Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks has declared the Magic: The Gathering Fallout-themed Commander decks as “probably the best-performing Commander set ever,” marking a major milestone for the Universes Beyond initiative that blends beloved franchises with the iconic card game. Released alongside the launch of the Fallout TV series, this crossover has not only captivated fans with iconic characters like Dogmeat and Mothman but also significantly boosted Hasbro’s financial performance, despite the high licensing costs involved. As Hasbro looks ahead to upcoming Universes Beyond sets featuring Marvel and Final Fantasy, Fallout’s success sets a high bar for future collaborations.
Following successful experiments with The Walking Dead- and Godzilla-themed cards for Magic: The Gathering, the Universes Beyond initiative was formally launched in February 2021. The first batch of crossover cards included franchises like Warhammer 40,000 and Doctor Who. While all of those sets sold well, it’s the Lord of the Rings set that turned heads in the C-suite. It generated more than $200 million in revenue in less than six months, which is more than double the benchmark set by other historically high-performing sets, according to Hasbro.
Now the Rhode Island-based company wants to produce two similarly sized sets each year. That means incurring some hefty expenses to license the best IP.
The Fallout cards, released in May, were well timed to benefit from the launch of the Fallout streaming television show on Amazon. But Cocks was quick to note that this wasn’t a Lord of the Rings-sized win for Hasbro.
“I would say Fallout has been a great set,” Cocks said. “It’s probably our best-performing Commander set ever, whether it’s a Universes Beyond set or not. However, Commander sets tend to be quite a bit smaller than our overall premier sets, so you have weight that accordingly.”
The Commander format generates far less revenue for Hasbro than its “premier” sets – that is, the larger multiformat sets designed for multiple communities within its player base. Weighed against the cost of licensing Fallout from its owners at Bethesda, the Fallout set likely generated less revenue for the company compared to The Lord of the Rings.
The next Universes Beyond release scheduled for 2024 is Assassin’s Creed, and a portion of the earnings from those cards will need to make their way to the IP owner, Ubisoft. The same is true of the next two Universes Beyond sets planned for 2025: Marvel (owned by Disney) and Final Fantasy (owned by Square Enix).
Can any of those three sets compete with The Lord of the Rings? Cocks seems to think so, and his messaging to investors is that the revenue earned from selling those cards will outweigh the expense of licensing the IP – potentially to a greater extent than was the case with The Lord of the Rings.
“I think Final Fantasy and Marvel are going to be pretty significant sets,” Cocks said. “I would put them in the same league, at least, as what we saw with Lord of the Rings.”
The reasons, according to Cocks, are clear: Marvel has a massive international fandom, and Hasbro has signed a multiset agreement with Disney, meaning it will have several bites at the apple. Final Fantasy, on the other hand, is likewise big in the U.S. and Europe, but it’s even bigger in Japan.
“Our sales in Japan will probably dwarf what we did with Lord of the Rings,” Cocks said, “because of the resonance that [Final Fantasy] has in that market – which, you should remember, is the No. 2 market for Magic and the No. 2 market overall for trading card games.”
The cost of licensing IP puts an increased emphasis on the performance of Hasbro’s own cards created with its in-house IP. Those sets essentially have a lower overhead cost to produce. Cocks said he was still waiting to see how the company’s latest in-house set, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, performs. The irony here is, of course, that at the same time that Hasbro is using licensed IP to bolster its game sales, it’s also hoping to license its own IP out for video games, movies, and other media projects.
“I think what you’re seeing in Q1 is kind of our overall strategic thesis playing out,” Cocks said, “that Hasbro is a games, IP, and toy company, effectively, in that order.”
Why does Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks believe Fallout is the best Commander set ever
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks believes the Fallout-themed Magic: The Gathering Commander set is the best-performing Commander set ever due to a combination of factors: the strong fanbase of the Fallout franchise, the timely release coinciding with the Fallout TV series premiere, and the appeal of well-designed Commander decks that resonate with both MTG players and Fallout fans. Cocks, a longtime Fallout fan himself, highlighted that despite Commander sets generally having smaller sales than premier sets, the Fallout decks have significantly boosted Hasbro’s financial performance and outperformed other licensed Commander decks. This success is part of Hasbro’s broader Universes Beyond initiative, which leverages popular franchises to enhance MTG’s appeal.
What specific features of the Fallout decks make them the best-performing Commander set
The Fallout Commander decks stand out as the best-performing set due to several key features:
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Strong Thematic Integration: Each deck brings Fallout’s iconic characters and themes to life with flavorful, brand-new cards and reprints featuring unique art inspired by the franchise’s world, including fan favorites like Dogmeat, Mothman, and deathclaws.
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Balanced, Engaging Gameplay: The decks are designed with solid mechanics and synergy, offering consistent and threatening commanders such as Mothman, alongside diverse strategies like energy counters, graveyard utilization, and +1/+1 counters, appealing to both casual and competitive Commander players.
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Three-Color Decks with Streamlined Manabases: Each deck uses a three-color combination, providing a straightforward yet flexible mana base that supports varied playstyles and deck customization.
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Timing and Popularity: Released just before the Fallout TV series premiere, the decks capitalized on heightened franchise interest, boosting their appeal and sales.
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Universes Beyond Licensing Impact: The collaboration with Bethesda and the integration into Hasbro’s Universes Beyond initiative brought a fresh, high-profile IP to Magic, attracting both Magic players and Fallout fans, contributing to the set’s exceptional market performance despite licensing costs.
These elements combined have made the Fallout Commander decks not only thematically rich and fun to play but also commercially successful, leading Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks to call them “probably the best-performing Commander set ever.”
