Riot Mortdog jokes about adding MTG Black Lotus to LoR—and a Wizard’s dev is all for it

A Riot and Magic crossover for Universes Beyond sounds like a good idea.

Image of flower called Black Lotus in MTG game
Image via WotC

Game designer Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer of Teamfight Tactics teased today that his evil alter ego planned to disrupt multiple Riot game properties, which included adding a Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus to Legends of Runeterra. And the response from a game designer at Wizards of the Coast was an unexpected one. 

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Set Nine in TFT, Runeterra Reforged, is one of the best-designed sets in the autobattler’s history. The gameplay options are incredibly detailed, providing multiple lines of play, similar to card games like MTG and LoR.

Mortdog played into those similarities today by teasing he was going to add a “Black Lotus to LoR,” which is funny because the senior game designer of Legends of Runeterra, Steve Rubin, is a former professional Magic player with 14 GP top-eight finishes on his record. 

Related: TFT 13.14 PBE patch notes: All early changes we know so far

MTG game designer Gavin Verhey joined the conversation on Twitter with an unusual response. Verhey teased back, saying he’ll “sneak a Tacticians Crown into Magic” if Mortdog follows through on adding a Black Lotus to LoR, or even TFT

Artwork of Black Lotus MTG card from 30the Edition promo
Black Lotus | Image via WotC

It’s highly unlikely Rubin has any interest in adding a Black Lotus-type card to LoR since gaining three mana at Burst speed could potentially break the digital card game. But gaining free stuff in TFT happens all the time through Augments and loot drops. And a Tactician Crown is possible in MTG through copy effects.

WotC has expanded its Universes Beyond IP crossover since its launch, including franchises like Lord of the Rings, Street Fighter, and the upcoming Doctor Who set. A Magic crossover with a Riot game like TFT sounds like fun and I think has potential. 

Author
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Danny Forster
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.