MTG Survey on Spider-Man Backlash: The Catch is a “Witch Hunt” Question Targeting Influencers

Following widespread community backlash to the recent Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man set—part of the controversial “Universes Beyond” line—Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released a survey to solicit player feedback. While a standard practice for assessing a set’s reception, one section of the survey has sparked a fresh wave of controversy, with players and content creators calling it a “witch hunt” against influencers.

The Spider-Man set, which launched with criticism over card selection, art direction, and overall thematic fit with the established Magic: The Gathering multiverse, has clearly underperformed against WotC’s expectations.

The Controversial Question: Blaming the Messenger?

The most debated element of the survey is a specific, optional question that appears if a participant indicates they received news about the set from a content creator. This question is heavily framed to investigate the impact of negative commentary:

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

(The scale ranged from “Greatly worsened my perception” to “Greatly improved my perception.”)

The Catch: This structure is what has fueled the backlash. The question is widely seen as an attempt by WotC to externalize blame for the set’s poor reception onto content creators, rather than addressing the product design, thematic execution, or the sheer volume of “Universes Beyond” releases that have divided the MTG player base.

Community and Influencer Reaction

• The Witch Hunt: High-profile MTG figures, including Hall of Fame inductees, publicly criticized the question, with many expressing concern that WotC is attempting to create a “hit list” of creators who provided honest, negative feedback.
• Fear of Retaliation: Some players who took the survey reported being asked to name the streamers or creators they watch, leading to fears among the community that WotC could retaliate by removing preview opportunities or sponsorships from outspoken critics.
• Wizards’ Response: WotC’s Head of Communications, Blake Rasmussen, publicly acknowledged the negative focus of the question, calling it a “mistake” and assuring the community that the question was not malicious or intended to target creators. He noted the unusual, negative-focused wording “sucks” and doesn’t provide useful data.

The Real Issues Behind the Set’s Failure

While the survey focuses on external commentary, the core reasons for the Spider-Man set’s poor reception, as noted by the community, point to internal issues:

• Weak Limited Format: The set’s small size and “Pick Two Draft” format led to a repetitive and disappointing play experience for many.
• Thematic Misfire: Players widely complained that the chosen cards and art—featuring mundane elements like a Hot Dog Cart and Subway Train—failed to capture the fantastical energy of Magic: The Gathering.
• Digital Disparity: Licensing issues led to the set’s cards having different art and names in the digital client, MTG Arena, causing player confusion and a fundamental disconnect between the paper and online experience.

The controversy surrounding the survey highlights the growing tension between Wizards of the Coast and the content creation ecosystem, with many creators believing the company would rather blame external factors than acknowledge product shortcomings in its massive and rapidly expanding Universes Beyond line.