Fresh off the heels of Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy set becoming its bestselling set ever, the Wizards of the Coast have cooked up another video game collaboration. I dare say, these cards are gonna go fast. A Sonic The Hedgehog Secret Lair is coming.
These are one of card drops that Wizards sells directly, usually based around some theme or property. Since Magic has introduced its Universe Beyond sets that step outside the typical boundaries, previous drops have included Spongebob Squarepants and Hatsune Miku.
The Secret Lairs and Universes Beyond have been a controversial addition to the long-running CCG. Purists argue they buy Magic: The Gathering products to battle with wizards, dragons, and creatures of fantasy. While some sets such as Lord of the Rings and Final Fantasy are at least a thematic match, products such as Spongebob have earned eyerolls from many longtime players.
For example, Doctor Who received a Secret Lair. In The Doctor's world, pretty much every magical creature in human lore can be explained by "Oh, it's actually an alien instead."
But money speaks loudly, and these crossovers are bringing in serious bank for Hasbro. There's no indication they'll slow down, or worry much about whether a crossover makes thematic sense. Upcoming collaborations will include Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Secret Lairs have been a problem as well, with scalpers dominating the queues and making it hard for real Magic players to get their hands on these valuable cards. A look through the comments on the Good Morning Magic video where the collab was announced is an excellent read of the room right now.
The Secret Lair drops will be available in regular and foil editions for $29.99 and $39.99. They'll be available (in theory) on the Secret Lair website July 14 starting at 12 p.m. ET.