Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released information today detailing changes to the Player Points system.
In an effort to even the playing field for less-attended events, and “create a more equitable distribution of points”, Player Points will now be earned only through Round 15 of all tournaments.
Regions with a high density of players, such as the Americas and Europe, are expected to have much higher attendance, which would result in the addition of a 16th round.
Under the previous system, players only able to attend smaller events would effectively be punished – losing out on a full round worth of points. Larger tournaments will still be played through 16 rounds, however the points awarded will stop at Round 15.
Player Point Distribution
Swiss (After Round 15, not in Top 8)
| Match Points | Player Points |
| 33+ | 15 |
| 30-32 | 12 |
| 27-29 | 8 |
| 24-26 | 5 |
| 21-23 | 3 |
| 18-20 | 3 |
| 15-17 | 3 |
Top 8
| Place | Player Points |
| 1 | 26 |
| 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 22 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5-8 | 18 |
Another major benefit of the new system is players now earning equal prestige from making the Top 8 of any event.
A 4th-place finish at Nagoya should be as valuable in our system as a 4th-place finish in Phoenix.
WotC clearly intends to give recognition to the top talent regardless of event size, and believes “…to do otherwise would be to further exacerbate already existing regional imbalances for access to the Rivals and Magic Pro Leagues.”
These changes are expected to go into effect immediately, beginning with the first 2020 Players Tour stops in Nagoya, Brussels, and Phoenix.
Read the original article from Wizards of the Coast.