Magic: The Gathering Arena News

[h3]PREORDERS FOR MURDERS AT KARLOV MANOR START NEXT WEEK[/h3]

Murder, mystery, and good old-fashioned sleuthing come to MTG Arena with the release of Murders at Karlov Manor on February 6. Set yourself up for a winning head start when preorders go on sale next week!

[h3]FIRST QUALIFIER WEEKEND FOR ARENA CHAMPIONSHIP 6 THIS WEEKEND[/h3]

Be among the first players to qualify for Arena Championship 6! Beginning this Friday, January 12, run the gauntlet in the Explorer format through the Best-of-Three Qualifier Play-In to grab an invitation to the Qualifier Weekend that kicks off on Saturday, January 13.

Then, notch seven wins in the Qualifier Weekend Day One competition for your entry to the Day Two event. Finally, face the best players in the event to battle your way to seven wins and claim your invitation to Arena Championship 6 and the Pro Tour!

[h3]ARENA OPEN: THE LOST CAVERNS OF IXALAN, JANUARY 20–21[/h3]

Now that you've been playing with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan for a while, here's another opportunity to put everything you've learned about the set to the test, maybe earn yourself an invitation to the February Qualifier Weekend, and possibly win as much as $2,000!

The Arena Open: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is coming January 20–21 where you can have fun and earn prizes. Every player who enters will receive this amazing Quintorius Kand sleeve!


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[h3]EXCHANGE RATE PRICING ADJUSTMENT[/h3]
MTG Arena adjusts pricing several times per year to account for currency exchange rates. This means that non-USD prices will fluctuate up and down based on the conversion rate between the USD and relative currency at the time of adjustment. As some players might notice, one of these adjustments occurred on January 9.

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[h2]EVENT SCHEDULE[/h2]
Events open at 8 a.m. PT on their starting dates (excluding Midweek Magic) and close to entries at 8 a.m. PT (UTC-08:00) on the ending date shown unless otherwise noted.

[h3]MIDWEEK MAGIC[/h3]
Midweek Magic events open on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. PT and close to new entries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• Jaunary 9–11: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Phantom Sealed
  
• January 16–18: Historic Pauper
  
• January 23–25: Brawl (formerly Historic Brawl)
  
• January 30–February 1: Phyrexia: All Will Be One Phantom Bot Draft
  

[h3]QUICK DRAFT[/h3]

• January 2–16: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
  
• January 16–30: The Brothers' War
  

[h3]OTHER EVENTS[/h3]

• December 12–January 16: Khans of Tarkir Premier Draft
  
• December 12–February 5: Jump Into Middle-earth
  
• January 9–16: Rivals of Ixalan Premier Draft
  
• January 19–22: Emblem The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Quick Draft
  
• January 23–February 5: Arena Cube Draft
  
• January 26–29: Standard Metagame Challenge
  

[h3]JANUARY QUALIFIER EVENTS[/h3]

• January 12: Best-of-Three Qualifier Play-In (Explorer)
  
• January 13–14: Qualifier Weekend (Explorer)
  

[h2]COMPETITIVE PLAY SCHEDULE[/h2]
All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-07:00).

[h3]QUALIFIER EVENTS[/h3]
Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month's Qualifier Weekend events.

Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events.

Qualifier tokens are delivered to your MTG Arena inbox. Remember to claim them before the event starts!

[h3]JANUARY[/h3]

• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
  January 12, 6 a.m. PT–January 13, 3 a.m. PT
  Format: Traditional Explorer
  
• Qualifier Weekend
  January 13, 6 a.m. PT–January 14, 4 p.m. PT
  Format: Traditional Explorer
  

[h3]ARENA OPEN[/h3]
The Arena Open Day One entry window begins at 6 a.m. PT and closes to new entries the following day at 3 a.m. PT (UTC-08:00). The Day Two entry window is 2 hours only, from 6 a.m. PT until 8 a.m. PT (UTC-08:00).

• Arena Open: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Limited
  - January 20: Day One, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Sealed (Best-of-One and Best-of-Three)
  - January 21: Day Two, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Draft (Best-of-Three)
  

[h3]ARENA CHAMPIONSHIP[/h3]
The Arena Championship is an invitation-only, two-day virtual event for players who earn invitations through Qualifier Weekend events.

• Arena Championship 5
  March 30, 2024
  Who has qualified so far?

