It's 2021: Do you know where your trophy is?
Magic Esports continues the 2020–21 season with two Championships and a postseason unlike any to come before—and that's just to start off for 2021. Whether you want to watch or win, here's a look ahead at the new year of Magic competition.
Start Here: Ranked Play
MTG Arena is the free-to-play way to get started with Magic: The Gathering. Learn the game and practice your new skills against Sparky—there's no need to rush until you're ready—then battle players around the world to complete your daily quests for packs and gold.
But once you are prepared, competition is just a click away. By winning against other players on "the ladder" of Ranked Play—through Standard, Historic, or Premier Draft, your format of choice—you can level up from Bronze all the way to the top of Mythic rankings.
Plus, you'll earn even more packs and card styles for making the journey. Each Ranked Season offers different rewards based on the rank you finished at.
End the season—the last day each month—in the Top 1,200, and you unlock the next step of your MTG Arena journey.
Level Up: Qualifier Weekend
Why rank up at all? If you like testing your deck-building and play skills, battling opponents on your way up the ladder is where it starts. Winning in events is where it leads next, and on MTG Arena, your Ranked Play success to close out the monthly season in the top 1,200 unlocks access to a monthly event: the Qualifier Weekend.
Qualifier Weekends lead to the biggest events and $250,000 in prizes—Championships—and offer their own set of prizes through two days of competition. Making it to #1 in Mythic ranking is an achievement, but making it to seven wins on Day 2 of a Qualifier Weekend means you have what it takes to make it to the biggest events of the year.
Doing well at one Qualifier Weekend brings you back for the following month unless you win—and that awards your invitation to one of the biggest Magic events of the year.
Prove Your Skill: Championships
Each championship, such as the Kaldheim Championship coming up March 26-28, is what it all comes down to: $250,000 in prizes, the best across MTG Arena, Magic Online, plus the Magic Pro League and Rivals League. The largest prizes and the best competitors in the world provide the biggest opportunity to prove you're ready to be at the top of the game.
Beyond cash prizes and a flashy new trophy, the top players from outside the leagues—Challengers—qualify for an exclusive tournament: the Challenger Gauntlet. The top-finishing Challengers at each Championship path are the exclusive few that earn the right to compete for even more cash prizes and join the MPL or Rivals League.
More Ways to Play
Even hungrier to compete against the best players in Magic? There are more ways you can win prizes and earn your way into the biggest events:
- Arena Opens are two-day events featuring a top prize of $2,000 and a ticket into the next Qualifier Weekend. Look for more information about Arena Opens as future events are announced!
- Other event series, such as the SCG Tour Online and the Venus and Mercury League, offer cash prizes and direct invitations to upcoming Championships. From Discord to Reddit and beyond, everywhere competitive players gather to discuss strategies is where you'll find opportunities to practice your skills to win.
- Looking to battle in Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, or Pauper? Need that throwback Innistrad or Vintage Cube Draft? Magic Online offers many more formats for play—and even more competition to try out. Check out the complete calendar and ways to qualify for the $70,000 Magic Online Champions Showcase events for all the details.
Watch History Unfold
You don't need to compete to enjoy the spectacle of amazing Magic: there's plenty for fans to watch every month.
- League Weekends feature every player in both leagues battling live. With featured matches at twitch.tv/magic and each competitor streaming their entire run, you can follow the biggest names and your favorite player all weekend long.
- The Kaldheim Championship and Strixhaven Championship events will be broadcast live as well, featuring your favorite casters and analysts.
- Later this year, the 2020–21 Magic Esports postseason kicks off with the biggest events of the year—the Challenger Gauntlet, the Rivals Gauntlet, and the MPL Gauntlet—leading up to the Magic World Championship XXVII. You can look forward to enjoying live coverage of all four events.
Get Started Today
If you're just beginning your Magic journey there's no need to wait: Hop into MTG Arena or Magic Online and begin practicing your skills now. It's a new year, and there's no better time to take the first step to see how far you can go.