Wizards of the Coast Skips Marvel Sets on Arena, Introduces “Through the Omenpaths” Instead

Marvel’s Exclusion from Digital Platforms

In a surprising announcement that has sent ripples through the Magic: The Gathering community, Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that the highly anticipated Marvel sets, including the upcoming Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel’s Spider-Man, will not be appearing on digital platforms like MTG Arena or Magic Online. Instead, digital players will experience these sets through a new initiative called “Through the Omenpaths.”

Blake Rasmussen, Magic’s Senior Communications Manager, explained the decision in a recent announcement, marking a significant shift in how Universes Beyond content will be handled in the digital space. With Universes Beyond sets becoming legal in all formats starting with this year’s releases, Wizards needed a consistent solution for digital platforms that couldn’t directly incorporate certain licensed properties.

What is “Through the Omenpaths”?

“Through the Omenpaths” represents Wizards’ solution to this licensing conundrum. These digital-exclusive sets will serve as “Universes Within” versions of the Universes Beyond sets that cannot appear on digital platforms in their original form.

The key details of this initiative include:

• Cards will be mechanically identical to their Universes Beyond counterparts
• All cards will receive unique artwork, names, and creative treatments fitting the Magic multiverse
• Only sets that can’t come to digital platforms in their original form will get “Through the Omenpaths” versions
• The initiative primarily focuses on sets legal in all formats

Spider-Man Leads the Way

The first Through the Omenpaths set will launch on September 23, 2025, just days before the physical Marvel’s Spider-Man set releases. This timing ensures digital players won’t miss out on using these cards in Standard and other formats.

While no specific cards have been previewed yet, players can expect the digital versions to maintain the same gameplay mechanics while featuring entirely new creative treatments disconnected from the Marvel universe.

Why the Split Between Physical and Digital?

The announcement doesn’t explicitly state why Marvel sets won’t appear on digital platforms, but industry observers point to licensing complications. With Marvel already having digital card game partnerships through Marvel Snap and Upper Deck’s digital trading card app, it’s likely that existing contracts prevent Wizards from using Marvel’s intellectual property on their digital platforms.

This situation creates an interesting dichotomy between physical and digital Magic. Physical players will get to enjoy Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and other Marvel characters, while digital players will experience mechanically identical cards with completely different names and art.

Community Reactions and Concerns

The announcement has generated mixed reactions within the Magic community. Some players appreciate Wizards’ commitment to ensuring mechanical parity between physical and digital formats, but others worry about the potential confusion from having two different versions of the same cards.

“This will make discussion of sets like Spider-Man more complex,” notes MTG Rocks, highlighting that “players and content creators will need to settle on one version or another to refer to, or just mention both every time.”

The Future of Universes Beyond on Digital Platforms

While Marvel sets will be getting the Through the Omenpaths treatment, not all Universes Beyond sets face the same restrictions. Wizards confirmed that both Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ and Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™ will be coming directly to MTG Arena and Magic Online in their original forms.

This suggests that licensing agreements vary significantly between properties, with some franchise owners more amenable to digital implementation than others.

What This Means for Players

For those who primarily play on Arena or Magic Online, the Through the Omenpaths initiative ensures they won’t miss out on playing with new mechanics and strategies, even if they won’t get to experience the Marvel flavor directly.

Physical players, meanwhile, might see increased interest in paper play from Marvel fans who want the authentic Spider-Man experience rather than the reskinned digital version.

Whether Through the Omenpaths proves to be an elegant solution or creates unnecessary confusion remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Wizards is committed to finding ways to keep digital and physical Magic mechanically aligned, even when licensing complications arise.

Are you excited about the upcoming Marvel sets? Will you be playing with the original cards or their Through the Omenpaths versions? Share your thoughts in the comments below!