Looking Back at How Magic: The Gathering Built Inclusivity into Its Early Days
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Original Magic: The Gathering art director Jesper Myrfors shared insights into the game's 1996 creation, highlighting a strict "No babe art" rule and deliberate efforts to hire women artists to build an inclusive fantasy world.
As reported by IGN, original Magic: The Gathering art director Jesper Myrfors recently shared behind-the-scenes insights on social media about the foundational design choices that shaped the iconic trading card game back in 1996. During his tenure, Myrfors enforced a strict internal guideline known simply as "No babe art." This rule prohibited illustrations featuring scantily clad women in weak or subservient roles, aiming to ensure the game appealed to a broader audience beyond traditional male power fantasies. Myrfors noted that his personal gaming circles had always included women, making inclusivity a natural priority rather than a calculated trend. To help bring this vision to life, he actively hired women artists to shape the distinct visual identity of the early sets.
While the directive was not completely foolproof, resulting in occasional historical outliers like the infamous Earthbind card, the overall artistic direction successfully established a fantasy space where both male and female empowerment shared the spotlight. Myrfors emphasized that the goal was never to banish skin entirely from the cardboard canvas, but rather to prevent lazy tropes and objectification from dominating the game. By intentionally seeking out underrepresented voices in a male-dominated industry, the early team found that championing diverse perspectives was simply good design practice that helped the franchise stand out.
For today's players, examining the roots of massive digital and physical card ecosystems offers valuable context on how community spaces evolve. Modern trading card games and live service titles frequently grapple with representation, digital ownership, and community standards as they scale to millions of players across PC, console, and mobile. Understanding that inclusivity was a foundational conversation for foundational tabletop giants reminds us that building welcoming spaces has always been part of what makes multiplayer and collectible gaming thrive.
Tags: Magic The Gathering, TCG, Gaming History, Industry, Community
Original article: IGN South Africa