Magic: the Gathering’s Universes Beyond Final Fantasy set is almost upon us, with a scheduled release of June 13, 2025. However, if you simply can’t wait to collect or play with all your favorite characters and creatures from the legendary RPG series, you are in luck as this weekend, local game stores across the country are running pre-release events. If you are a longtime Final Fantasy fan jumping into the popular TCG for the first time, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the event!
What is a Pre-Release?
As the name implies, a Pre-Release is an event that shops will run usually the week before the release of an MtG set as a way to get cards into the hands of excited players before the full release. While different sets will have minor differences, in general attendees will receive a Pre-Release kit with a number of booster packs and some additional goodies. For example, the upcoming Final Fantasy Pre-Release comes with six booster packs, an exclusive spindown (MtG’s 20-sided, spindown die used as a life counter), a deck box, and a traditional rare (or mythic rare) foil card. The Final Fantasy Pre-Releases start Friday, June 6 (with some stores choosing midnight events) and technically go through Thursday, June 12, however most stores will be running them this weekend.
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Players will then be given a set amount of time to open the boosters and build a limited, 40-card deck using the cards from those packs. After that, you will play three games against other participants in a “tournament”. The tournament is Swiss Style, which means you play against other people with your record, ie: if you lose in Game 1, you play against someone who also lost in Game 1, and if you lose that too, you would play someone who lost twice in Game 3. There is usually a winner who is given a small prize such as a booster pack or sleeves or something small, but most people are there just to play some games. Given the randomness of the boosters in each pre-release as well as the the structure of the tournament, Pre-Releases are pretty casual events which make them great for FF fans coming to Magic for the collaboration.
What else do I need to know?
As mentioned above, most local game stores that sell Magic: the Gathering products will be holding Final Fantasy Pre-Releases. The easiest way to find stores near you, is by downloading the “Magic: the Gathering Companion” App. You can then navigate to the “Locator” Tab and type in your zip code and you will see a list of all the events in the area (not just the Final Fantasy Pre-Releases), as well as their date and start time.
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Choosing one will also give you more info including additional store rules including how to sign up as well as the cost of the event. It’s a good idea to check a couple different events that you are interested in since pricing will vary depending on the store. In my experience, it appears that most stores are charging between $45 and $60, but don’t worry about paying less as the product received is exactly the same. Once you pick a specific time-slot, if sign-up rules weren’t listed on the event page in the Companion app, give the store and call and ask how you can sign up!
Additional tips
If you have never played a TCG and have limited deck-building experience, here are a couple rules to get you started: Open all your packs and sort your cards by color. An MnG deck usually has two colors, so pick the two colors you have the most cards in as this will generally give you the most options.
If you get a particularly strong Mythic Rare in your box, it could also be worth choosing that as an option. Now, any Magic deck needs Mana, and a lot of it, so your deck should have between 17-18 “Land” Cards. I wouldn’t recommend using the ones contained in your boosters, because each pack only contains one, so you will be short by a lot. Your store should provide lands, so just use theirs this way you don’t get mixed up on which are yours and which are the stores. That only leaves 22-23 cards to pick from your boosters. Here is a good general breakdown for a well-balanced deck:
- 1 Cost Cards: One or Two
- 2 Cost Cards: Seven or Eight
- 3 Cost Cards: Five or Six
- 4 Cost Cards: Three or Four
- 5 Cost Cards: Two or Three
- 6 Cost Cards: At Most One
These are just general guidelines, and these numbers can be flexible if you think of a strategy that will work well. For example, if you want a Rush Deck to flood the battlefield with low level creatures, you will probably want less 5 Cost Cards and more 2 or 3. Play around with what you think will work, or just pick cards you like! Once you have your 40 cards selected, you should sleeve them. This is to protect your cards, and it makes them a little easier to shuffle. Your store will definitely have sleeves on sales. Dragon Shield is a popular brand as they are very well-made, affordable and have a lot of cool color options, but most likely any sleeves will do. Your store may even have Final Fantasy Sleeves for sale!
If you are at all curious about Magic: The Gathering, you should definitely attend a Pre-Release. They are great for newcomers, as people are excited to play with new cards and with no real prizes, most veterans won’t try to build an overpowered deck. As an added bonus, given the excitement around the Final Fantasy set, there will probably be a lot of newcomers to the game too, so you won’t be alone if you are unsure about specific rules or card abilities. You also know you already have something in common with everyone who is there. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet your next FFXIV Raid Group and have a new Friday Night Hangout.
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