MTG’s Spider-Man Survey Backlash: Wizards of the Coast Points the Finger at a Surprising Group

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has ignited a fresh wave of controversy within the Magic: The Gathering community after its latest set survey for the much-debated Universes Beyond: Marvel’s Spider-Man set included a highly contentious question. While the survey aims to address the set’s notably poor reception, the specific nature of one query has led many to believe WotC is subtly blaming content creators for the set’s commercial and critical failure.

The catch that has sparked a backlash is a question specifically targeted at players who had consumed content about the set before its release. It essentially asks players to rate:

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

The answers ranged from a numerical scale where one end represents being “Greatly worsened” by the commentary and the other being “Greatly improved.”

The Core of the Controversy: A Search for a Scapegoat?

The community and various high-profile content creators immediately interpreted this question as WotC attempting to find a scapegoat for the set’s poor performance. The Spider-Man set was already mired in controversy:

• Aesthetic Mismatch: Many long-time fans disliked the “grounded” New York City setting and characters, feeling they did not mesh well with Magic‘s traditional fantasy aesthetic.
• Set Design Issues: The set was reportedly repurposed from a smaller, different product (a model similar to March of the Machine: The Aftermath), leading to “filler” cards and perceived a lack of cohesion.
• Negative Reception: Reputable Magic podcasts and commentators, who typically maintain an objective approach, were notably vocal in their criticism of the set’s format and design before and after its launch.

By asking players to quantify the negative impact of creator commentary, the question suggests that the poor reception might not be due to the product itself, but rather a “witch hunt” organized by influential voices.

WotC’s Response: A “Mistake” in Semantics

The developer has since issued a clarification, with one of WotC’s public-facing figures, Blake Rasmussen, admitting the question’s wording was a “mistake” that “sucks” for creators. He assured the community and content creators that the intent was not malicious, but simply a poorly phrased attempt to gather feedback on how players received information about the set. The main issue was described as one of semantics, but the damage to WotC’s standing with the influencer community had already been done, with many creators expressing worry about potential future retaliation.

This incident is the latest flashpoint in a growing trend of player discontent surrounding the increased frequency and format of Universes Beyond sets, leading to a general decline in player sentiment towards Wizards of the Coast’s overall direction for the game.