Times are tough for everyone right now, even more so if you’re a fan of the “gathering” aspect of Magic. If you’re primarily a tabletop Magic player like me, social distancing is putting a damper on your play time.
Earlier this week, Tom Anderson wrote a wonderful article on how to play Magic from home, which provides a great introduction to platforms like MTG Arena and Magic Online. But perhaps you’re already familiar with these platforms and just want to know what events you can compete in. With so many tournaments happening online these days, it can be tough to keep track of what’s going on when and where. Here’s a full run-down of competitive events happening across MTG Arena and Magic Online.
Magic the Gathering: Arena Events
MagicFest Online Qualifier
Tournament Organizer: Channel Fireball
Format: Standard
When: Every day at 12:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM PDT
How to Enter: Sign up using the following link: https://my.cfbevents.com/event/135
Entry Fee: $25
Rounds: 6
Prize Structure: All players receive a draft voucher for an in-person MagicFest. Players with a record of 5-1 or better are invited to the $25K Weekly Championship.
Coverage: Twitch.tv/Channelfireball
Additional Info: Players must join the ChannelFireball Discord server to receive pairings and report results. This is an open deck list event.
You can support your local game store by using their CFB affiliate code at checkout when you sign up for a MagicFest Online Qualifier. (Your LGS will receive 10% of the sale.) If you don’t have a LGS or your LGS doesn’t have a code yet, you can use the code MOX BOARDING HOUSE BELLEVUE to support both Mox Boarding House and Card Kingdom!
MagicFest Online Weekly Championship
Tournament Organizer: Channel Fireball
Format: Standard
When: Every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 AM PDT
How to Enter: Finish a MagicFest Online Qualifier with a record of 5-1 or better. Once you qualify, register for the Championship at this link: https://my.cfbevents.com/tournament/10947
Entry Fee: $0
Rounds: 8 rounds Day 1 (6-2 advancing), 6 rounds Day 2, cut to Top 8
Prize Structure:
Coverage: Twitch.tv/Channelfireball
Additional Info: Players must join the ChannelFireball Discord server to receive pairings and report results. This is an open deck list event.
MagicFest Online Season Finals Qualifier
Tournament Organizer: Channel Fireball
Format: Standard
When: Every day from April 4-10 at 3:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 9:00 PM PDT
How to Enter: You can sign up using the following link: https://my.cfbevents.com/event/135
Entry Fee: $25
Rounds: 5
Prize Structure: All players receive a draft voucher for an in-person MagicFest. Players with a 5-0 record are invited to the $50K Season Finals.
Coverage: Twitch.tv/Channelfireball
Additional Info: Players must join the ChannelFireball Discord server to receive pairings and report results. This is an open deck list event.
MagicFest Online Season Finals
Tournament Organizer: Channel Fireball
Format: Standard
When: Date TBA. Qualifiers end April 10
How to Enter: Finish with a 5-0 record in a MagicFest Online Season Finals Qualifier, or finish in the Top 32 of a Weekly Championship.
Entry Fee: $0
Rounds: 8 rounds Day 1 (6-2 advancing), 6 rounds Day 2, cut to Top 8
Prize Structure:
Coverage: Twitch.tv/ChannelFireball
Additional Info: Players must join the ChannelFireball Discord server to receive pairings and report results. This is an open deck list event.
Magic Online Events
Magic Online has historically been the home of the most competitive digital Magic events, including the annual Magic Online Championship. In light of recent events, they have bolstered their normal tournament roster to include additional Players Tour Qualifiers and Super Qualifiers.
If Standard isn’t your preferred format and you still want to earn Players Tour invites, then Magic Online is the platform for you.
Preliminary Events
Preliminary events are available for Limited, Pauper, Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage. Whatever your preferred format is, there is a tournament for you.
Entry Fee: 30 Tickets or 300 Play Points
Event Size: 16-256 players
Rounds: 5
Limited Prizes:
Constructed Prizes:
Schedule: Note that all listed times are in PDT.
Location: All events can be found in the corresponding format lobby.
Format Challenges
Format Challenges are the next step up on the competitive totem pole from Preliminary events. Format Challenges are weekend-only events for Constructed formats.
Entry Fee: 30 Tickets or 300 Play Points
Event Size: Modern and Pioneer challenges will be 64-384 players while Standard, Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper are 32-212 players.
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined based on attendance.
Prizes: Events with 64-player minimums will have the following prize structure:
Where events with 32-player minimums will have the following prize structure:
Schedule:
Location: All these events can be found in the corresponding format lobby.
Players Tour Qualifiers
The next rung on the event ladder includes Players Tour Qualifiers — the first opportunity to, well, qualify for the Players Tour. This is also the first chance to spend the Qualifier Points that you’ve been accumulating in Preliminary events and Format Challenges.
Entry Fee: 40 Qualifier Points
Event Size: 33-672 players
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined based on attendance.
Prizes:
Schedule: We’re near the end of Season One, so the schedule is light on remaining PTQs. You can always check the MTGO client for upcoming events.
