Overview

Qualifier Play-In events are the first step of Magic: The Gathering Arena's Premier Play. These are single-day tournaments in which players who earn maximum wins earn invitations to compete in that month's Qualifier Weekend.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Players must be 18 years or older to compete in a Qualifier Play-In event.
• Players who are qualified for an Arena Championship are ineligible to compete in any Qualifier Play-Ins or Qualifier Weekends which feed that same Arena Championship, regardless of ranked-season standings
• Multiple entries are allowed (including players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
• The Saturday event is Best-of-One—6 wins before 2 losses
• The Friday event is Best-of-Three—4 wins without a loss
• See the Qualifier Play-In Rules & Policies for additional details.

Qualifier Play-In events that will feed Arena Championship 8 will take place on the following dates:

2024 Dates	Format	Ranked Season Month	Ranked Season Play-In Point Awards	Qualifier Weekend Dates
Sept 7 (Bo1)  Sept 13 (Bo3)	Timeless	August	251-1200   (see Entry Options below)	Sept 14-15
Oct 12 (Bo1)   Oct 18 (Bo3)	Duskmourn: House of Horror Sealed	September	251-1200   (see Entry Options below)	Oct 19-20
Nov 16 (Bo1)  Nov 22 (Bo3)	Standard	October	251-1200   (see Entry Options below)	Nov 23-24
BONUS  Nov 17 (Bo1)	Foundations Sealed	October	251-1200   (see Entry Options below)	Nov 23-24  (Standard)
Dec 14 (Bo1)  Dec 20 (Bo3)	Foundations Sealed	November	251-1200   (see Entry Options below)	Dec 21-22

 

Qualifier Play-In Entry Options

• 20,000 Gold
• 4,000 Gems
• 20 Play-In Points

Additional means of invitation to a Qualifier Play-In event are provided at the sole discretion of Wizards of the Coast.

Play-In Point Earning Methods

Events

Players who complete a course of the event types listed below with maximum wins will earn the amounts of Play-In Points shown:

Ranked Ladder Finishes

Players who finish in places 251-1,200 in either Ranked Ladder (Constructed or Limited) will be granted 20 Play-In Points during the first full week of the month following that ranked season. They will also receive an email invitation with their final standing as well as Qualifier Play-In details.

• Players are awarded only the prize for the single-highest finish between the two Ladders
• Top 250 on both Ladders yields only one Qualifier Token

• Top 250 on one Ladder and 251-1,200 on the other Ladder yields only the Qualifier Token (no Play-In Points)
• 251-1,200 on both ladders yields 20 Play-In Points
• Players with an awarded Qualifier Token (usually from previous month's Arena Open) who finish Top 250 on one or both Ladders earn 20 Play-In Points.

If you believe you have qualified or are due a grant of Play-In Points (via the Ladder or via another method), and you do not see the Qualifier Token or Play-In Points on your account after the first full week of the month, please contact Customer Service as soon as possible.

Play-In Points continue accumulate in accounts—even between Arena Championship seasons.

Qualifier Play-In Prizes

Players will receive prizes based on the number of match wins they earn in their course as follows:

Players will receive their gem and token awards once they have completed their course and select Claim Prize.

Qualifier Tokens are date-specific and are not transferable to future months. Unused Qualifier Tokens are removed from accounts once the entry window for Day One is closed.

Qualifier Play-In Information

Event Format

Each Month’s Qualifier Weekend has a different format. There will always be a Bo1 and Bo3 Play-in that will match the Format of the Qualifier Weekend that Month. There may also be Bonus Play-in Events with a different Format to give more players an opportunity to earn Qualifier Weekend Invite Tokens!

See the formats for upcoming Qualifier Weekends in the chart above.

Event Timelines

Best-of-One

Day 1

6:00 PT (13:00 UTC): Queue opens.

• Once you begin a Qualifier Play-In course, no deck changes are permitted.
• Matches in Best-of-One will utilize a round timer of 30 minutes per player.
• Multiple entries are allowed (including those by players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
• Each course of the Best-of-One event completes when either 6 wins or 2 losses is reached.

Day 2

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Entry Window closes.

• Players must have clicked the green Start button and joined the matchmaking queue at least once prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline to begin playing their matches
• Note that starting this late may cause you to not complete your course in time—please plan accordingly.

8 a.m. PT (15:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

9 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC): Event ends.

Best-of-Three

Friday

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Queue opens.

• Once you begin a Qualifier Play-In course, no deck changes are permitted.
• Multiple entries are allowed (including those by players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
• Each course of the Best-of-Three event completes when either 4 wins or 1 loss is reached.

Saturday

3 a.m. PT (10:00 UTC): Entry window closes.

• Players must have clicked the green Start button and joined the matchmaking queue at least once prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline to begin playing their matches
• Note that starting this late may cause you to not complete your course in time—please plan accordingly.

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

• Note that this time is also the start of the two-hour entry window for Qualifier Weekend Day One—please plan accordingly if you are playing near this deadline.

7 a.m. PT (14:00 UTC): Event ends.

Disclaimers

Players who compete acknowledge that they have read the tournament rules and are competing on hardware that meets the recommended hardware specifications for running Magic: The Gathering Arena.

It is not recommended that players compete in Qualifier Play-In events on a mobile device or any platform in early access. Players who do so assume all responsibility for gameplay or connection issues they experience.

