In seven weeks, the first Pro Tour of 2025—Pro Tour Aetherdrift—will take place at MagicCon: Chicago. But what elevates the Pro Tour as the crown jewel for competitive Magic players, and what does it take to earn your place at the Pro Tour? In this article, we'll explore the different paths and provide an overview of how to qualify for the Pro Tour in 2025.

What Is the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour?

Magic: The Gathering's Pro Tour is an invitation-only tournament series hosted by Wizards of the Coast, dating back to 1996. Before the advent of the Pro Tour, the tournament scene was unstructured, but the Pro Tour and its system of qualifiers changed the game forever. It offers players a chance to prove their skills against the best from around the world. Due to its prestige, cash prizes, rich history, and international reach, the Pro Tour is the highest level of competitive Magic apart from the Magic World Championship.

Currently, three Pro Tours are held per year, each offering its competitors an opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage, with live streaming coverage. Winning a Pro Tour solidifies a player's status as a top competitor; and those who have claimed multiple victories, such as Jon Finkel, Kai Budde, Seth Manfield, and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, have cemented their place as Magic legends. In 2025, the Pro Tour schedule is as follows:

• February 21–23: Pro Tour Aetherdrift (Standard and Aetherdrift Draft) at MagicCon: Chicago.
• June 20–23: Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY (formats TBA) at MagicCon: Las Vegas.
• September 26–28: Third Pro Tour of 2025 (formats TBA) at MagicCon: Atlanta.

What Is the Prize Money for Pro Tours?

Pro Tour prizes are substantial. Each Pro Tour offers several hundreds of qualified players the chance to compete for their share of $500,000 in prizes. According to the Pro Tour Aetherdrift fact sheet, all competitors will receive at least $500 in prizes, and the first-place prize is $50,000. Additionally, invitations to Magic World Championship 31 are on the line, with the event slated for early December 2025, offering the right to claim your place among the best Magic players in the world.

Pro Tours are invitation-only tournaments, and the qualification process is intense for event the best players. Pro Tour hopefuls must prove their skills in paper or digital tournaments to earn their place. There are various ways to qualify, including Regional Championships, digital events, qualifiers at MagicCons, Magic Spotlight Series events, and so on. To give a system overview, let's take a closer look.

What Is a Regional Championship (RC)?

The most common path to Pro Tour qualification is by performing well at Regional Championships (RCs). Regional Championships are invite-only Magic events with sizable monetary prizes, acting as focal points for play in each geographic region. These happen three times a year and are typically scheduled several months ahead of their corresponding Pro Tour. Players can earn entry to an RC through various means, including Regional Championship Qualifiers, Magic Online Qualifiers, or holding a pre-existing invitation to the corresponding Pro Tour.

The number of Pro Tour invites from RCs has increased compared to the 2023–24 premier play season. By adding up the numbers in the Premier Tournament Invitation Policy, each cycle of Regional Championships awards 169 Pro Tour invitations and 17 World Championship placements in total, allowing qualified players from all over the world to represent their region at the highest level. The United States is the largest region with two RCs per round in 2025, awarding a combined total of 64 Pro Tour invitations per round.

Each Regional Championship cycle has its own set of promo cards for participants and top finishers, which are revealed ahead of that cycle's events and awarded while supplies last. More details on the championship for your region are available on your regional organizer's website, but the schedule for the 2024–25 premier play season is as follows:

• Cycle 1 (Pioneer): The Regional Championships that fed into Pro Tour Aetherdrift took place in September–December 2024.
• Cycle 2 (Modern): The Regional Championships that feed into Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY will take place in January–March 2025.
• Cycle 3 (Standard): The Regional Championships that feed into the third Pro Tour of 2025 will take place in April–June 2025.

What Is a Regional Championship Qualifier (RCQ)?

If you're eager to start your own competitive Magic journey, then Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs) are one of the best places to start. These are open to everyone and are the most common way to qualify for a Regional Championship. You can find RCQs near you by using the Store & Event Locator or checking your regional organizer's website. The number of qualifications per RCQ can differ; in-store events typically award a single invite, while "destination" RCQs at larger conventions like MagicCons often award more. Please check with your local organizer for all specific info on qualifiers near you.

RCQs can be either Limited or Constructed, and players who perform will at their local events will earn a chance to compete for larger prizes at the corresponding Regional Championships. Due to format matching, in-store Constructed RCQs qualify players for a RC of the same Constructed format, allowing them to take their favorite deck to the next level of competition. Larger "destination" RCQs may offer different Constructed formats, and Pro Tours may feature different formats than their corresponding RCs.

Each RCQ cycle has its own set of promo cards for participants and top finishers, which are revealed ahead of that cycle's events and awarded while supplies last. For the 2024–25 premier play season, the RCQ schedule is as follows:

• Cycle 1 (Pioneer): These RCQs took place in April–July 2024.
• Cycle 2 (Modern): These RCQs took place in August–November 2024.
• Cycle 3 (Standard): These RCQs are happening right now and will run until March 22, 2025.

