Principal Game Designer Gavin Verhey sat down with us at gamescom 2026, and we spoke about Edge of Eternities as a base for the upcoming Star Trek set, how an IP changes the way cards are made, and when the decision fell to make another Middle-earth set.
GamesMarket: You're a familiar face in the TCG and Magic space, but could you introduce yourself to our readers from the business side of gaming?
Verhey: My name is Gavin Verhey, Principal Game Designer on Magic: The Gathering, which means I design what those rectangles do. I was the lead designer on Star Trek, and I’m glad to finally get to talk about it with people. Our Magic sets take years and years to make. I started working on this in 2022, and it comes out at the end of 2026.
What makes the Star Trek connection work in Magic?
Star Trek has a lot that is very similar to Magic. It’s about going to a lot of different locations, it’s got a cast of very well-known characters, it’s got cool creatures that you visit. A lot of this is exactly what Magic does. A lot of that maps really well. The bigger challenge for me and what fits less on what Magic has to offer is that Star Trek is less about fighting and more about moral dilemmas, exploration and things like that.
