MTG’s Controversial Survey: WotC Addresses Spider-Man Backlash, But the “Catch” is a Scapegoat

The release of Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond set, Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man, was met with significant community backlash—criticism aimed at the set’s mundane “real-world” art, lackluster financial performance, and perceived dilution of the game’s core fantasy aesthetic. In response, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has circulated a post-release survey, acknowledging the set’s divisive reception, but it contains a highly contentious question that has sparked a fresh wave of outrage.

The “catch” in the survey suggests WotC may be seeking to externalize the blame for the set’s poor performance, specifically by targeting content creators and influencers who offered negative commentary.

The Blame Game: A Loaded Question Targets Influencers

The controversy centers on a specific, pointed question presented to survey participants who indicated they had received news about the set from content creators:

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

The options ranged from “1 = Greatly worsened my perception,” to “5 = Greatly improved my perception.”

Why the Question Caused a Firestorm:

1. The Scapegoat Narrative: The question is widely viewed by the community and the influencers themselves as a “witch hunt.” Critics argue that WotC is attempting to create a narrative where negative word-of-mouth, rather than the product’s design, quality, or pricing, is responsible for the set’s low performance.
2. A Leading Query: By specifically calling out “negative influencer commentary,” the question is seen as highly biased and leading. Many felt that WotC was directing players to blame third parties instead of internal development decisions—such as the set’s controversial design that included filler cards depicting items like a “Hot Dog Cart” and “Subway Train.”
3. Targeting the Core Community: Top-tier content creators, including Hall of Fame players, took to social media to express their concern, describing the question as “insane” and worrying that WotC was undermining a long-standing partnership with the creator community.

WotC’s Response and the Broader Context

Following the immediate backlash, a WotC representative, Blake Rasmussen, addressed the issue, admitting that the question had an “unusual negative focus” that “sucks” and assuring the community that the intent was not malicious. He framed it as an internal mistake and stated that the company was not planning to retaliate against creators.

However, the incident feeds into a broader climate of player dissatisfaction:

• Financial Performance: Reports suggest the set had a minimal competitive impact and saw Collector Booster prices crash, signaling weak financial reception, especially when compared to previous successful Universes Beyond collaborations like Final Fantasy or The Lord of the Rings.
• Universes Beyond Fatigue: The controversy comes amid increasing concern over the long-term saturation of the Trading Card Game (TCG) market with licensed “Universes Beyond” products. As the Collectible Card Games market size approaches an estimated $16.26 Billion in 2026, the pressure on WotC to maintain a balance between new IP crossovers and its core fantasy Multiverse is intensifying.

Ultimately, while the survey was ostensibly an attempt to gather feedback on the backlash, the flawed methodology has only amplified the public relations crisis, raising fundamental questions about how WotC values the commentary from its most vocal and influential community members.