MTG’s Spider-Man Survey: The Catch is, WOTC Seems to Blame the Messenger

Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) has released a survey to address the overwhelmingly negative community reception of the recent Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man set. However, a specific question within the survey has ignited a new wave of controversy, with many players and content creators interpreting it as a clear attempt by WOTC to deflect blame for the set’s perceived failure onto the community’s critical voices—namely, influencers and content creators.

The set, part of the Universes Beyond line, was met with criticism for its grounded New York setting, uninspired “filler” card art (e.g., Hot Dog Cart), and the controversial “Pick-Two Draft” format. The set’s lackluster competitive and financial performance has only amplified the dissatisfaction among the core MTG player base, who are already concerned about the increasing frequency of non-fantasy crossover products.

The Controversial Question: Blaming the Influencers

The core of the new backlash revolves around a highly specific and, to many, “leading” question that appears in the survey, often prompted to players who indicated they get their MTG news 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 Catch:

1. The Lack of Balance: Critics, including prominent figures in the MTG community, immediately pointed out that the question only asks about the negative impact of influencer commentary. There was reportedly no corresponding question asking about the positive impact, suggesting WOTC was specifically trying to quantify the damage done by bad reviews rather than measuring media influence in general.
2. The “Witch Hunt” Fear: The survey also asks participants to name the streamers and content creators they watch. This combination has led to widespread fear that WOTC is looking to compile a list of critical creators for potential future retaliation, such as removing them from the official Creator Program or cutting them off from early review access.
3. Deflection of Blame: The community largely views this as WOTC and parent company Hasbro trying to find a scapegoat for a poorly received product, rather than acknowledging fundamental issues like set quality, art direction, and “Universes Beyond” fatigue. This move has been described as “embarrassing” and casts doubt on the company’s “data-driven” approach to player feedback.

WOTC’s Response and Community Sentiment

Following the widespread outrage, a WOTC representative acknowledged the questionable nature of the question, calling the unusual negative focus something that “sucks” and assuring the community that it was not intended to be malicious, but a mistake in semantics and design. However, the apology has done little to quell the skepticism, with many players already at an all-time low for sentiment toward the game’s direction.

This incident is the latest flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the rapid expansion of the “Universes Beyond” line, which sees a core fantasy TCG like Magic incorporating licensed IPs at an increasing rate. With four Universes Beyond sets scheduled for 2026 compared to three core Magic sets, the community’s concern is that the licensed products are prioritizing corporate profit over the game’s core identity. This intense collector interest is reflected in the market, where keywords related to Collectible Card Games (CCGs) and TCGs are experiencing strong growth and high commercial value.