Since 2020—when The Walking Dead-themed cards launched as the first official release under Magic: The Gathering’s cross-franchise “Universes Beyond” initiative—the trading card giant has seemed to develop an unquenchable appetite for popular intellectual properties. They’ve boldly , taken sides in the endless clash between Autobots and Decepticons, and even ventured into the Upside Down with a . However, recently Wizards of the Coast announced a collaboration between MtG and a beloved, perpetually engaging pop culture mainstay: a thrill-seeking quartet of anthropomorphic, pizza-loving warriors who once had their own short-lived trading card game.
There’s no denying the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are among the most impactful characters to emerge from the 1980s independent comic book boom, and their success is evident in the vast array of media they’ve appeared in. From countless live-action and animated films to crossovers with icons like Batman, fans now have the chance to add the Turtles to their favorite decks.
Magic: The Gathering x TMNT Comes Later This Year
First revealed in October 2025, the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles expansion for Magic: The Gathering is set to launch on March 6 of this year—42 years after the characters debuted in their first comic book series. New card artwork by guest artists has always been an exciting feature of MtG expansions, and this one appears to go above and beyond: cards are designed by a team of talented creators including Kevin Eastman himself, co-creator of the Turtles.
Over four decades, the Turtles’ lore has grown exponentially, and Wizards of the Coast’s team has shown remarkable dedication to honoring that legacy. They pay homage to iconic figures like The Shredder and Casey Jones, fan favorites such as the Rat King and the Triceratons, and even new characters from the popular IDW comic series like Sally Pride and Madame Null. Even the integration of Magic’s critical color metagame has been fine-tuned to stay faithful to the franchise: Leonardo is tied to white’s healing and team support abilities, while Raphael is linked to red’s punishing direct damage potential.
TMNT’s Short-Lived First TCG
A little over 20 years before Wizards of the Coast announced their TMNT crossover, the Turtles had their own trading card game—born from the first TCG boom sparked by Magic’s early 1990s debut. Released by Upper Deck in 2004, the official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Unleashed TCG launched with over 100 cards and plans for two more expansions that never materialized, as the game folded shortly after release.
Its gameplay was surprisingly similar to MtG (with color-matched cards and multiple turn phases) but had key differences: instead of targeting players for damage, attacks focused on decks, forcing opponents to discard cards each time they were hit. Ultimately, it never gained the same traction as era favorites like Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokémon. Still, the original Turtles TCG proved the franchise could translate into a complex gaming experience. Now, with TCGs growing more popular and intricate over the past two decades, this upcoming Magic expansion is shaping up to be a heartfelt love letter to the universe Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created all those years ago.
The TMNT/MtG expansion launches on March 6.