Magic Hall of Famer Eric Froehlich announced he was stepping away playing professional Magic yesterday.
Froehlich, a longtime pro player, made his tweet a few minutes after Magic Esports announced an update to the Rivals League where it said farewell to Froehlich and hello to 2020 Grand Finals champion Austin Bursavich. Froehlich’s hand was forced due to Wizards of the Coast (WotC) Play Policy stating that “as the spouse of a now fulltime employee of Wizards of the Coast, he is no longer eligible to compete in Magic Esports events.” Froehlich is married to Athena Froehlich, who announced that she accepted a fulltime offer to be the community manager for Magic tabletop. Eric will still be paid his full season salary for the year.
Eric starting playing Magic in 1994 and made the transition to competitive play at an early age. Over his Hall-of-Fame career, he amassed five Pro Tour Top 8s and 19 Grand Prix Top 8s with two wins in Team Limited events. His career winnings in Magic exceed $250,000.
Eric’s tweet also included a goodbye letter to the professional circuit where he recounted his career, thanked his fans and supporters, and stated that “This is not the end of my journey with Magic and the community.”