Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Magic: The Gathering are buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming Universes Beyond set, which merges the beloved animated series with the iconic card game. This crossover promises to bring the elemental magic and rich storytelling of the Avatar universe to life through innovative mechanics and flavorful cards. Mark Rosewater, head designer for Magic: The Gathering, recently shared a tantalizing teaser on his Tumblr blog, offering a glimpse into the mechanics, themes, and cards players can expect from this highly anticipated set. The teaser, posted on October 22, 2025, highlights a range of new cards, abilities, and creature types that capture the essence of the Avatar world.
The hints, styled in Rosewater’s signature “Duelist” format, provides partial information to spark curiosity without revealing full details. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the hints shared for the Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender set:
A red sorcery that can destroy a target land for {1}{R}, offering a low-cost, high-impact land destruction spell.
Tokens in the set include a 1/1 white Ally, a 2/2 red Soldier, a 4/4 green Bear, and a 1/1 colorless Spirit, showcasing a variety of creature types.
A token from a previous Universes Beyond set will make its second appearance, connecting this set to Magic’s broader crossover universe.
A powerful {2}{W}{U}{B}{R}{G} activation cost, hinting at a multicolor ability that could tie to a pivotal moment or character in the Avatar narrative.
A spell capable of creating two different types of copy tokens, suggesting versatile and dynamic gameplay.
A card with affinity for Allies, a mechanic that reduces costs based on the number of Allies controlled, emphasizing teamwork.
A 3/3 creature for a single {U}, providing an efficient blue creature option.
Counters in the set include stun, finality, double strike, fire, conqueror, and quest, indicating diverse mechanics for combat and strategy.
A spell that controls a target player for one specific phase, offering a unique twist on control magic.
A red card with a Blood Moon effect, likely transforming nonbasic lands into basic Mountains, disrupting opponents’ mana bases.
The teaser also includes intriguing rules text snippets that will appear on cards, hinting at their mechanics and flavor:
“Each land and Ally you control has,” suggesting a global effect boosting both lands and Allies.
“to a maximum of 10,” indicating a cap on a scaling ability or resource.
“where X is the number of permanents you’ve sacrificed this turn,” pointing to a sacrifice-based mechanic.
“Whenever an opponent searches their library,” hinting at a punitive or reactive ability.
“You may reveal a Lesson, Saga, or Shrine card,” tying into Magic’s existing card types with Avatar-themed flair.
“for each permanent you own that your opponents control,” rewarding players for stolen or controlled permanents.
“Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional {G},” enhancing creature-based mana production.
“CARDNAME has all activated and triggered abilities of the last chosen card,” suggesting a versatile, adaptive card.
“If you would lose unspent mana, that mana becomes red instead,” introducing a mana-color manipulation mechanic.
“As long as you control eight or more permanents named,” hinting at a tribal or synergy-focused card with a high threshold.
Creature type lines reflect the whimsical and diverse world of Avatar: The Last Airbender:
Creature – Cat Armadillo
Creature – Platypus Bear
Creature – Boar Elk Bird Ox
Creature – Human Plant Ally
Creature – Bird Assassin
Legendary Creature – Human Warrior Performer
Legendary Creature – Human Monk Ally
Legendary Creature – Shapeshifter Spirit
Legendary Creature – Elder Cat Turtle
Legendary Artifact Creature – Wall
Finally, the teaser revealed several card names that evoke iconic moments, characters, and locations from the Avatar universe:
Day of Black Sun
Enter the Avatar State
Firebending Lesson
Gather the White Lotus
Gran-Gran
Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop
Meteor Sword
The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
Unlucky Cabbage Merchant
Yip Yip
These names suggest a deep integration of Avatar’s lore, from Aang’s transformation in Enter the Avatar State to the humorous nod to the Unlucky Cabbage Merchant. The set promises to capture the spirit of bending, teamwork, and the fantastical creatures of the Avatar world.
The Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender set will begin its official preview phase with a livestream on October 28, 2025, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time on twitch.tv/magic, where players can expect a full reveal of the set’s cards and mechanics. The set’s official release is scheduled for November 21, 2025, with prerelease events occurring shortly before, allowing players to experience the set firsthand at local game stores. Fans can stay updated by checking the card image gallery on the official Magic: The Gathering website for the latest card reveals leading up to the release.