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[h2]JANUARY 2024 RANKED SEASON[/h2]
The January 2024 Ranked Season begins December 31 at 12:05 p.m. PT and ends January 31 at 12 p.m. PT (UTC-08:00)

• Bronze Reward: 1 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan pack
  
• Silver Reward: 1 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan pack + 500 gold
  
• Gold Reward: 2 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan packs + 1,000 gold + Cenote Scout card style
  
• Platinum Reward: 3 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan packs + 1,000 gold + Cenote Scout card style + Dire Flail card style
  
• Diamond Reward: 4 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan packs + 1,000 gold + Cenote Scout card style + Dire Flail card style
  
• Mythic Reward: 5 The Lost Caverns of Ixalan packs + 1,000 gold + Cenote Scout card style + Dire Flail card style
  

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[h2]FOLLOW MTG ARENA SOCIAL[/h2]

• Twitter @MTG_Arena
  
• Facebook @MTGArena
  
• Instagram @mtgarena
  
• TikTok @MTGArena
  
• MTG Arena YouTube channel
  
• Magic: The Gathering Discord channel
  
• Threads @mtgarena

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[h3]Charge up your Lightning Bolt and hold onto your Counterspell, because today we're introducing Timeless, a new Constructed format where all cards on Magic: The Gathering Arena are playable.[/h3]


[h2]WHY A NEW FORMAT, AND WHY NOW?[/h2]
We are creating Timeless as a home for MTG Arena's most powerful cards. As MTG Arena has grown, we have accumulated extra strong sets like Wilds of Eldraine Enchanting Tales and Strixhaven Mystical Archive. These cards did not have a great place to be played outside of their Limited formats without overrunning an existing Constructed format. Timeless will be a place to play these cards.

Timeless will feature every card on MTG Arena, which includes the fetch lands coming with Khans of Tarkir. We believe now is the right time to add a new format, as we have built up a healthy batch of these cards and expect more will be added from things like bonus sheets, The List in Play Boosters, and sets like Modern Horizons 3, coming in 2024. Players also proved there is demand for this format with their engagement and support during the Historic No Banned List and Historic Basically No Bans events we ran in September and November.

But what about Historic? The Historic format began as "the place to play with all of your cards on MTG Arena" but over time has shifted into a more curated format. We are happy with the state of Historic. It is balanced, made up of a diverse metagame of different decks, and offers a unique digital play experience. Historic maintains these qualities because we actively curate the format. We want the power level of Historic to continue to grow but don't want it to happen too quickly, as we believe it's in an enjoyable place right now. For these reasons, we have decided to pre-ban the Khans of Tarkir fetch lands from Historic but are excited to play with them in Timeless.

[h2]WHAT IS TIMELESS?[/h2]

Timeless is a nonrotating, Constructed format played with 60-card decks where every card on MTG Arena is legal. This includes digital-only cards, the upcoming Khans of Tarkir set release, and any future set releases. Timeless will use the rebalanced versions of all digital-only cards, but the original tabletop printings of all non-digital cards. We hope Timeless will be filled with fast, fun, and exciting games as players will have access to the most powerful cards in MTG Arena.

To contain all these powerful cards, Timeless will be the first format on MTG Arena to have a restricted list. If a card is on the restricted list, only a single copy of that card may be included in your deck and sideboard. Cards will have to earn their place on the banned and restricted list, and only those cards that have proven to be negative fun or far too powerful will be added.

The initial restricted list for Timeless includes only the following three cards:

• Channel
  
• Demonic Tutor
  
• Tibalt's Trickery
  

These cards have earned their place on the restricted list based on their performance in our Historic No Banned List event.

Timeless will be a competitive format, so we are launching it with ranked (Best-of-One) and traditional (Best-of-Three) ranked queues, and an unranked play queue. Ranked play will contribute to a player's Constructed rank in the same way as MTG Arena's other ranked Constructed formats.

[h2]HOW WILL THE RESTRICTED LIST WORK ON MTG ARENA?[/h2]
Cards on the restricted list will be limited to only a single copy in the combined main deck and sideboard. When a card is added to the restricted list and is no longer legal in any other format, players will receive wildcards for each copy of the card in their collection greater than one. For example, if a player owns four copies of a card that is added to the restricted list, the player will receive three wildcards for that change.

