William Jensen, Director of Play Programs for Wizards of the Coast (WotC), provided an update to the recent Standard overhaul in Magic: The Gathering at MagicCon: Las Vegas this past weekend.
After the announcement in May that WotC would be taking considerable measures to bring Standard back to the forefront of the game by banning multiple unhealthy cards and adding a year to the shelf life of Standard cards, WotC is taking another step to reinvigorate Standard, particularly for tabletop play. This step is all about bringing Standard back to local game stores, large open events, Regional Championships, and the Pro Tour.
At the local level, the Standard Showdown returns in February. The Standard Showdown program includes a weekly event at WPN stores that provides promos and prizes for those who participate. It also awards the store with an oversized Magic card to display at the store. The Standard Showdown will launch with the release of Murders at Karlov Manor. Another change will be Store Championship events shifting to Standard starting with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
At the national and global level, Standard will get the VIP treatment as it will be the format of choice for a $75,000 Open event at MagicCon: Chicago in February, the round of Regional Championship Qualifiers from January through March, and for Regional Championships immediately following Pro Tour Outlaws at Thunder Junction, which will also feature Standard.
Read the official announcement from WotC.