Magic: The Gathering as we know it is over

Magic: The Gatheringhas undergone a huge evolution over the years, starting with around 300 cards and growing to the tens of thousands. That path has been met with plenty of criticism along the way, but plenty of fans keep returning to find the same special experience that has propelled the game into the empire it is today.

At the same time, Magic: The Gathering has started to transform more radically in recent years with Universes Beyond, which places an emphasis on crossovers with other popular IPs. Now, the game's head designer has addressed the shift in a way that confirms there won't be any turning back.

In a tumblr post, Magic: The Gathering head designer Mark Rosewater responded to a fan asking him to acknowledge thatthe game has "fundamentally changedin a way that it hasn't before" thanks to Universes Beyond. Rosewater meets the demand, noting that it has, indeed, "fundamentally changed," and lays out three paths forward for those who are unhappy with its current direction. These are, as follows:

1. "Accept the change and learn to see what others love about the new path."
2. "Find like-minded people and make a bubble that lets you keep playing the game in the way you love."
3. "Walk away."

Rosewater addresses fan's desire for a fourth option to revert Magic: The Gathering to "the way it used to be," but explains that "once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it's just not going back in." Rosewater compares the shift to his own experience with the introduction of Commander, which changed the game in a way that he had trouble coming to terms with. He ultimately expresses his sympathy for those dissatisfied with MTG's direction and acknowledges the "real anguish" of fans, saying he'll "miss" those who ultimately walk away.

The permanence of Magic: The Gathering's new direction probably isn't a surprise to fans, but there's a certain finality to seeing the head designer himself acknowledge that the game has changed in an irrevocable way. The idea of Magic: The Gathering as its own game and a world of its own is over, and its current status as a melting pot of recognizable franchises will define its future.

I can't say I'm a fan — the constant assault of familiar IP on all fronts is having a negative effect on the entire media landscape, not just Magic: The Gathering — but there's clearlyno way that MTG is going to undo what's already been (very profitably) done. For better or worse, Magic: The Gathering will never again be the game that it was before Universes Beyond.