There will not be wildcard reimbursement for the three card restrictions made with the launch of Timeless.

[h2]WHEN WILL TIMELESS BE RELEASED?[/h2]
Timeless will go live on December 12, 2023, with the release of Khans of Tarkir on MTG Arena. Ranked and play queues will be available with this release. To celebrate the release of this new format, we have a few promotions and events planned, including a new-to-MTG Arena card, Timeless Dragon, that players will receive through their in-game inboxes on December 12!



The rollout schedule for Timeless looks as follows:

• December 12: Timeless will be launched alongside Khans of Tarkir with Best-of-One and Best-of-Three ranked queues, and a Best-of-One play queue.
  
• December 12–14: Midweek Magic will feature the Timeless format and have an additional Khans of Tarkir pack reward.
  
• February 2–4, 2024: Players can test their decks and earn packs in a Timeless Metagame Challenge.
  

[h2]WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TIMELESS?[/h2]
We are excited to see what decks players craft for Timeless as a new metagame develops and the format comes into its own. In 2024 and beyond, we expect more cards will be added to Timeless as new, powerful card sets come to MTG Arena. We will keep an eye on how these new cards impact the format and restrict anything that proves to be too much. We are also evaluating whether doing something like a Timeless anthology set is interesting, or if it would be too much. Much like we did with the Historic No Banned List and Historic Basically No Bans events, we are eager to let players show us what they're interested in.

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[h2]FOLLOW MTG ARENA SOCIAL[/h2]

• Twitter @MTG_Arena
  
• Facebook @MTGArena
  
• Instagram @mtgarena
  
• TikTok @MTGArena
  
• MTG Arena YouTube channel
  
• Magic: The Gathering Discord channel
  
• Threads @mtgarena

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[h3]Start a brand new adventure with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan in MTG Arena! You'll find packs, companions, card style bundles, a full-art lands bundle, and more to collect in the Store—and don't forget to check your in-game inbox for three packs to get started![/h3]


[h2]THE LOST CAVERNS OF IXALAN CARD IMAGE GALLERY [/h2]
It is time to start collecting! Get to know all the new cards in the latest set with the complete The Lost Caverns of Ixalan card image gallery!


[h2]THE LOST CAVERNS OF IXALAN MASTERY DETAILS[/h2]
Discover hidden treasures! Complete epic quests to earn packs, sleeves, and more as you explore all the dangers and wonders of the Mastery Tree! The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Set Mastery goes up to Level 70. All players receive rewards through level 60, while players with the Mastery Pass receive rewards up to Level 70—and beyond!

[h2]THE LOST CAVERNS OF IXALAN MECHANICS[/h2]
The latest set is packed with exciting new cards! Learn more about the new new The Lost Caverns of Ixalan mechanics before you play them out on the battlefield!

[h2]THE LOST CAVERNS OF IXALAN EVENTS[/h2]

[h3]Adventurers needed! Delve into the caverns and discover forgotten civilizations and mysterious creatures. Do you have the courage to venture into The Lost Caverns of Ixalan?

Preorder your bundle before the set is released on November 14![/h3]



[h3]What lies beneath the chasms of the Lost Caverns of Ixalan? Preorder now to find out![/h3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh3ajY595-0

[h2]MTG ARENA'S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONTINUES![/h2]
MTG Arena began open beta almost five years ago. Since then, Magic and MTG Arena have been through a lot of change and growth, and so have each one of us. Over the next week, we’ll be sharing some of how MTG Arena has changed what we do and how we do it, but we would also love to hear from you, our community, on how MTG Arena might have affected your days, or maybe even a memorable story you have with us. Tag us on socials to tell us your story!

[h3]CHAT WITH JAY PARKER AND IAN ADAMS[/h3]
Stop by our Discord channel on September 19, at 3:15 p.m. PT to chat with Director of Digital Game Design Jay Parker and Design Manager Ian Adams. Bring your burning questions about MTG Arena as we talk about what we are working on, what we are planning for the future, and what Jay and Ian's favorite colors are.

[h3]GET IN-GAME REWARDS STARTING TOMORROW[/h3]
Beginning tomorrow, September 19, to help you get into the celebratory mood, look for goodies in your player inbox! Plus, on September 27 you'll find an extra special inbox message, do don't miss it!!

