Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has announced a series of updates regarding 2020-2021 Magic Pro League (MPL) play. These updates come in response to feedback from the Magic: The Gathering community regarding the last series of updates.
Zendikar Rising Championship
In addition to the League Weekends, both the MPL and Rivals members can now earn league standing points from each split’s championship.
- “Nine (9) wins earns 1 point toward league standings (the same as winning one match during a League Weekend).
- Ten (10) wins earns 2 points toward league standings.
- Eleven (11) wins earns 3 points toward league standings.
- Making Top 8 of a split’s Championship earns 4 points toward league standings.”
Additionally, all Challengers who finish with a record of 11-4 or better in splits will be “invited to the postseason Challenger Gauntlet.”
How Leagues Work
- First four weekends will be round robin play
- The following three weekends will be pod play
- The Championship from each split will now award points toward league standings.
- The top finishing Challengers will now qualify for the “…postseason Challenger Gauntlet [and] the opportunity to compete for MPL or Rivals League invitation and qualification to Magic World Championship XXVII.
League Weekends are “two-day events occurring roughly monthly where league players earn points in the races to the Magic World Championship XXVII, invitations to leagues in the following season, and placement in postseason Gauntlet playoff events.”
League Weekends are scheduled to begin the weekend of October 24-25.
Joining the League
During the 2020-2021 Magic Esports Postseason, there will be three tournaments — MPL Gauntlet, Rivals Gauntlet, and Challenger Gauntlet.
- “MPL players 13th through 16th will compete for MPL invitation (and face Rivals League relegation) in the Rivals Gauntlet.”
- “MPL players 17th through 24th will be relegated to the Rivals League.”
Challengers who finish with the best records will receive invites to the post-season Challenger Gauntlet which will provide “direct invitations to the MPL and Rivals League as well as additional opportunities through qualification to the Rivals Gauntlet.”
Challenger Gauntlet
Rivals Gauntlet
The 24 Rivals players are made up of the following criteria, with the winner qualifying for World Championship XXVII:
- 13th through 16th in MPL standings from the end of the season.
- 21st through 32nd in Rivals League standings from the end of the season.
- 5th through 12th places from the Challenger Gauntlet.
MPL Gauntlet
- The winner and finalist of the MPL Gauntlet will qualify for the World Championship.*
- Top 8 players receive invitation to the MPL for the following season.
- All other players will be invited to the Rivals League for the following season.
Magic World Championship XXVII
World Championship XXVII will take place next year and will be comprised of the following:
- The 2019 Magic: The Gathering World Champion
- The Top 4 MPL players from season standings*
- The Top 4 Rivals League players from season standings
- The winner and finalist from the MPL Gauntlet
- The winner of the Rivals Gauntlet
- The Top 4 Challengers from the Challenger Gauntlet.
2021-2022 Season
2021-2022 MPL
- Top 4 MPL players from final standings for the 2020-2021 season.
- Top 4 Rivals League players from final standings for the 2020-2021 season.
- Top 8 from the MPL Gauntlet.
- Top 4 from the Rivals Gauntlet.
- Top 4 from the Challenger Gauntlet.
2021-2022 Rivals League
- MPL players ranked 17th through 24th — the bottom 8 — from final standings for the 2020-2021 season.
- Rivals League players ranked 33rd through 36th — 4 players below the Rivals Gauntlet cutoff and above Challenger relegation cutoff — from final standings for the 2020-2021 season.
- The remaining 16 players at the end of the MPL Gauntlet.
- The remaining 20 players at the end of the Rivals Gauntlet.
Hall of Fame Update
The Hall of Fame will not be inducting anyone into its ranks this year, as WotC works to reconstruct its qualifications. The new Hall of Fame “encompasses not just competitive play, but all of Magic — including its innovators, contributors, and longtime stewards.”
Read the original article from Wizards of the Coast.