For the 2025–26 premier play season, the RCQ schedule is as follows:

• Cycle 1 (Modern): These RCQs will start around the second quarter of 2025.
• Cycle 2 (Standard): These RCQs will start around the third quarter of 2025.
• Cycle 3 (Standard): These RCQs will start around the fourth quarter of 2025.

Are There Direct MTG Pro Tour Qualifiers in 2025?

If you can only dedicate a single weekend to tabletop competition, then open tournaments that offer a direct path to the Pro Tour may be perfect for you! MagicCons offer large, multi-day tournaments like the Limited Pro Tour Qualifier at MagicCon: Chicago that reward Pro Tour invites at an open field. In 2025, we're introducing more opportunities with the new Magic Spotlight series. Acting as tabletop's fast lane, these events are exciting multi-day celebrations offering the most direct way to the Pro Tour.

Each of the eight Magic Spotlight Series events in 2025 will spotlight a specific theme and will feature a flagship two-day open tournament that awards eight Pro Tour invitations and $50,000 in prizes. They start with Magic Spotlight: Foundations on January 3–5 in Atlanta and Magic Spotlight: Modern on March 14–16 in Utrecht.

These tournaments are reminiscent of the old Grand Prix events. They are open to everyone eligible to participate, draw players from all around the world, provide something for everyone, and reward top performers with direct access to the Pro Tour. Don't miss out on the opportunity!

Can You Qualify for the Pro Tour via MTG Arena?

Yes! You can earn a Pro Tour qualification by reaching the Top 16 at an Arena Championship. Arena Championships—held three times a year—are the pinnacle of competitive play on MTG Arena, and you can earn a qualification to the Arena Championship by clinching at least six wins in Day 2 of a Qualifier Weekend.

There are various methods to earn a spot in these monthly Qualifier Weekends, as described in more detail in the MTG Arena Premier Play announcement: by finishing in the Top 250 of the Constructed or Limited ladder at the end of the preceding month, by reaching enough wins in Day 2 of an Arena Open, or via a Qualifier Play-In event. All of these paths can ultimately lead to a Pro Tour qualification via MTG Arena.

Can You Qualify for the Pro Tour via Magic Online?

The Magic Online Premier Play program offers two paths to the Pro Tour, one direct and one indirect. The indirect path involves performing well in one of the many Qualifiers or Super Qualifiers, which grant invitations to a Regional Championship. These Magic Online events can come in a variety of formats, including Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Limited.

The most direct path to Pro Tour qualification is through the Magic Online Champions Showcase (MOCS) tournaments. Held three times a year, these events are eight-player tournaments on Magic Online. To qualify, players can win an invite-only Showcase Qualifier, a Limited Showcase Open, or secure one of two at-large spots on the Leaderboard. All eight competitors of a MOCS event are invited to the Pro Tour.

Do Top Finishing Players Stay on the Pro Tour?

Top finishers at previous Pro Tours or World Championships are rewarded with Pro Tour invites. For example, the Top 8 finishers from Magic World Championship 30 are qualified for all Pro Tours in the 2024–25 season. Furthermore, competitors who finish a Pro Tour with a 10-6 or better record are automatically invited to the next Pro Tour.

There's also an Adjusted Match Point system, which rewards players with high finishes over the previous three rolling Pro Tours. This allows solid performers, including players who have gone 8-8 or better for three Pro Tours in a row, to chain Pro Tour invites. A player who makes a Pro Tour Top 8 will also guarantee an invite to the next three Pro Tours.

Does the Hall of Fame Still Award Pro Tour Invites?

The Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame enshrines the most significant and influential competitors of the game. Members are invited to one Pro Tour per yearly season at their choosing, where they remain among the strongest competitors.

For example, although Seth Manfield was already qualified for Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor through another qualification path, the Hall of Famer reminded everyone of his top-notch Magic skills by clinching the trophy, which wasn't the first and might not be the last of his storied Magic career.

What's the Next Competitive Magic Opportunity?

There are several qualification paths towards the Pro Tour, ranging from tabletop tournaments to digital avenues: there surely is one that can work for you. To know what's coming next, keep an eye on the schedule and announcements here on Magic.gg.

While I've summarized the most common qualification paths towards the Pro Tour, the policy documents have further details. There are also invitation-only Pro Tour Qualifiers. The Top 2 players of the VML Championship and the winners of the Axion Now Invitational and the NRG Series Championship, for example, have also received invitations to Pro Tour Aetherdrift.

All in all, there is a competitive Magic opportunity for everyone. There are many different ways to test your mettle and claim your spot, with various tabletop and online tournaments nearly every week. In 2025, new Pro Tour winners will carve their name into competitive Magic history, making memories that last a lifetime.