Magic Online Super Qualifier
With paper Magic events being cancelled or postponed, Wizards of the Coast added Magic Online Super Qualifiers to give players additional chances to qualify for the Players Tour. Super Qualifiers are available for Limited, Standard, Pioneer, Modern, and Legacy.
Entry Fee: 40 Tickets, 400 Play Points, or 40 Qualifier Points.
Event Size: 129-672 players
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined by attendance.
Prizes: In addition to the prizes listed below, Wizards of the Coast announced that they will award 100 Play Points each to 65th-128th place finishers.
Schedule: The posted schedule is as follows:
Location: These events can be found in the play lobby for the corresponding format.
Magic Online Championship Showcase
The Magic Online Championship Showcase is at the top of the Magic Online competitive ladder, but there are a number of steps to get there. There are a couple different pathways to the MOCS:
- Top 8 a MOCS Showcase Challenge or 5-0 a Showcase Last Chance Qualifier, then win a Showcase Qualifier
- Win a Showcase Open
Let’s break down all those tournaments here.
Showcase Challenge
Three times per season, the normal weekend Format Challenge will be replaced by a MOCS Showcase Challenge. A Limited Showcase Challenge will also take place on those weekends.
Entry: 40 Qualifier Points
Event Size: 33-672 Players
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined by attendance.
Prizes:
Schedule:
Location: In the appropriate format lobby under “Premier Events.”
Magic Online Championship Showcase Last Chance Qualifier
If you were unable to qualify in the previous qualifier tournaments, don’t worry! The Magic Online Championship Showcase Last Chance Qualifier will replace normally-scheduled Preliminary events between April 12th-14th. If you go 5-0 in these tournaments, you’ll get an invite to the Showcase Qualifier.
Entry: 40 Qualifier Points, plus either 30 Tickets or 300 Play Points
Event Size: 16-672 players
Rounds: 5
Prizes:
Schedule:
Location: In the appropriate format lobby listed under Premier Events
Showcase Qualifiers
Once you earn entry into the Showcase Qualifier, you can play for a spot in the Champions Showcase. There is one Showcase Qualifier each for Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Pauper, and Limited per season.
Entry: The matching format token to the qualifier that you wish to play
Event Size: 8-672 players
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined by attendance
Prizes:
Schedule:
Location: In the appropriate format lobby, listed under “Premier Events”
Magic Online Championship Showcase Open
As the name suggests, the Magic Online Championship Showcase Opens are open to all players. All these events are Limited-only.
Entry: 40 Tickets or 400 Play Points
Event Size: 33-672 players
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined by attendance
Prizes:
Schedule:
Location: In the appropriate format lobby, listed under “Premier Events”
Magic Online Championship Showcase
We’ve finally made it to the top of the Magic Online mountain to the Magic Online Championship Showcase. This event features eight players:
- 5 Constructed Showcase Qualifier winners
- 1 Limited Showcase Qualifier winner
- 2 Showcase Open winners
This is the most prestigious tournament on Magic Online, with a Players Tour Finals invite and $70K up for grabs.
The formats and tournament structure for the Showcase have yet to be announced.
Community Events
In addition to all these events from Wizards of the Coast, there are a number of community-organized events happening online.
Hit the Deck
Tournament Organizer: Team Liquid
Sponsor: Wizards of the Coast (will provide prizes)
Event Schedule: Seasonal — 4 events over 2 months, one every 2 weeks. A/B/C Casual Socials. D is a more serious “Series” event.
Platform: MTG Arena
When: Saturday, April 4th at 11:00 AM PDT
How to Enter: Sign up here: https://mtgmelee.com/Tournament/View/164
Format: Standard
Entry Fee: $0
Prizing: Gem rewards based on attendance. Larger pools for the main events. Every “round” added to the event from entrants raises the pool.
Additional info: https://tl.gg/MtGA
Coverage: Currently unavailable, but being considered for future events.
Topdeck Hero Events
Topdeck Hero is a local game store based in Montreal that is organizing events on Magic Online with prizes in store credit.
Entry: $5 CAD (approx $3.50 USD)
Formats: Pioneer on Mondays and Wednesdays, Modern on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Rounds: Number of rounds will be determined by attendance.
Prizes: $8 CAD (approx $5.60 USD) added to the pool per player. Prizes are awarded to players with a record of X-1 or better.
How to Enter: Sign up here, then join the MTGO Discord server. Registration closes at 4:00 PM PDT
On Fridays, Topdeck Hero hosts Friday Night Magic events on MTG Arena.
Entry: $10 CAD (approx $7 USD)
Rounds: 4
How to Enter: Sign up here, then join the MTG Arena Discord server. Registration closes at 4:00 PM PDT
Prizes: 4-0 100$ (approx 70USD)
3-0-1 70$ (approx 49USD)
3-1 40$ (approx 28USD)
Hopefully this has given you all the information needed to pursue digital competitive Magic until things return to normal. Stay home and stay safe — I can’t wait to see you all at the tables again!
Michael Rapp is a Modern specialist who favors Thoughtseize decks. Magic sates his desire for competition and constant improvement.