MTG My Little Pony crossover returns for charity 

MTG Ponies: The Galloping returns to provide a boost to Extra Life children’s charity, and brings some old Magic features along with it. 

It’s hard to believe with the surging popularity of Universes Beyond, but there was a time when Magic: The Gathering balked at brand crossovers. But those days are in the past, as the runaway success of Tales of Middle Earth has locked in crossover content as a big part of Magic’s Future. 

It’s appropriate then that we now see a return to a crossover that may once have been contentious but has been received much more warmly with the shift in MTG’s trajectory. My Little Pony is once again partnering with Magic: The Gathering and Extra Life to create a set in support of the children’s charity. 

My Little Pony, Universes Beyond, and controversy 

WOTC/Hasbro

While noise around the brand has faded in recent years, there was a time when My Little Pony was a near-constant source of debate, praise, and vitriol for varying corners of the internet.  

It’s hard to believe that a beloved children’s franchise could be the source of such contention. But the property itself, as well as Magic indulging in any out-of-universe card design was once a touchy topic. 

At a time when players were hoping MTG would stick exclusively to its own worlds and stories, taking on a lightning-rod property like MLP was met with some resistance. Thankfully, the cards being released to the benefit of Extra Life was enough to silence most vocal detractors. 

Silver borders make a return with MTG Ponies: The Galloping 2 

WOTC/Hasbro

While MTG Ponies: The Galloping’s return was somewhat surprising, an even more unexpected return was that of silver-bordered cards. A silver border on an MTG card denotes that the card is not legal for use in regular play. These borders had recently been phased out and replaced with an Acorn symbol, equally used to represent a lack of regular playability. 

Silver borders are commonly associated with ‘un’ sets, infrequently released Magic sets that have a higher focus on comedy, casual play, and entertainment value than regular MTG products. With many ‘un’ sets, such as the recent ‘Unfinity’ having a tone and mechanics that do not easily mesh with regular Magic play, silver borders can effectively differentiate their cards and prevent any confusion. 

With many recent MTG products, such as Universes Beyond, not being printed with silver borders, players may have been wondering if cards from Ponies: The Galloping 2 would be regularly playable as well. For better or worse, this is not the case, and the silver borders allow the new cards to aesthetically match those from the initial set. 

Ponies: The Galloping Secret Lair 2 is available for pre-order direct from Wizards of the Coast now, and will launch March 15th, 2024.