Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released their Magic Arena (Arena) State of the Game for May today, bringing some interesting changes, new events, and the long-awaited Historic Anthology III.
Historic Anthology III
Historic Anthology III introduces 27 new cards into the Arena-born format’s ever-deepening pool. The expansion will cost 4,000 gems or 25,000 gold, or players can opt to craft individual cards using wild cards of the corresponding rarity.
According to WotC, this is the last Historic Anthology release scheduled for this year, as “Standard card sets, Jumpstart, Amonkhet, and other Pioneer-focused set remasters, we’ll be adding a bunch of additional cards to this format from a variety of different places.”
Return of Historic Ranked
While previously added as rotating formats, Historic Ranked and Traditional Historic Ranked are back as of this week’s update, and unlike before, both game modes are here to stay.
Cube Draft
The Arena Cube contains “555 cards pulled from everything that’s available in Arena — including both Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths and Historic Anthology III cards.”
Important to note, these Cube Drafts are phantom events, meaning cards picked will not be added to your collection upon completion of the event.
Cube Drafts arrive on Arena on June 12 and while the first draft is complimentary, subsequent events will cost either 600 gems or 4000 gold.
The Arena Open
Announced just last night, the Arena Open is a “new type of competitive experience with a short duration and high skill cap” that provides “ways to win significant rewards beyond gold, gems, and booster packs in Arena.”
Day 1 Format
- Entry Fee: 20,000 Gold or 4,000 Gems
- Start: May 30, 2020 at 8 AM PT
- Sign-Ups End: May 31, 2020 at 4 AM PT—”you’ll still have a few hours to complete your current run, but you won’t be able to join after this deadline.”
- Event End: May 31, 7 AM PT
Day 1 Prizes
Event Record: 7 wins or 3 Losses (whichever comes first)
- 7 Wins: 2,000 Gems, Qualification for Day 2
- 6 Wins: 1,600 Gems
- 5 Wins: 1,200 Gems
- 4 Wins: 800 Gems
- 3 Wins: 400 Gems
- 0–2 Wins: No Reward
Day 2 Format
- Entry Fee: None – qualify from Day 1
- Start: May 31, 2020 at 8 AM PT
- Sign-Ups End: May 31, 2020 at 10 AM PT—you’ll have until the event ends to complete your matches, but you must join during this two-hour window.
- Event End: May 31, 6 PM PT
Day 2 Prizes
Format: Best-of-Three Standard Constructed
Event Record: 7 wins or 2 Losses (whichever comes first)
- 7 Wins: $2,000 USD
- 6 Wins: $1,000 USD
- 5 Wins: 20,000 Gems
- 4 Wins: 10,000 Gems
- 3 Wins: 6,000 Gems
- 2 Wins: 4,000 Gems
- 1 Win: 2,000 Gems
- 0 Wins: No Reward
Requirements
Unlike previous Arena events, the Arena Open offers a cash prize incentive, and therefore, comes with a series of legal requirements in order to participate.
- You must be 18 years or older to participate.
- Regional eligibility restrictions apply, void where prohibited.
- Receiving monetary rewards requires having or creating Wizards, DCI, and i-Payout accounts.
- Refer to the official Terms and Conditions for complete details.
Upcoming Events Schedule
Quick Drafts
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 15 – May 29 | War of the Spark Quick Draft |
| May 29 – June 12 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Quick Draft |
| June 12 – June 26 | Rivals of Ixalan Quick Draft (Historic) |
Player Drafts
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 16 – June 25 | Ikoria Premier Draft |
| April 16 – June 25 | Ikoria Traditional Draft |
Specialty Drafts
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 12 – June 25 | Arena Cube Draft (Phantom) |
| June 6 – June 9 | Core Set 2020 Omniscience Draft |
Friday Night Magic @ Home
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 22-23 | Historic Artisan |
| May 29-30 | Cascade |
| June 5-6 | Historic Constructed |
| June 12-13 | Momir |
| June 19-20 | Historic Brawl |
Workshops
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 26-28 | Heirlooms of History |
| June 2-4 | Heroes of Ikoria |
| June 9-11 | Mastermind |
| June 16-18 | Taking the Stairs |
| June 23-25 | The Common Good |
Historic Events
| Dates | Event |
|---|---|
| May 21 – Onward | Historic Ranked/Traditional Historic Ranked |
| June 6-12 | Historic Shakeup |
| June 20-22 | Historic Challenge |
Additional Events
| Date | Event | Format |
|---|---|---|
| May 21–July 1 | Brawlers’ Guildhall | |
| May 22–May 25 | Festival of Monsters: Clever Reflections | Historic Artisan |
| May 31–June 1 | The Arena Open | Standard Constructed, Bo1 (Day 1), Bo3 (Day 2) |
Read the original article from Wizards of the Coast.