The Tabletop Esports team at Wizards of the Coast (WotC) recently hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit, inviting Magic fans to inquire about the upcoming Players Tour and more.
Lead by Senior Manager of Competitive Gaming Ben Drago, Manager of Organized Play Programs Scott Larabee, and Esports Community Manager Athena Froehlich, the AMA lasted a little over an hour, with the trio answering roughly 20 questions.
Listed below are a few of the most popular questions.
Q: /u/von_sparron – “Will there be video coverage of all Players Tours?”
A: Drago – Yes there will be video coverage of all Players Tours and Players Tour Finals. We are going to experiment with Players Tour Asia-Pacific and time shift the English language coverage so it’s live at a better time for European and American audiences.
Q: /u/the_agent_of_blight – “What’s the reasoning to having the top 8 prize support look like a double elimination bracket? A departure from the “traditional” prize model used in old PT, paper MC, and Grand Prix, where 3rd and 4th, then 5th-8th get the same prize money.”
A: Drago – “We are intentionally using different structures for Players Points and cash prizes for the Players Tour. The structure for cash prizes is intended to recognize players who did well over that specific tournament, while Players Points will reward consistency throughout the year.”
Cont. “It is a departure from previous structures, and we want to understand if it impacts behavior at the end of the Swiss. As with all the changes this year we are actively monitoring their impact, and are willing to make changes if we are not satisfied with the results.”
Q: /u/vereno13 – “No Legacy events in the first half of the year? How come?”
A: Drago – “As mentioned below – it’s in order to make room for Pioneer is a correct guess. Between Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and Limited—not to mention a teams event here and there—we can’t always squeeze in everything we would like.”
Cont. “Legacy, while it has a strong following in those who play it, has the lowest play numbers of any of those formats. And, yes, there are a variety of reasons for Legacy’s lower play numbers, including card and play opportunity availability, but we have to look at what play numbers are, not what they could be.”
Despite some community pushback, WotC clearly has no current intentions of resurrecting Legacy in 2020. On the bright side, it appears the possibility of the fan-favorite eternal format returning in the future has not been completely ruled out.
Read the original thread from Reddit.