Not only is Magic the greatest hobby of all time, it has been the constant good thing in my life for the last twenty years. I have had rough patches like most people, but this game has always been there in the background, keeping it all together. The game itself is amazing and the gathering that comes with it puts it over the edge.
Two of my three best friends I met playing Magic. As a spry fifteen-year-old back in 1998, I dropped by the closest game shop located in our local mall. There I began my journey, playing Mono-Green Aggro and meeting people that I currently spend most of my free time hanging out with. There isn’t a game like this when analyzing the human interaction, as most of the competitors have not lasted even a fraction of the time Magic has. In the last few years alone, I have added to that circle of friendship that began back in 1998. Through my writing, competitive play, teams, networking, and general interaction with other players, Magic is the main source of my positive social interactions. The gathering hasn’t changed much, but the game has.
Magic has continued to improve, going through extensive rule changes and development shifts, making it the world-wide popular esport it is today. I am still a competitive player down to the bone, but my tournament attendance has dropped significantly. Career, friends, and family take up most of my free time; however, I decided to make a run at the SCG Tour this year. Regularly attending events on the SCG Tour has proven to be a challenge so far, with other factors bearing down on me. Even with the madness that is life, it has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of my competitive life thus far. Magic is on its way to becoming an esport, but I’m not ready to drop the live meets that make this game unique to its competitors.
Live Magic has finally met its roadblock. Declining Hasbro stock, regular bannings, uneven formats – even poor Organized Play decisions couldn’t derail the best game in the world. It took a pandemic, COVID-19, to take us away from the convention centers where epic clashes on the battlefield took place. At this point, everyone in the world is very aware of this threat that is sweeping through all our lives. Everyone reading this knows the social and economic damage that the virus is causing. If you’re like me, you have many questions regarding the future of employment, disease readiness, the economy, and general duration of this virus to mention just a few. It turns out, many of us are not in a position to divert the pain of COVID-19. Our primary duty is to stay put, emotionally support those who reach out, and wait out this deadly storm.
The gathering aspect of Magic has been amazing as I mentioned, but we are officially in gaming quarantine. This means we must look elsewhere to stay occupied with something we enjoy, as a measure to keep sanity. Luckily, Magic shifted heavily into the esports column with the release of MTG Arena. With MTG Arena and Magic Online, an opportunity arises for competitive players to keep the grind alive, or even play some casual matches to fill time with enjoyment. The best game in the world that I played back in 1998 is fully functional on a digital platform and that’s an amazing silver lining for the tragic situation we all find ourselves in.
Through this crisis, I want to give a shout-out to all the streamers out there who continue to showcase the game we know and love. I know that I’ve been a more frequent guest of multiple streamers lately, even with a screaming two-year old in the background. Watching Corey, Ross, Eli, and Pete stream is a given, as my Team BCW squad is always out there working hard. I’ve tried to pop in my SCG family’s broadcasts, as well as all the up-and-comers I see across Twitch. Many of these folks are now down to their sole income linked to Magic content and it’s important for all of us to show our support. This doesn’t have to be through direct contribution, but just watching some Magic being played over the internet. Whether I’m getting wrecked in League of Legends or showing my MTG Arena opponent the power of Dream Trawler, having Twitch loaded up on my second monitor has been the stock setup during this pandemic.
This community, more than any other I’ve been a part of, comes together the strongest. I saw a wave of support for those who have lost their jobs related to Magic as the threat of COVID-19 became reality: contracting the wonderful Magic artists, pitching in to Patreons for those suffering during these hardships, and general acts of non-monetary kindness to those suffering. The companies that draw a large portion of their profits ended tournaments early on to promote public safety. Magic players across the social media platforms voiced concerns to those in Organized Play and most of those suggestions became policy. Announcements to move live play qualifiers and tournaments to their respective digital platforms are in the works, allowing anyone stuck at home for an extended period additional opportunities to reach competitive glory.
