Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Will Return After Years Away
In an exciting announcement by Wizards of The Coast, the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour will be returning in 2023. Focusing on Magic: The Gathering tabletop play, the Pro Tour debuted in 1996 and let the best players compete in tournaments that qualified winners for the World Championship. Wizards of the Coast eventually replaced the Pro Tour with the Mythic Championship, followed by the Players Tour. As the Pro Tour phased out, the future of paper Magic: The Gathering seemed uncertain but it appears this could change in coming years.
The introduction of Magic: The Gathering to the Esports scene ended the Pro Tour in 2019. The end of the Pro Tour and the establishment of the Mythic Championship was a game-changing shift away from competitive, in-person tabletop play. By making Magic: The Gathering matches virtual, Wizards of the Coast hoped to bring the game into the modern age and emphasize the digital options players could participate in. The Mythic Championship was established to include the digital platform Magic: The Gathering Arena in competitive play. Eventually, the Mythic Championship was replaced by another different system, and tabletop competitions became the Players Tour while MTG Arena competitions became the Magic: The Gathering Mythic Invitationals.
However, on Thursday in a press release, Wizards of the Coast announced that it was bringing the popular Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour back for in-person competitive gameplay. The Pro Tour will be held three times a year with the first Pro Tour targeted for early 2023, as long as health and safety risks aren't present. Players will compete for their share of $500,000 in prizes and invites to the Magic: The Gathering World Championship. To qualify for the Pro Tour, players must perform well at Regional Championships or earn enough Adjusted Match Points (AMP) to compete. Furthermore, new digital paths through MTG Arena and Magic Online will also help players qualify for the Pro Tour matches.
The return to paper play may be a welcome change for many Magic: The Gathering players, as some saw Wizards of the Coast hosting the 2020 Magic World Championships exclusively on MTG Arena as a mistake. At its core, Magic: The Gathering has always been a game that focuses on tabletop play, so the sudden transition to a digital format likely created a jarring experience for many long-time players. It is possible that the return to in-person matches, and the ability to showcase exciting deck builds and strategies with other players, could help encourage frustrated Magic fans to start playing again.
Wizards of the Coast has yet to finalize all the details for the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour, but it plans to unveil a further roadmap and plans at the end of April. In the meantime, players can rebuild Magic decks for the new Street Fighter Commanders, or explore the recent Dungeons & Dragons card releases that add favorite monsters and characters to the game. Hopefully, Magic: The Gathering's Pro Tour championship will give interested players the chance to connect in person over the well-loved and exciting tabletop game.
Source: Wizards of the Coast