We know how they got here. We know their stories. We know each are ready to take on 31 others vying to claim the final trophy of the 2020 partial season.
These are the outstanding competitors of the 2020 Season Grand Finals.
Montserrat Ayensa is one of the strongest MTG Arena competitors in the field, with multiple event invitations earned through Qualifier Weekend success. The Grand Finals is one more step on her path to breaking through with a Top Finish.
Autumn Burchett is a member of the MPL, Mythic Championship I winner, and among the most consistent competitors in the field. Seamlessly finding success both in tabletop and digital events, they are an elite player continuing to build a successful career on their own terms.
Austin Bursavich notched two Top Finishes in just the past 12 months, a meteoric rise as one of the greatest emerging competitors. Online and off, his consistent performances led to his latest opportunity competing at the Grand Finals—and enter the next season just as hot as he started 2020.
Patrick Fernandes, one of Brazil's standout players, finally notched his first Top Finish at the Players Tour Finals—and is back for another at the Grand Finals. With his breakthrough moment accomplished, he's now looking ahead for another strong finish and to begin building again next season.
Alvaro Fernandez Torres narrowly lost in the finals of Mythic Championship IV (to Rivals League player Thoralf Severin) but was far from over. Battling up through the Players Tour and Players Tour Finals, he's ready for another chance at a trophy—and come out on top this time.
Ivan Floch, most famous for winning Pro Tour Magic 2015, is one of several strong players in "the Czech House" that include luminaries such as fellow Rivals League player Stanislav Cifka and MPL player Ondřej Stráský. Floch already has three Top Finishes, with a strong case to making "a Hall of Fame career" fourth at the Grand Finals.
Aaron Gertler—better known as littlebeep on MTG Arena—won the Dreamhack Open Anahiem earlier this year and continues to be a top performer on the monthly Ranked ladder. A rising competitor that can keep up with the best in the game, Gertler's career has only begun to take off.
Piotr Głogowski, Mythic Championship VII winner, is both a member of the MPL and arguably the most entertaining MTG Arena streamer. Champion of emotes with world-class skill backing them up, "kanister" already sits with four Top Finishes in his career—a brilliant achievement few achieved so early.
Emma Handy is equally at home as a player where she has risen up to Rivals status and as a caster on SCG Tour streams. With a narrow miss at the Top 8 of the 2020 Mythic Invitational, she’s primed to take another shot here with the Grand Finals.
Junya Iyanaga earned his World Championship title in 2011, one of the brightest moments across his long career. Coming back to competitive Magic, and finding success with MTG Arena, he makes his way into the Grand Finals from the Mythic Invitational—continuing to prove he's one of the game's elite.
Michael Jacob is no stranger to digital Magic. A longtime Magic Online streamer, he brought an innovative deck to the Top 8 of the Players Tour Finals and reminded everyone how skill is measured in more than just flashy tournament wins—and is ready to do it again at the Grand Finals.
Grzegorz Kowalski rocketed to the top of Magic with a finals face-off at the 2018 World Championship—the event win that launched the year of Javier Dominguez's dominance. But it's 2020 and Kowalski is the one with another chance at a trophy in 2020. The Rivals players showed a return to from as he made another finals appearance at the Mythic Invitational, carrying his momentum forward winning at the top of the game.
Riku Kumagai is having his breakthrough year. Rising through to a finalist finish at the Players Tour Finals, he's proven his skill and deck innovation—now it's to run up another Top Finish and take home the trophy at the Grand Finals.
Christoffer Larsen notched his second Top Finish at the Players Tour Finals, cementing his return to Magic from naval service as one of the best Danish players in the world. With support—and testing—from his friends it's clear he has a formula for success moving into the Grand Finals.
Christopher Leonard is one of the rising MTG Arena competitors, earning his way to the Grand Finals by bringing a deck prepared for the Mythic Invitational metagame—and will be ready to do it again.
Raphaël Lévy is a member of the MPL, Magic Hall of Fame, and one of the longest-running players in history. With four Top Finishes—an addition to his consistent success at Magic's greatest events—over his 20-year career, he's someone to never count out of making a run to victory.
Luca Magni is one of the strongest competitors on MTG Arena, battling as LordofIronforge and earning his way to the Rivals League for the 2020-2021 season. Now he's ready for his breakthrough event to be the Grand Finals.
Seth Manfield is another one of Magic's greatest players. With three wins at premier events, across his eight Top Finishes, the Magic Hall of Famer has put together one of the game's most illustrious careers in just seven years. It's been ages since Kai Budde went back-to-back winning the biggest events in the world, but Manfield is someone who isn't just capable but even expected to do with his appearance at the Grand Finals.
