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When will the new season begin?
The first round of Regional Championship Qualifiers will start the first week of July 2022. The first Regional Championship will take place in late 2022. The first Pro Tour will take place in early 2023. For more details on when a tournament will be held near you, check with your regional organizer.
When can we expect additional details hinted at in the announcement?
Additional details specific for Pro Tours and World Championships will be shared as we get closer to those events. For more details on when a tournament will be held near you, check with your regional organizer.
Additional details on the digital qualification path will be shared in April.
Where can I provide feedback or ask questions regarding the new announcement?
Depending on when you're reading this, the following might be useful:
- Read the full details about these programs.
- Today (March 31) at 2:30 p.m. PT, Director of Play Programs William Jensen will be on Weekly MTG—live at twitch.tv/magic—to take your questions about all of the above.
- Following the stream today, the Play team staff will be available on the official Magic: The Gathering Discord channel taking more questions.
- Finally, we'll be manning the @PlayMTG (formerly @MagicEsports) Twitter account answering as many questions as we can.
Do you plan to expand to more events over time or once COVID restrictions lift?
COVID is the cloud that hangs over so much of what we're trying to accomplish. It already greatly altered our plans for the previous two years and has proven difficult to predict, especially since the safety of our players and staff is our foremost priority. We'll continue to evaluate as the situation changes.
How much notice will Wizards provide prior to rescheduling or cancelling events due to COVID?
Wizards of the Coast's foremost priority with any event is player safety, including safety from COVID. Should an event or series of events need to be canceled or changed due to COVID, we will share that information at the earliest possible opportunity.
Will there be vaccine or mask requirements to attend Premier Play events?
Regional organizers will comply with applicable local laws and regulations. Please reach out to regional organizers for more information about event-specific requirements.
For Pro Tour and World Championship events taking place in 2023, we will evaluate later this year.
Is there an age requirement to participate in the new Premier Play system?
Local rules and regulations apply, but players must be 13 years or older, or have written parental permission to participate in our tabletop programs.
What formats will be supported by Premier Play?
We plan to highlight a variety of formats across both tabletop and digital paths. The first round of local qualifiers will feature a mix of Pioneer, Standard, Modern, and Limited. The first Regional Championships will feature Pioneer, and we have plans to incorporate Modern and Standard later, plus Historic and Alchemy on MTG Arena.
How many players will be invited to the Regional Championship/Pro Tour/World Championship?
Regional Championship invites will vary by region. Check with your regional organizer for more information.
Pro Tours are aimed at featuring approximately 300 players per event.
The World Championship is aimed at featuring approximately 128 players.
When and where are events being held?
For local qualifiers and Regional Championship events, check with your regional organizer.
Pro Tour and World Championship event dates and locations will be announced later in the year. The first Pro Tour will take place in early 2023.
What are prizes at each level?
For prize information on local qualifiers and Regional Championships, check with your regional organizer.
Pro Tours will feature a prize pool of $500,000. Prize breakdowns by place will be published closer to the first event.
The World Championship will feature a prize pool of $1,000,000. Prize breakdowns by place will be published closer to the first event.
Can I play in more than one Regional Championship?
Players may compete in only one Region's Regional Championship per round—that is, one that feeds the same Pro Tour.
Do I have to play in a Regional Championship where I live?
Most of the time, yes. If you want to play in a Regional Championship other than the one where you live, you'll need to win a Regional Championship Qualifier that feeds that Regional Championship.
Example: If you live in the United States but you want to play in the Japanese Regional Championship, you would have to win a Japanese Regional Championship Qualifier.
Will there be a fractional invite system?/ Do I get Pro Points or some equivalent for doing well across multiple events?/ Can I chain multiple events?
Yes! These are called Adjusted Match Points and reward players with high finishes over the previous three rolling Pro Tours—even across seasons—who didn't quite qualify for the Pro Tour.
Adjusted Match Points are the number of match points earned in a Pro Tour after a player's first nine points. Additionally, players who make the Top 8 will be awarded an additional 12 Adjusted Match Points, regardless of their final standings.
Players who finish with a total of 39 or more Adjusted Match Points across the previous three Pro Tours will qualify for the next Pro Tour. AMPs count the previous three Pro Tours held, not the previous three a player attended. It also rolls over every three events, regardless of season.
The Magic World Championship does not award AMPs.
What options will the new play system provide for fans of multiplayer/casual play?
We expect Regional Championships to feel similar to Magic festivals with side events and Commander play, some small and some large depending on the region. Additionally, we expect Magic festivals will one day return, though they are unlikely to be tied to the Premier Play system.
Will "Set" Championships still exist alongside the new play structure?
No. Championships as they currently exist will stop after the current season.
What does this new announcement mean for MTG Arena ladder rankings and Qualifier Weekends?
The digital path to the Pro Tour is still being finalized for the 2022–23 season and beyond and will be announced toward the end of April. What we can say now is that there will be qualification paths through both Magic: The Gathering Arena and Magic Online.
What does this new announcement mean for the Magic Online Champions Showcase seasons?
These will continue and are planned to feed into the new system.
Will I need to play both tabletop and MTG Arena to participate in the new Premier Play system?
Assuming we aren't derailed by a global pandemic, players will be able to qualify for the highest levels playing only tabletop if they so choose. Players who want to qualify through digital paths will still have that option, though our ultimate goal is that Pro Tours and the World Championship are held in person featuring tabletop play.
When can we expect more information about Premier Play on MTG Arena?
Players should expect full details by the end of April 2022.
Will MTG Arena be a part of the updated Premier Play program?
Yep! We will continue to support competitive events that lead to Premier Play through Ranked Play and Qualifier Weekends held on MTG Arena.
Does today's announcement affect the April 2022 Ranked season?
Please refer to the April 2022 Ranked season details for more information.
Will I be able to qualify for in-person events by playing on MTG Arena?
Yes! There will be a qualification path that allows players to participate in Pro Tours, as well as a qualification path that leads to the Magic World Championship by playing entirely on MTG Arena.
Will MTG Arena still hold Arena Opens?
Yes! As always, we will provide specific details on each Arena Open as we get closer to each event's date.