Wizards of the Coast’s Gen Con announcement that Dungeons & Dragons is adopting the Universes Beyond model, beginning with a World of Warcraft sourcebook, has immediate implications for Magic: The Gathering. The move makes a dedicated Magic set set in Azeroth in 2027 feel close to inevitable.
The D&D book, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, will translate races, classes, locations, and characters from World of Warcraft into fifth-edition rules. Once that partnership is public and the art pipeline is active, the commercial logic of also releasing a Magic Universes Beyond set using the same intellectual property becomes difficult to ignore. Shared art assets, established fantasy tone, and overlapping audiences all reduce the usual barriers that come with external crossovers.
Wizards has already announced three in-universe Multiverse sets for the near term. The company has historically saved major Universes Beyond reveals for later events, with MagicCon Atlanta in November serving as the probable stage for 2027 plans. One of those slots is widely expected to continue the multi-year Marvel partnership that produced Spider-Man in 2025 and Marvel Super Heroes in 2026. That leaves at least two additional Universes Beyond releases. World of Warcraft now sits at the top of the list for one of them.
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks recently stated that the 2027 Universes Beyond partners would lean more fantasy-adjacent than some previous choices. World of Warcraft fits that description cleanly. The game already uses many of the same building blocks Magic relies on: elves, dragons, undead, elementals, legendary heroes and villains, and a deep bench of iconic locations that can function as lands. The five colors of Magic map naturally onto Azeroth’s factions and aesthetics, from the red aggression of the Horde to the structured white of Stormwind and the shadowy black of the Forsaken.
The two brands also share a history of indirect collaboration. Magic has released sets tied to D&D settings such as Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, while D&D has published sourcebooks based on Magic planes including Theros, Strixhaven, and Lorwyn. Moving both games into the same external universe at roughly the same time simply extends that relationship.
Laura Hohman, a D&D creative leader, noted during a press conference that the team is focused on the World of Warcraft book for the fourth quarter and will continue to evaluate the best timing for each release. She stopped short of confirming any concurrent Magic product, but the institutional overlap between the two Wizards studios makes coordination straightforward.
A World of Warcraft Magic set would also fill a gap left by the long-defunct World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, which ended physical production in 2013 as Blizzard shifted emphasis to Hearthstone. Wizards specializes in premium physical cards and organized play, while Blizzard’s digital focus means the two products would compete only lightly for the same spending. The arrangement benefits both sides: Blizzard gains renewed tabletop visibility, and Wizards gains a major fantasy property that aligns with Magic’s core identity more closely than some previous Universes Beyond partners.
Not every crossover has been received equally. Sets that stretch far from traditional fantasy, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the upcoming Star Trek release, have drawn louder criticism from players who prefer Magic to stay closer to its original tone. World of Warcraft avoids most of that friction. It is already a high-fantasy setting with spellcasters, legendary weapons, and large-scale conflicts that translate cleanly into card design.
Star Wars remains another candidate for a 2027 Universes Beyond slot, especially after D&D confirmed its own Star Wars expansion for the following year. The presence of Fantasy Flight Games’ ongoing Star Wars: Unlimited card game complicates that path, though it does not rule it out entirely. Even if Star Wars appears, the stronger and more immediate fit for Magic remains World of Warcraft.
The financial performance of Universes Beyond has given Wizards clear incentive to continue the strategy. The products have driven significant revenue even as they generate debate within the player base. Pairing the D&D and Magic releases around the same property allows the company to amortize licensing and art costs across two games while giving both audiences a major new setting in a relatively short window.
No official Magic: The Gathering World of Warcraft set has been announced. The evidence at this point is circumstantial but consistent: a confirmed D&D crossover, public comments favoring fantasy-adjacent partners, clear mechanical and aesthetic synergy, and open slots in the 2027 Universes Beyond schedule. When Wizards takes the stage at MagicCon Atlanta, many observers will be looking for confirmation that Azeroth is next.
Until then, the D&D announcement has done most of the work. By bringing World of Warcraft into one Wizards product line, the company has made the case for bringing it into the other almost unavoidable. A Magic set built around the same world now feels less like speculation and more like the next logical step in a strategy that is still expanding.
If World Of Warcraft came to Magic, what characters would you like to see in the set? What colors do you think Illidan or Arthas would be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!