Magic: The Gathering's New Cards Are Breaking A 25-Year Tradition

has been branching out over the last few years and including outside IPs in their game, and their latest collaboration is set to bring back something the game hasn’t done since 1999. ’s products have been met with mixed reception. However, most players are happy so long as Wizards of the Coast decides to include cards for an IP that the players are interested in.

Recently, has dipped its toes into video game crossovers with games like and. The next collaboration to be released is Magic’s crossover with the popular franchise. This collaboration was likely planned to generate excitement for the upcoming Players have already gotten to see some of the set’s cards previewed, revealing a break with a long-standing Magic tradition.

The associate narrative director behind Assassin's Creed Shadows spoke with Screen Rant at Summer Game Fest about the game's story and setting.

The franchise has always dabbled in historical fiction. That means including real-life characters like Leonardo Da Vinci, Edward Teach (better known as Blackbeard), and Yusuke, who will be one of the playable protagonists of . This use of historical figures has also been reflected in the tie-in set for, with figures like Da Vinci and the pirates Mary Read and Ann Bonny featuring on some of the new cards.

While other products have featured the likenesses of real people, they typically feature actors in their roles, with the character represented on the card being fictional. For example, an artist’s rendition of Chris Pine appears on the card Edgin, Larcenous Lutenist, which was a tie-in with the movie. The cards are the first time in a long time that Magic is making new cards featuring historical figures, but it is something the game used to do more in its earlier days.

Magic: The Gathering has thousands of potential commander cards players can build decks around. These have proven to be the best in competitive play.

Early in ’s history, the game was still trying to find a strong identity. That meant