It has been a wild few days for Magic: The Gathering followers. Final week, the Commander Guidelines Committee introduced that it was banning a number of main playing cards, throwing Magic’s hottest format into disarray. Now Wizards of the Coast is stepping in.
Acknowledging in an official statement that it has been a “tumultuous” week for Commander followers, Wizards of the Coast mentioned it plans to run the format in-house going ahead after beforehand leaving it in the care of part-time volunteers. It is an enormous shakeup — one which figures to have far-reaching implications for the future of the sport.
“This week has additionally demonstrated the actually monumental job that confronted the Commander Guidelines Committee. The Commander RC is made up of 5 gifted, caring people, all with different jobs and lives which they need to stability with managing the hottest format in Magic,” Wizards of the Coast mentioned. “It outcomes in unbelievable quantities of work, time spent deliberating, and publicity to the public. No one deserves to really feel unsafe for supporting the sport they love. Sadly, the job of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and security of being hooked up to any 5 folks.”
The choice was learn in some corners as a rebuke of the guidelines committee in the wake of the ban determination, which has had a really blended reception because it was first introduced. However a press release by committee member Jim Lapage means that the committee instigated the change.
“What’s develop into clear to me is that fulfilling my dedication requires a stage of world connectedness, proactive and reactive communication, analysis, and ability past what I’m succesful of offering. I do not assume it is doable for a bunch of part-time volunteers to rise to this job,” Lapage wrote on X/Twitter.
Lapage mentioned that he reached out to Wizards of the Coast final week and that the committee will likely be transitioning all administration obligations, together with its roadmap, contacts, and documentation.
“It is extraordinarily necessary to me that the format’s new management stays trustworthy to [format godfather Sheldon Menery’s] imaginative and prescient of a vibrant world neighborhood with a powerful give attention to the individuals who play it,” Lapage says.
https://t.co/8dko6fzn0t pic.twitter.com/YcgkP0SQoH
— Jim Lapage (@JimTSF) September 30, 2024
The principles committee additionally mentioned on its official account, “In consequence of the threats final week towards RC members, it has develop into not possible for us to proceed working as an impartial entity. Provided that, we now have requested WotC to imagine accountability for Commander and they are going to be making choices and bulletins going ahead.”
In consequence of the threats final week towards RC members, it has develop into not possible for us to proceed working as an impartial entity. Provided that, we now have requested WotC to imagine accountability for Commander and they are going to be making choices and bulletins going ahead.
— Commander Guidelines Committee (@mtgcommander) September 30, 2024
Wizards of the Coast, for its half, says that the guidelines committee will “proceed to be concerned” and that there have been preliminary conversations about the path ahead. They embrace a “extra goal method to deck energy stage” in addition to “extra steering and shared language for gamers to search out video games that match the kind of sport they’re attempting to play.”
Wizards of the Coast went on to stipulate a possible imaginative and prescient for what this would possibly appear like, suggesting that there could also be energy brackets going ahead to assist higher outline play inside the format.
A technique or one other, the modifications are a significant milestone in Commander historical past, which initially started as a community-driven format and has grown into arguably the largest and most influential approach to play Wizards of the Coast’s card sport. It distinguishes itself from typical codecs by letting gamers select a creature as their “Commander,” with decks comprised of 100 distinctive playing cards. As a substitute of one-on-one, Commander is a free-for-all normally performed with 4 gamers.
As Commander has grown, Wizards of the Coast has embraced the format, even introducing playing cards particularly tailor-made to its guidelines. Nevertheless, till now, it has remained ruled by the neighborhood. Final week, the guidelines committee banned 4 common playing cards — Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Nadu, Winged Knowledge. The ban, the first in three years, sparked large backlash amongst followers. Now it seems they’ve modified the course of Commander — and Magic: The Gathering — historical past.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.