haven`t started yet, but don`t be surprised if those boxes start at a similar level.
The deterioration is spreading, and there appears to be no immediate impetus to curb it before it becomes uncontrollable.