Header image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

The Spotlight Series is headed to Japan for the first time.

Wizards of the Coast announced the company’s ongoing Spotlight Series will be hosting Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY in Chiba, Japan this summer.

According to Wizards, the Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY event "will feature the excitement of competitive Magic and the impact of the FINAL FANTASY series with a high-stakes main event and an assortment of engaging side events offering something for every type of fan." In collaboration with Japanese retailer BIG MAGIC, Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY is a three-day event running from June 27–29 in Chiba, with a two-day open field tournament where competitors will face off in Standard Constructed format for a share of a $50,000 USD prize pool. The top eight players from the event will receive invitations to the Pro Tour Edge of Eternities tournament at MagicCon: Atlanta (Sept. 26-28).

Each participant in Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY's main event will receive a non-foil Japanese-language borderless promo card featuring a card from the upcoming Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY release. Additionally, the Top 128 competitors in the event will receive traditional foil copies of that promo card. In addition to the main event, Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY will host multiple side events with a variety of formats on display.

This event is free to enter, however there is a maximum capacity in the venue, so fans should check for specific information about access to the venue closer to the event. Entry into the $50,000 prize pool main event will require the purchase of a ticket when registration opens, and limited seating is available. Full details will be available on the website for Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY. The site goes live on Wednesday, April 16, with registration opening the next day, April 17 at Noon JST.

Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY launches June 13, with the set representing a rich universe with iconic elements that fans have come to love over the franchise's history. Fans will see characters from every mainline FINAL FANTASY game, each depicted through the lens of Magic: The Gathering. The set is available for preorder now at local game stores, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.

This upcoming set features the largest collection of FINAL FANTASY artwork ever in a single game, drawing from across the franchise. Magic artists have brought moments from FINAL FANTASY to life in their own unique style while classic FINAL FANTASY art pieces make appearances on these epic cards. Fans will see their favorite stories, characters and moments from FINAL FANTASY depicted across Magic cards, with these icons of the series captured on over 100 legendary creature cards across the entire release.

What is the Spotlight Series?

The Magic Spotlight Series is a collection of open invite events that lets anyone play high-level Magic to win significant prizes. The next Spotlight Series event is slated for May 30-June 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana, centered around a "Secret Lair" theme, and will be organized by Star City Games. The main event will be Modern Constructed, with all participants receiving a Secret Lair Showdown Garruk Wildspeaker promo:

In addition to prize money and a Pro Tour invite, the winner of Indianapolis's Spotlight Series: Secret Lair will also consult on a future Secret Lair.

The main feature of each Magic Spotlight Series event is $50,000 in prize money. With the money going to the main event's top finishers, it's a great incentive to grab a deck and dive into competitive Magic. Additionally, the Top 8 players of each main event will receive invites to the Pro Tour.

For more information on Spotlight events and other places to experience Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY, keep an eye on DailyMTG.