At this early stage, third-party organizers are picking up the mantle and moving into digital tournament creation. We have seen organizations craft tournaments, like the Red Bull series that took place in Europe, with great success already. That was the prototype and there are more in the making with this new opportunity to give players an outlet while stuck at home. Magic is more than just winning some money or packs. It’s a vessel that brings joy to fans of competitive, casual, or somewhere in-between. While we’re self-quarantined, innovators in the community have been working tirelessly to give us the means to continue to do the thing we love to do.
As I write this, I am thinking of my upcoming tournament this evening. Wednesday, March 18th at 7pm EST, I am taking part in a 3v3 battle against Team Lotus Box. Last time Team BCW took on Team Lotus Box, it was a slaughter in favor of the old men, but this time they are driven by pure vengeance. These types of events would not have been in my wheelhouse previously, but I wanted to do my part to bring some entertainment to those out there that miss the competitive Magic they are used to seeing each weekend. [Copy Editor’s Note: Relive the entertainment for yourself on his channel!]
These rivalry matches are the first of many to be streamed to the public. Players from all walks are looking for ways to broadcast good Magic to all who want to watch. Streaming and extended tournament opportunities are great aspects of a supportive community, but none of it is possible without the two programs that make all the Magic happen.
I’ve been giving Magic Online a hard time ever since the release of MTG Arena. Since then, I’ve realized that each will have big roles to play with esports and the progression of the game. Magic is not the same without the older formats and drafting against humans. I hear murmuring about bringing older sets into the fray on MTG Arena, real drafting, mobile compatibility, and legitimate qualifying tournaments, but until then, Magic Online has you covered.
I’m one of those players who couldn’t stand the feeling of sitting alone for hours and hours playing Magic without human interaction. With this pandemic, I decided to give the digital interaction a try to help keep the community feel alive and well. Using Discord and Google Hangouts, I attempted to keep that interactive nature that drew me to Magic for the last twenty years. As a former naysayer, I can confidently say that it’s a fine substitute, all things considered. I know my younger audience reading this is laughing to themselves, that the old man finally got hip with hanging out via software, and that’s fine. It’s better late than never to learn new ways to keep interaction alive, especially during this pandemic. The one thing we all lose when acting responsibly through a highly contagious disease is our societal connection. Through a few different apps and our digital Magic playing, we can recreate that feel to keep us together for as long as it takes to get through this.
Mental health has been the focal point for community support in Magic as of late. I always thought this was fantastic, as many other communities I’ve interacted with did not care about the mental well-being of each other. People I follow and love in the game have had their ups and downs, but in the end, people who played this hobby with them were there for support. There have been some negative actors that have come and gone in our community, but for the most part, this is the best group of people that I have had the pleasure to interact with.
Many of us Magic players are gamers by nature, making this digital shift less of a burden. People that read my content here likely fire up MTG Arena and/or Magic Online occasionally, as well as stay up-to-date with what’s new in the competitive world. Those of you who fall into that category know there are always some negative folks in the era of internet communication. Historically, many players have tried to reason and debate these folks, but now, with a focus on mental health, blocking them is the best course of action. This has been a great movement forward to creating a safe online community that is accepting of all players, from all situations and walks of life, that I am proud to call home. The community continues to impress me, especially after a session of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, hearing firsthand how another gaming community interacts.
Mental health may have taken a backseat to physical health, as COVID-19 attacks the lungs and not the mind. It’s important to realize that everyone has been impacted by this pandemic, even if it has hurt some more than others. Based on results around the world, it seems that we here in the United States are in the early stages and it is likely to get much worse before it gets better. If that is the case, we should all be there for one another, to weather the storm with each other, for the foreseeable future. I do not need to lecture anyone on this, since my understanding of this comes from you all. If you need my help on a control deck, tips on juggling family life with the grind of Magic, or you just want to say hello, reach out to me. I try to respond to everyone on Twitter, so please contact me there @shaheenmtg. This is a trying time for all of us and Magic is one of the constants that can keep us balanced.
I may not see many of you in person for a bit; however, I’ll keep my digital communication door open for all of you as we navigate these dangerous waters moving forward.