Matthew Nass is having a resurgent year. Notching another Top Finish at the Mythic Invitational with a powerful combo deck, he can carry his momentum into another solid performance at the Grand Finals and kick off his 2020-2021 season journey as a Rivals player aiming to reclaim his status in the MPL.
Gabriel Nassif is one of the most accomplished players in Magic history. With over a dozen Top Finishes, including most recently a finalist run at the Mythic Invitational, his career is crossing into a third decade of success. A master of control decks and a measured, careful pace to play, this Magic Hall of Famer returns to try again closing a premier event—the Grand Finals—with his third lifetime trophy.
Brad Nelson is a member of the MPL with multiple Top Finishes to his name. Where he's made the biggest name for himself is in Constructed format mastery, including Standard. Whatever the best deck, and whatever the metagame he finds, his skill at picking, tuning, and preparing with the best deck for an event is unrivalled—and the Grand Finals is exactly the kind of small field where his work pays off.
Christopher Palmiotti is a rising star from MTG Arena, more at home drafting than dueling Constructed decks. But make no mistake—his Top 16 success at the Mythic Invitational and strong performance online ensure anyone underestimating him will be in for an unpleasant surprise at the Grand Finals.
Eetu Perttula battled his way to the Grand Finals from the Players Tour Finals, earning a repeat chance to prove he belongs among the best. After representing Finland in the 2012 World Magic Cup, now his friends can cheer him on as he plays for another chance for a big Magic trophy.
Kristof Prinz may be studious, but that didn't take away from his hard-won victory at the Players Tour Finals. Balancing his effort with college against his passion for Magic—and succeeding at both—sets him as a quick-witted and brilliant player proving he's ready to win again at the Grand Finals.
Toni Ramis Pascual rose through the ranks on MTG Arena, first on the Ladder and then through the Mythic Invitational, to become one of the best MTG Arena contenders at the Grand Finals. While other Spaniards may have held the spotlight before, his journey to break through for his first Top Finish will continue with the world watching.
Luis Salvatto needs little introduction. Former Player of the Year and current Rivals League member, he is one of Argentina's most outstanding competitors today. While his friendly rivalry with Seth Manfield may have fell in favor of the American at the Mythic Invitational, there are few who doubt Salvatto is just as potent as a threat to win it all at any event he plays.
Luis Scott-Vargas joins the Grand Finals as another one of the all-time greats in Magic. Earning his dominant 11th Top Finish at the Mythic Invitational, anyone unfamiliar with him may mistake his humor and social media savvy with a focus on entertaining rather than skillful play. However, his premier event accomplishments began over a decade ago, and his pace at collecting Top Finishes hasn't slowed in the least as one of the greatest Hall of Famers still active today.
Sam Sherman put in the work and leveled up his path forward, earning his Grand Finals invitation from the Players Tour Finals. With previous Grand Prix success and more than enough match wins to prove he can play with the best, his task is to continue that momentum into earning his breakthrough Top Finish.
David Steinberg has taken MTG Arena by storm, showing his rich skill at games such as Hearthstone translate into technical play and growth in Magic. Breaking through to a Top Finish at the Mythic Invitational, he more than held his own and earned high praise from a Top 8 packed with the best in the game. Steinberg is not dark horse but returning hero, prepared to continue his dominant performance at the Grand Finals.
Ben Weitz not only won one of the last Grand Prix events held in 2020 but comes from a background of success built up over time and practice. Culminating in a Top Finish at the Players Tour Finals, his dedication and persistence are exactly the quiet skills that lack flash but reward players—and the Grand Finals is his next chance show how his hard work pays off.
Allen Wu, without much fanfare, has built an impressive career with three Top Finishes over three years—beginning with his team's victory at Pro Tour 25th Anniversary in 2018. Notching the other two in 2020, Wu is on a blistering pace as one of Magic's strongest competitors entering the Grand Finals.
Ken Yukuhiro is among Japan's most innovative deck builders and competitors. With an incredible seven career Top Finishes, his quest now isn't to prove he's merely among the most brilliant players in the game but to claim an elusive first trophy at the Grand Finals—and put an exclamation mark on a fantastic career.
32 players will enter the 2020 Season Grand Finals, but only one will claim the final trophy of the 2020 partial season. Watch with the world live beginning at 9 AM PDT, October 9-11, on twitch.tv/magic!