Last updated on October 10, 2025
IDW Comics | TMNT 40th Anniversary Promo
Editor's Note: This was originally a speculation piece, but looks like we've got pretty decisive proof of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover, thanks to images like the one below! Feel free to read through the speculation leading up to this discovery, and tune back in on Friday for an official announcement from Wizards!
Check out the official first spoilers from the set here!
A couple of weeks ago, Wizards of the Coast revealed Magic's calendar for next year, which will be quite packed: Seven Standard MTG sets, four of them being Universes Beyond crossovers with non-Magic IPs.
They only revealed the names for six of those seven Standard sets, though… with the seventh still being a mystery…
… which, according to the official Everything Announced for Magic in 2026 article, will be revealed at New York Comic Con on October 10, 2025.
That's all we officially know thus far – but there are some very strong hints about what that 7th mystery set could be.
Connecting the Dots
Divination – Illustration by Matt Stewart
There's a second bit of official information that is very relevant: We know that there is a “Nickelodeon × Magic: The Gathering” panel at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 10, at 11:00–12:00. And the event description's reads: “Get your exclusive first look at the next powerful team-up between Magic: The Gathering and Nickelodeon. It's going to be [redacted]!”
Source: New York ComicCon
There's no official confirmation that the 7th mystery set and this panel are connected… but, c'mon, we know they'll reveal this mystery set that very same day, at this very same ComicCon. It has to be a Nickelodeon collaboration!
The interesting question would be: Which Nickelodeon IP could it be?
Teenage Magic Ninja Turtles?
The frontrunner in the speculation race is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, above all thanks to the amazing detective legwork from Reddit users: Crystal Frasier, one of the three WotC employees at the panel, is a massive TMNT fan.
“Crystal Frasier is a narrative designer at WotC with the RPG department, indicating she was added to the project due to her familiarity with it,” discovered u/Copernicus1981. “Her bio emphasizes her fandom of TMNT, that it was a big part of her childhood, and that the RPG and comics drew her into her current career of RPG game development and comic writing.”
That's exactly what Frasier's bio says according to her Paizo profile…
Source: https://paizo.com/rpgsuperstar/judges
If true, TNMT would be Magic's second visit to New York City, which is home to the ninja turtles and their mentor, Splinter. Turtles are not too popular or strong an archetype in Magic, but ninjas are an extremely popular creature type, and their flagship commander, Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, is among the Top #10 most popular in the whole game.
Magic Sponges?
Another possibility, although I'd say a lot less likely given the overall tone, is SpongeBob SquarePants. This is one of Nickelodeon's IP that Hasbro has already brought to Magic, via the SpongeBob Secret Lair.
Bob's SL was extremely well received by players… but a few meme-y illustrations for a handful of MTG staples is one thing, while a full Standard set is a whole different kettle of fish. But given that WotC has already worked with this IP, we can't ignore it when considering what Nickelodeon franchise we could get next year
Very Long Shot: Transformers?
Ratchet, Field Medic | illus. Volta Creation
We know we'll learn about the 7th mystery set this Friday; we know there's an MTG-Nickelodeon panel. The strongest assumption is of course that the next set will be about a Nickelodeon IP that MTG adapts, of course…
… but what if it's the other way around?
What if this is about an IP that WotC (via Hasbro) owns, and that Nickelodeon will adapt?
Because there happens to be a non-Magic IP that WotC has already worked with, that Hasbro owns, and that Nickelodeon has already adapted: Transformers.
And it's also an IP that, according to Hasbro's official statement, will have a lot of presence in New York's Comic Con.
We'll Find Out Shortly!
Kindred Discovery – Illustration by Lake Hurwitz
The NYCC Nickelodeon × MTG panel is official. The March 2026 Universes Beyond slot is also official. The rest is speculation.
Crystal Frasier's bio makes it crystal clear they are a massive TMNT fan, and that's the strongest hint we have that the comic may be this mystery set… but we'll know for certain this coming Friday!
Follow Draftsim for awesome articles and set updates:
Add Comment