Editors note: Since the publication of this article, WotC has released an updated statement regarding the MTG Arena bugs. This update has been added to this article and can be read below.
Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has announced that a bug involving Shatterskull Smashing and Magma Opus on MTG Arena will not be fixed prior to the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Championship, which starts tomorrow.
Update
WotC has since revised their previous statement – providing additional clarification on the state of the bug.
According to the update, the bug is “a LOT narrower” than previously implied. Both Shatterskull Smashing and Magma Opus “work as expected to remaining targets in the normal case where one or more of that spell’s targets are made illegal via hexproof/sacrifice/protection (and one or more legal targets remain).” Additionally, each card will “not do damage only when something above it on the stack has a target that fizzles.”
Original Post
According to the Discord from WotC personnel post, the bug involving both Shatterskull Smashing and Magma Opus occurs when “multiple targets for divided damage, and then any target of any spell or ability becomes illegal while the Smashing/Opus remains on the stack…” In this scenario, the damage spell will “incorrectly fail to deal damage to any of its targets” and happens “in all cases where the damage is split across multiple targets, and it does not occur if there is a single target for damage. Additionally, for Magma Opus, “as long as its targets are not made illegal, the spell will do as much as possible (tap permanents, create a 4/4, draw two cards), but the damage will not be dealt.”
While bugs involving cards on Magic’s digital platforms are not uncommon, this particular bug could pose a huge problem for players participating in this weekend’s Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Championship, as Shatterskull Smashing, Magma Opus, and cards which grant hexproof to individual permanents and creatures such as Snakeskin Veil and Tamiyo’s Safekeeping, are major players in multiple decks. Since there is no “direct fix” at present time, WotC is asking those who may have the misfortune of experiencing this bug in-game during the event to “play with the result as Arena interprets it.”
In response to the announcement, many have taken to social media to voice their frustrations, with multiple users stating that they had previously reported the bug in question nearly a month prior to WotC’s statement today.
The Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Championship is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 9 AM PT and will feature 229 competitors, vying for $450,000 in prizes. You can watch the event live on the Magic Twitch Channel.