MTG Survey Tries to Address Spider-Man Backlash—By Pointing the Finger at Influencers

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has released a formal survey seeking feedback on the widely criticized Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man set. While a survey is standard procedure for collecting player data, this one has ignited fresh controversy due to a highly contentious question that has led many to believe WotC is attempting to shift the blame for the set’s poor reception onto content creators.

The set, released in September 2025 as part of the “Universes Beyond” crossover series, faced significant community backlash over its perceived lackluster card design, repetitive New York City flavour, inclusion of non-Magic-themed “filler” cards (like a Hot Dog Cart), and the controversial “Pick-Two Draft” format. The set’s financial performance also reportedly failed to meet expectations, leading to rapid price crashes for Collector Boosters.

The Catch: A Question Targeting Content Creators

The core of the new controversy is a question posed to players who indicated they received their information about the set from content creators. It asks:

“To what degree did negative influencer commentary impact your perceptions of Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man before the set released?”

The scale provided ranges from “Greatly worsened my perception” to “Greatly improved my perception,” seemingly assuming that an external influence—positive or negative—was a factor in the player’s perception.

This phrasing has been widely interpreted by the MTG community and major content creators, including Hall of Fame players, as an attempt by WotC to find a scapegoat for the set’s failure. Influencers expressed concern that their honest negative feedback could lead to punitive measures or a breakdown in their working relationship with the company, likening the question to a “witch hunt.”

Wizards’ Response and the Damage Control

Following the immediate outrage across social media platforms like X (Twitter) and Reddit, WotC representatives, including Design Lead Blake Rasmussen, acknowledged the poor phrasing of the survey question. Rasmussen stated publicly that the question was a mistake and poorly worded, assuring the community that the company “doesn’t and won’t punish creators for having negative opinions of a set.”

However, many players remain skeptical, viewing the question as a narrative-seeking effort to deflect from the set’s fundamental design issues—such as being repurposed from a smaller set into a full, standard-legal release and the controversial new draft format.

Why It Matters for the Future of MTG’s “Universes Beyond”

The Spider-Man backlash and the resulting survey drama arrive at a critical juncture for Magic: The Gathering. The company is heavily committed to its “Universes Beyond” line, which features crossovers with major IPs. The 2026 release schedule includes four such sets, including:

• Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (March 2026)
• Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes (June 2026)
• Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit (August 2026)
• Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek (November 2026)

While the Final Fantasy crossover was an immense success, the poor reception of Spider-Man and the resulting influencer tension underscore the risks of high-volume, aggressive crossover strategy. The backlash suggests that for MTG players, the quality of the card design and its integration into the Magic mechanics matters more than the popularity of the IP alone. The current controversy is now a data point for both WotC and its competitors in the competitive TCG market.