Magic: The Gathering Arena has become something of an all-important lifeline for Wizards of the Coast over the last several months or so due to COVID-19. While initially isolated to causing manufacturing delays for physical versions of the collectable card game, subsequent lockdown and social distancing measures meant to halt the virus’ spread have made tabletop play essentially impossible.
While many countries around the world have finally managed to get the situation under some semblance of control, what appears to be a second wave of the respiratory illness in the US has ultimately forced Wizards’ hand in calling off all competitive tabletop events until September at the earliest. Arena, on the other hand, while admittedly not the perfect alternative for a number of reasons, allows players to compete from the comfort and safety of their own homes and will, for the foreseeable future, at least, serve as the “primary path forward for all Magic Esports events.”
This initiative has been confirmed to take the form of a new Zendikar Rising split (detailed below) which aims to give as many players as possible the chance to qualify for a place in the year-end tournament.
Those interested in participating can secure their spot via a number of methods both inside and outside Arena, with the most straightforward being to finish any month of ranked in the top 1,200 Mythic players. Progress to the Championship and you’ll be facing off against some of the world’s top Magic: The Gathering talent for a share of the $250,000 prize pool.
For a more in-depth breakdown of the rules and requirements as well as start dates, hitting the link below will take you straight to the 2020-2021 eSports season’s landing page.