Contacting Customer Service

For any questions regarding eligibility or participation in the event, or if you encounter any issues with your account leading up to the event, or if you have a technical issue within the event, please contact Customer Service and choose High-Level Events, then Qualifier Play-In — using that link will expedite your request.

• Be sure to include at least one screenshot of issues that arise.
• Also, generate and attach a log file covering the affected match, if logs are available for your device (PC/Mac directions, Apple iOS directions, none available for Android).
• Nullifications of match results are not available for Qualifier Play-In events—please conclude your course before contacting Customer Service.

Qualifier Play-In Rules & Policies

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend, modify, and change its events at any time and for any reason without notice.

Ranked Season – Ladder Play

Players can typically earn the Qualifier Token by finishing in the Top 250 of either Constructed or Limited ranked play at the end of the ranked season.

Only matches completed by the season end time count toward the final ranking for the month.

Match Play in MTG Arena

Players are expected to compete under the implemented rules for Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Each player will have 30 minutes on their respective match clock that will count down whenever that player has priority. To see the clock, hover your cursor over the bottom left corner of the screen beside your display name.

If a player runs out of time on their clock before the current game finishes, they will lose the match regardless of the current board state.

Participation

Participation in Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend, and the Arena Championship, or any events supported by Wizards of the Coast or the Magic Pro League LLC is contingent on players having accounts that are in good standing for Magic: The Gathering Arena and competitive tabletop Magic: The Gathering. Players suspended from participation in Magic: The Gathering Arena or in sanctioned tabletop tournaments are ineligible for any prizes and subject to additional action.

Players in Magic: The Gathering Arena events are required to follow the Wizards Terms and Conditions.

Connectivity and Known Issues

Players should review known issues in Magic: The Gathering Arena prior to participation in Qualifier Play-In events. Wizards is not responsible for impact on the game because of players experiencing known issues.

Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for the results of any disconnection or network problems experienced by players.

Eligibility & Prizes

Once a player qualifies for the Arena Championship, they become ineligible to participate in other Qualifier Play-In events and Qualifier Weekends feeding that Championship. Players who qualify for the Championship will have their Qualifier Token removed if they otherwise would receive it through monthly ranked season performance.

That player can continue to compete in Magic Online Premier Play.

All prizes are awarded "as is" and without warranty of any kind, expressed, or implied (including without limitation, any implied warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). This is a contest of skill and, therefore, there are no odds of winning as is the case with a game of chance. All applicable taxes, fees, duties, tariffs, passport or visa costs, and any license, destination, entry, exit, and/or delivery charges are the sole responsibility of each player. Taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income taxes), if any, are the sole responsibility of any player winners.

Invitations to the Arena Championship are contingent on signing a waiver and consent form. These documents will be provided to all competitors who receive invitations so that they can sign and submit prior to attending the event.

Players may be disqualified from Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend or from participation in the Arena Championship if they are suspended from Magic: The Gathering Arena or sanctioned Magic: The Gathering tabletop play for any reason, including without limitation, a violation of the Magic: The Gathering Arena End User License Agreement.

Although a player may have multiple accounts qualified for the Qualifier Weekend event, only one of those accounts can be entered into that event. Players are not permitted to have any accounts entered in events played by other players for any reason. If a player is discovered to have more than one account playing in the Qualifier Weekend before, during, or after the event, Wizards may take action against that player's account(s), up to and including disqualification, suspension of the offending account(s), and/or termination of the offending account(s). Using an account other than your own, allowing any other player to use your account, selling your account, and other similar actions are all violations of the Magic: The Gathering Arena User Agreement.

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to reschedule and/or restart tournaments, matches, extend timers and/or games as needed.

To be eligible to participate in Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend, and the Arena Championship, the following requirements must be met:

• All players must be at least 18 years of age or older on the date of the event.
• Players must have internet access and a Wizards Account.
• Players must have access to a personal computer.

Players residing in the following regions and territories are ineligible to compete: Belarus, the Central African Republic, the Crimea region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.

Employees of Wizards of the Coast and their household members, if related, are not eligible.

Legal Information

Release

By entering Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend, and the Arena Championship, each participant and the invited players thereby release Wizards, Hasbro, and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agencies from any liability whatsoever and waive any and all causes of action related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Qualifier Weekend and Championship or delivery, mis-delivery, acceptance, possession, or use of or inability to use any prize (including, without limitation to, claims, costs, injuries, losses, and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty, or other theory. Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved under the laws of the State of Washington, without respect to any conflict of law issues, and participants agree that such shall be resolved properly, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the US Federal and State Courts of King County, Washington, USA. All of Sponsor's decisions regarding the application and interpretation of the Rules are final.

Disclaimer of Liability; Certain Risks

Wizards, Hasbro, and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, and agencies will not be responsible for: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled, distorted, or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer- or communications-related malfunctions or failures; (c) any event disruptions, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend, and the Arena Championship.

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to modify, reschedule, and/or delete any tournament for any reason, including without limitation, if in its sole judgment that tournament's integrity has been compromised by an unforeseen technical issue and/or error in that tournament's administration.

Participation in Qualifier Play-In events, Qualifier Weekend or Arena Championship event is void where restricted, taxed, or prohibited by law.

Players who qualify for an Arena Championship agree to have their usernames and/or provided names as what is associated to their Wizards Account or Premier Play account posted on magic.gg and Wizards of the Coast social media channels. Players who participate in Qualifier Play-In events or Qualifier Weekend agree to have their usernames and selected deck posted on magic.gg and Wizards of the Coast social media channels.