The event schedules for the Rivals Gauntlet and MPL Gauntlet have been updated. See this article for more details.

Four seats at Magic World Championship XXVII remain. One weekend for the breakout players of the Challenger Gauntlet plus the remaining competitors of the MPL and Rivals League to claim them. Welcome to the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet weekend.

Streaming live online competition through MTG Arena, the world will watch incredible Magic players from face off in Standard to claim the last remaining seats at the season's pinnacle event: Magic World Championship XXVII.

How Can I Follow the Event?

The MPL and Rivals Gauntlet broadcasts live September 2–5 on twitch.tv/magic, beginning at 10 a.m. PT (5 p.m. UTC) on Thursday, September 2 and 9 a.m. PT (4 p.m. UTC) September 3–5 each day.

For the metagame, decklists, match-by-match updates, player details, live streaming, and more start with the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet event pages. You'll also find exclusive content by following @MagicEsports on Twitter. Plus, share your excitement throughout the Gauntlet weekend across social media with the hashtag #MPLGauntlet and #RivalsGauntlet!

When Will Gauntlet Decklists Be Published?

All decklists will be published on the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet event pages at the beginning of Round 1 on Thursday, September 2.

The metagame details and breakdown analysis by Magic Hall of Famer Frank Karsten will be published on Wednesday, September 1.

Broadcast Schedule

Thursday, September 2: 10 a.m. PDT / 5 p.m. UTC / 2 a.m. JST (September 6)

• Broadcast ends after Round 6.

Friday, September 3: 9 a.m. PDT / 4 p.m. UTC / 1 a.m. JST (September 7)

• Broadcast ends after Round 12—plus any tiebreaker matches to be completed—and the Top 8 for each Gauntlet is announced.

Saturday, September 4: 9 a.m. PDT / 4 p.m. UTC / 1 a.m. JST (June 7)

• Broadcast ends after the MPL Gauntlet Top 8 playoff is complete.

Sunday, September 5: 9 a.m. PDT / 4 p.m. UTC / 1 a.m. JST (June 7)

• Broadcast ends after the Rivals Gauntlet Top 8 playoff is complete.

You can watch concurrent coverage for both Gauntlets live on twitch.tv/magic.

Who Are the Casters?

• Maria Bartholdi: Host
• Mani Davoudi: Desk Expert
• Eilidh Lonie: Reporter
• Marshall Sutcliffe: Play-by-Play
• Cedric Phillips: Expert
• Riley Knight: Play-by-Play
• Corey Baumeister: Expert

Can I Co-Stream the Event?

Following Twitch's Content Sharing Guidelines, you can co-stream the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet broadcast from twitch.tv/magic using OBS or XSplit. This allows anyone on Twitch to cover the event in their voice and with their community. Co-streamed content is not endorsed by Wizards, and participants in co-streaming should follow Wizards' Fan Content Policy guidelines.

Who Is Playing?

48 players from across MPL and Rivals Leagues plus the breakthrough competitors of the Challenger Gauntlet continue their journey to qualify for Magic World Championship XXVII, league invitations, and future competitive events.

How Will the Tournament Play Out?

The Standard Constructed format will be used for both the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet, covering 12 Swiss rounds of play total across two days. As players earn their ninth match win, they will automatically advance to the Top 8 playoff. Final standings at the end of Round 12 will determine any remaining Top 8 slots available after all players with nine wins have advanced—and any ties for 8th place will be determined by an additional tiebreaker round played with Standard Constructed.

The Top 8 playoff will feature Standard Constructed.

Day One: Standard Constructed

• Six Swiss rounds of Standard, with records and match points carrying over to Day Two.
• All matches are best two-out-of-three games.
• 30-minute timer for each player, each match.
• Players must earn four or more match wins to advance to play on Day Two.

Day Two: Standard Constructed

• Six Swiss rounds, ending to a Top 8 cut with tiebreaker play.
• All matches are best two-out-of-three games.
• 30-minute timer for each player, each match.
• Players who earn their ninth match win are advanced to Top 8 and do not compete in additional Swiss rounds.
  • Players tied for 8th place will play an additional tiebreaker round using Standard Constructed to determine playoff seeding.

Day Three: Top 8 Playoff

The Top 8 plays out through an elimination bracket to determine the competitors for Magic World Championship XXVII.

• Top 8 is seeded into the playoff bracket based on the order their ninth match win is earned, and final standings after 12 rounds.
• All matches are best two-out-of-three games, except the match that determines an invitation to the World Championship which will be best two-out-of-three matches.
• The player with the higher seed chooses the play/draw order for players at the beginning of each match.
  • In qualifier matches, which are best two-out-of-three matches, the loser of the previous match chooses the play/draw order afterwards.
• In the MPL Gauntlet, three players will earn invitation to Magic World Championship XXVII.
• In the Rivals Gauntlet, the Gauntlet winner earns invitation to Magic World Championship XXVII.

Using their time banks in MTG Arena, players will compete through every game and match as intentional draws and concessions aren't permitted.

What Do Players Win?

The Top 3 finishing players of the MPL Gauntlet, and the winner of the Rivals Gauntlet, qualify for Magic World Championship XXVII and receive invitations to the Magic Pro League for the 2021-22 season.

In the MPL Gauntlet, players finishing 4th through 8th receive invitations to the Magic Pro League for the 2021-22 season. All others players, including those finishing 9th through 24th, will receive invitation to the Magic Rivals League for the 2021-22 season.

In the Rivals Gauntlet, players finishing 2nd through 4th receive invitations to the Magic Pro League for the 2021-22 season. All others players, including those finishing 5th through 24th, will receive invitation to the Magic Rivals League for the 2021-22 season.

Do Players Get Anything Else?

Participants will receive a package of MPL Gauntlet or Rivals Gauntlet gear provided by Magic Esports, including an exclusive playmat:

• MPL Gauntlet or Rivals Gauntlet backpack patch
• Gauntlet of Power Masterpiece Series by John Severin Brassell playmat
• Pewter MPL Gauntlet or Rivals Gauntlet medal
• Modern Horizons 2 Draft Boosters