Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Brings Turtle Power to the Multiverse This March

Cowabunga officially meets the Multiverse.

Wizards of the Coast pulled back the curtain during an exclusive digital press event to showcase Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest Universes Beyond crossover launching globally on March 6, 2026. The upcoming set fuses decades of Turtle mythology with Magic’s strategic depth, giving fans the chance to experience mutants on the loose and train in the ninja arts using mean green turtle power to take down the bad guys of New York City.

Leading the presentation were Executive Producer Athena Froelich, Game Design Lead Eric Engelhard, Narrative Lead Crystal Frasier, and MTG Arena Design Lead Ian Adams, who walked through the design philosophy, mechanical innovations, and creative decisions behind one of Magic’s most nostalgia-fueled collaborations to date.

And this one clearly comes from the heart.

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Designed by Fans, For Fans

Eric Engelhard made it clear from the start that this wasn’t just another crossover assignment.

“I was the set lead for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, all the way from exploratory to the end of play design. And part of that was because I was the biggest Turtles fan among all the designers, by far.” — Eric Engelhard

That passion shows in the way the team approached the property. Rather than narrow the focus to one specific cartoon era or comic interpretation, Wizards partnered with Nickelodeon to build a cohesive version of the Turtles that honors the franchise’s entire legacy.

“Rather than try and pick just one version of the turtles, we talked to Nickelodeon about creating our own vision for the turtles and their universe.” — Crystal Frasier

The result is a set that pulls inspiration from the original comics, animated series, toys, and video games, while still feeling unmistakably Magic.

“We were able to draw inspiration from almost every iteration of the Turtles — the original comics, video games, animated series, even toys.” — Eric Engelhard

For longtime fans, it means there is something recognizable in every pack.

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A Narrative Built on Brotherhood

Crystal Frasier emphasized that her job as Narrative Lead was about tone as much as lore.

“A narrative lead’s job is to handle the vibe of the set and make it feel distinct.” — Crystal Frasier

And nothing defines TMNT more than brotherhood.

“Capturing the vibe of the set meant making sure we really felt them as brothers, as family. That’s such an important part of the story.” — Crystal Frasier

That emotional throughline shaped how the turtles were represented mechanically. Each turtle appears at multiple rarities, reflecting different aspects of their identity.

“To make sure we could deliver a turtle in every pack, we gave each turtle their own common, uncommon, rare, and mythic that charts their personality across being teenage, mutant, ninja, and turtle.” — Crystal Frasier

That approach ensures Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo feel distinct at every level of play.

And visually, the team wanted to capture that unmistakable New York rooftop energy.

“Nothing feels more iconic for the turtles than them leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the middle of the night on their way to some adventure.” — Crystal Frasier

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Villains, Allies, and Showcase Moments

First unveiled at New York Comic Con in October 2025, the set features the full rogues’ gallery: Shredder and the Foot Clan, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, and more.

Allies such as April O’Neil, Casey Jones, and Splinter are also fully represented.

Beyond character cards, the set introduces:

• Showcase Scene cards that combine into panoramic comic-style artwork
• Borderless Headliner cards featuring art by Kevin Eastman, complete with a signature stamp
• Borderless Source Material cards pulling artwork from across TMNT history
• Borderless Pixel cards with retro video game styling by Kirokaze
• Full-Art Pizza Basic Lands covered in topping-filled artwork

And yes, there is an exclusive Pizza Bundle, featuring six reimagined Magic cards topped with pizza-themed artwork.

Because of course there is.

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New Ways to Play

The collaboration is not just cosmetic. It introduces new mechanics and formats, including:

• Pick-Two Draft
• Turtle Team Up, a two-to-four player cooperative experience
• Interchangeable Turtle Power! Commander decks

For Arena players, the digital experience has also been carefully tuned.

MTG Arena Release Date: March 3

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Key Upcoming Dates

Here is the full rollout schedule for Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Magic: The Gathering | TMNT Debut: February 10, 2026
Prerelease Events: February 27–March 5
Commander Box League: February 27–March 5
MTG Arena Release Date: March 3
Tabletop Release Date: March 6
Commander Party, Round 1: March 13–19
Magic Presents: Turtle Time: March 13–April 16
Commander Party, Round 2: April 4–9

Products, including the Turtle Power! Commander deck, are available for preorder through local game stores, TCGplayer, Amazon, and other retailers where Magic products are sold.

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A Set Built for Generations

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has spanned generations, and this Universes Beyond set is clearly designed to bridge them.

Players who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons can now share those stories across a Commander table. And new Magic players who discover the Turtles through this set will experience one of pop culture’s most enduring teams through a different lens.

Wizards of the Coast is not just dropping a nostalgia bomb. They are building a playable love letter to decades of Turtle Power.

Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles launches globally on March 6, 2026.

The sewer doors are open. The rooftop is calling. And this time, the Multiverse is getting shell-shocked.

For more information visit Magic.Wizards.com