MTG Survey on Spider-Man Backlash: The Catch is, WotC Seems to be Blaming the Influencers

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has released a survey seeking feedback on the highly controversial Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man set, a release within the Universes Beyond line that has been widely criticized by the community. While collecting player feedback is a standard industry practice, one specific line of questioning in the survey has sparked new controversy, suggesting that WotC may be attempting to shift the blame for the set’s poor reception away from the product itself and onto content creators.

The Controversial Question

The “catch” that has drawn significant backlash revolves around a highly pointed question presented to survey participants who indicated they received information about the set from MTG influencers (streamers, YouTubers, etc.).

The question asks participants:

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

The scale provided for the answer ranges from “Greatly worsened my perception” to “Greatly improved my perception.”

Why This Question is Fueling the Fire

Community members and content creators have quickly denounced the question for several reasons:

1. The Scapegoat Narrative: Many perceive this as WotC attempting to find a scapegoat for the set’s widely reported failures (including lackluster card design, a “pick-two” draft format, and a perceived “lazy” use of the IP). By focusing on “negative commentary,” the company is seen as implicitly suggesting that poor sales/reception were a result of influencer negativity, rather than issues with the product quality.
2. Targeting Influencers: The survey also asks participants to name the streamers and creators they watch, which some prominent figures in the community, including Hall of Fame players, have described as a “witch hunt” or a “hit-list.” Creators worry that WotC might retaliate against those who were openly critical.
3. The Negative Framing: The question is framed in a way that forces a judgment on the influence of commentary, rather than simply asking about the sources of opinion. Critics argue a more neutral question would have been a more constructive way to gauge the impact of pre-release coverage.

WotC’s Response

Following the widespread outrage on social media platforms, a member of the WotC communications team, Blake Rasmussen, publicly acknowledged the issue, stating that the question was “not a good question” and a mistake. He assured the community that the intent was not malicious and that the information would not be used to target content creators. However, for many enfranchised players already frustrated with the increased pace of the Universes Beyond line and the perceived decline in quality of some recent sets, the damage to trust appears to have already been done.