As part of their ongoing response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has announced a series of changes to the Magic Esports 2020 Partial Season.
2020 Partial Season Events
In a continued effort to protect players and staff, all remaining 2020 Partial Season competitions are being moved from “in-person destinations to online events, played remotely through MTG Arena.” The events affected by this change are as follows:
- All previously cancelled and upcoming scheduled Players Tour events
- Players Tour Finals Minneapolis
- Mythic Invitational Core Set 2021
- Mythic Invitational Zendikar Rising
These events will also be undergoing alterations to their dates and prize structures.
| Date | Event | Prizes |
|---|---|---|
| June 13-14 / June 19-21 | Players Tour | $150,000 prize pool |
| July 25-26 | Players Tour Finals | $250,000 prize pool |
| August 28-20 | Mythic Invitational | $250,000 prize pool |
2020 Season Grand Finals
A brand new event, the 2020 Season Grand Finals, is scheduled to take place in the fall, sometime after the release of Zendikar Rising, and will feature the “Top 16 from both the Players Tour Finals and Mythic Invitational”.
According to WotC, these events are “invitation-only for all players with outstanding qualifications. All players with Players Tour qualifications, including those earned through fractional invites, are invited to the online Players Tour. Similarly, all players invited or who qualify for the Players Tour Finals are invited to the online Players Tour Finals, and all MTG Arena players with an invitation to a Mythic Invitational are invited to the online Mythic Invitational. With no way to anticipate a return to tabletop and in-person gatherings, deferrals to events in the future are not an option.”
Qualified Players
- Top 16 competitors from the Players Tour Finals
- Top 16 competitors from the Mythic Invitational
Event Structure
WotC plans to announce more information concerning event structure later this year.
Prizing Information
- $250,000 prize pool
- First Place: $25,000
After the 2020 Partial Season
Once the 2020 Partial Season of events has concluded, WotC intends to “shift to shorter length seasons with a structure that provides more flexibility so [they] can quickly pivot and adapt in the current global landscape.” To accommodate this change, the following events are being moved to MTG Arena:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 23-26 | Mythic Invitational – Core Set 2021 |
| July 10-12 | Players Tour Finals: Minneapolis |
| October 22-25 | Mythic Invitational – Zendikar Rising |
| October 9-11 | Players Tour Americas: Washington D.C. |
| October 16-18 | Players Europe: Barcelona |
| October 17-18 | Players Tour Asia-Pacific: Sydney |
2020 Players Tour Season 2
The 2020 Players Tour Season 2 will feature four tournaments played on MTG Arena. Players who are qualified may only select one event to participate in.
- Jun 13: 12:00 AM PDT
- Jun 13: 9:00 AM PDT
- Jun 19: 5:00 PM PDT
- Jun 20: 6:00 AM PDT
Qualified Players
Players invited to this event include “all outstanding qualifications, those earned through fractional invites, and Events awarding Players Tour qualification…” and “cannot be deferred as no future Players Tour events will be scheduled in 2020.”
Event Structure
- 15 Swiss rounds
- Day 1: 9 rounds Standard Constructed, Cut at 15 points
- Day 2: 6 rounds Standard Constructed, followed by Top 8 Standard Constructed
Players who earn 33 or more match points will qualify for the 2020 Players Tour Final (Series 2).
Prizing Information
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $8,000 |
| 2 | $7,000 |
| 3 | $6,000 |
| 4 | $5,000 |
| 5-6 | $4,500 |
| 7-8 | $4,000 |
| 9-12 | $3,000 |
| 13-16 | $2,500 |
| 17-24 | $2,000 |
| 25-40 | $1,000 |
| 41-68 | $500 |
| 69-224 | $250 |
| 225+ | $250 |
| Total | $150,000** |
(**Assumes 224 players.)
Players Tour Finals
The Players Tour Finals will take place on MTG Arena and the weekend of July 25-26. The Top 8 will be held the following weekend on Saturday, August 1.
Qualified Players
- All MPL members
- All players who had qualified for the now-cancelled Players Tour Finals in Houston
- All players who had qualified for the now-cancelled Players Tour Finals in Minneapolis
- All players who finish with 33 or more match points in the four (4) Players Tour events held the weekends of June 13-14 and June 19-21
- The winner and finalist of each Magic Fest Online Season Finals event
Event Structure
The Top 16 players qualify for the 2020 Season Grand Finals
- 14 Swiss rounds
- Day 1: 7 Rounds of Standard Constructed
- All players with 12 or more match points after day 1 will advance to day 2
- Day 2: 7 Rounds of Standard Constructed
- Top 8: Standard Constructed (played on the following weekend on August 1)
Prizing Information
- $250,000 prize pool
- First Place: $10,000
- Minimum Prize: $1,000
- Prizes paid out through last place
Mythic Invitational
The Mythic Invitational is scheduled to take place August 28-30 via MTG Arena, with the Top 16 players qualifying for the 2020 Season Grand Finals
Qualified Players
- All MPL and Rivals League members
- All players who earned qualification for the now-cancelled May Mythic Invitational
- Discretionary invitations as determined by Wizards of the Coast
- All players who were qualifying for the now-cancelled October Mythic Invitational
- 10-win competitors from May and June 2020 Mythic Qualifiers, followed by:
- Competitors invited to the Magic Rivals League based on total Mythic Points earned for the 2020 Partial Season, and
- The next Top 8 Mythic Point leaderboard competitors
Prizing Information
- $250,000 prize pool
- First Place: $10,000
- Minimum Prize: $1,000
- Prizes paid out through last place
Read the original article from Magic Esports.