What does it take to be a champion at Magic?
It's easy to answer: Win games of Magic.
It's hard to answer: Teamwork and practice.
It's a commitment to answer: Success can take years of work to finally get the first breakthrough—or claim the one trophy you've always sought.
It's trust to answer: You make all the right plays in the face of uncertainty from each opponent.
Even before his World Championship win there was no doubt that Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa was—and remains—one of the greatest Magic players of all time. It still took a career stretching across two decades to earn that trophy, one he chased the entire time.
Feeling nervous, prioritizing Magic in ways other players don't, reliving plays again and again to understand if they could have played out any other way, and battling event after event for the next—or first—victory: Damo da Rosa's journey reflects the paths everyone takes on their way up to the top.
Every champion has their own tale, all sharing their versions of stories of persistence and courage to keep trying.
- The Zendikar Rising Championship featured the career-long journey for Brad Barclay bringing home the biggest Magic trophy in Scotland's history.
- Rivals League player Austin Bursavich finally put an elusive feather in his cap at the 2020 Season Grand Finals after a year of almost-there moments in his decade-long quest to rise to the top.
- Pro Tour Hall of Famer Seth Manfield battled all the way back from the lower bracket to claim a trophy yet again at the 2020 Mythic Invitational, built not just on his path as a player but how he's changed as a person throughout.
- Players Tour Finals champion Kristof Prinz seized his opportunity to win in the move to online play early in 2020—even as he continued to balance his life in Magic with his life beyond it.
- Autumn Burchett won Mythic Championship I. Emma Handy earned her first premier event Top 8 at the 2020 Season Grand Finals. Individually they are skilled competitors, but together were far stronger as a team striving to win.
Every player that's achieved success writes a saga worth remembering.
The realm is full of opponents—all waiting for you as you climb to the top of rankings on MTG Arena. From Bronze to the top 1,200 of Mythic ranked players, you'll be tested on Standard, Historic, and draft formats. Each month is a new showdown, and a fresh opportunity to try again should you fail to climb at first.
Succeed in your quest and you'll discover something new: the Qualifier Weekend. Two days of competition, across the best of the best, allow the strongest players to keep rising. January 16-17 is the next Qualifier Weekend for the Kaldheim Championship—with another February 27-28—and those who fall short can always test their mettle again.
The top Magic players in the world—the MPL and Rivals League—battle next as well at the first League Weekend of the Kaldheim Split. The midseason event is another chance for the best of the best to pull ahead as they race to the postseason.
But both Qualifier Weekends and League Weekends are just the lead-up to the biggest event of the Split: the Kaldheim Championship, broadcasting live March 26-28. With $250,000 in prizes, and postseason slots on the line, Kaldheim brings with it the latest chance for Magic's newest champions to ascend.
Prove yourself worthy and a saga will be written for you too.