[h3]ICYMI: STATE OF FORMATS AND 2023 ROTATION STATE OF THE GAME[/h3]
STATE OF FORMATS Jay Parker's State of Formats article offers a comprehensive look at formats in MTG Arena, including the Standard rotation change, a deep dive into specific formats, and what the future holds.

2023 ROTATION STATE OF THE GAME We recap MTG Arena in 2023 in a new article, from in-game events and card set releases to outside-the-game articles and live events. We also examine how we did—from what worked to where we want to expand and improve. And finally, we'll look ahead to some of what's coming in the future.

[h2]MAGICCON: LAS VEGAS CREATOR ARENA PRESENTED BY IHOP[/h2]

Are you attending MagicCon: Las Vegas this weekend? Make sure to stop by Creator Arena presented by IHOP! We will have many of your favorite Magic content creators, fully stocked MTG Arena accounts, and lots more casual Magic to play.

MagicCon: Las Vegas is also host to the Magic World Championship XXIX. More than 100 of the best players of Magic: The Gathering will contend for their piece of a $1 million prize pool and the opportunity to have their likeness featured on a future Magic! Use the Magic World Championship XXIX Viewer's Guide to keep up with the action!

[h2]TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO CLAIM BONUS XP DURING SEPTEMBER[/h2]

The end of September is in sight, but there's still time to claim 1,000 bonus XP for playing in Magic events at a local Wizards Play Network game stores! You can max out with 4,000 XP by playing in four events, too.

Just register and play in a Magic event at a WPN game store during September, and you'll score 1,000 XP. Play in more than one event, and you'll get an extra 1,000 XP, up to 4,000 total.

Get all the September bonus XP details!

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[h2]EVENT SCHEDULE[/h2]
Events open at 8 a.m. PT on their starting dates (excluding Midweek Magic) and close to entries at 8 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00) on the ending date shown unless otherwise noted.

[h3]MIDWEEK MAGIC[/h3]
Midweek Magic events open on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. PT and close to new entries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• September 19–21: Explorer
  
• September 26–28: The Brothers' War Bot Draft
  
• October 4–6: On the Edge
  
• October 10–12: Into the Future
  
• October 17–19: Wilds of Eldraine Phantom Sealed
  

[h3]QUICK DRAFT[/h3]

• August 29–September 15: March of the Machine
  
• September 15–26: Wilds of Eldraine
  
• September 26–October 10: The Brothers' War
  
• October 10–24: Wilds of Eldraine
  

[h3]OTHER EVENTS[/h3]

• September 5–29: Wilds of Eldraine Sealed
  
• September 28–October 1: Dark Tutelage Alchemy
  
• October 1–6: Season of Growth Standard
  
• October 6–10: Gift Bag Historic
  

[h2]PREMIER PLAY SCHEDULE[/h2]
All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-07:00).

[h3]QUALIFIER EVENTS[/h3]
Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month's Qualifier Weekend events.

Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events. Check out the standings to see who's qualified for Arena Championship 4.

Qualifier tokens are delivered in your MTG Arena inbox. Remember to claim them before the event starts!

[h3]SEPTEMBER[/h3]

• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-One)
  September 23, 6 a.m. PT–September 23, 6 a.m. PT
  Format: Wilds of Eldraine Limited
  
• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
  September 29, 6 a.m.–September 30, 3 a.m. PT
  Format: Wilds of Eldraine Limited
  
• Qualifier Weekend
  September 30, 6 a.m. PT–October 1, 4 p.m. PT
  Format: Wilds of Eldraine Limited
  

[h3]ARENA OPEN[/h3]
The Arena Open Day One entry window begins at 6 a.m. PT and closes to new entries the following day at 3 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00). The Day Two entry window is 2 hours only, from 6 a.m. PT until 8 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• Arena Open: Wilds of Eldraine Limited
  - October 28: Day One, Wilds of Eldraine Sealed (Best-of-One and Best-of-Three)
  - October 29: Day Two, Wilds of Eldraine Draft (Best-of-Three)
  

[h3]ARENA CHAMPIONSHIP 4[/h3]
The Arena Championship is an invitation-only, two-day virtual event for players who earn invitations through Qualifier Weekend events.

• Arena Championship 4
  October 7–8
  Format: Historic and Wilds of Eldraine Draft (both Best-of-Three with sideboard)
  

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[h2]SEPTEMBER 2023 RANKED SEASON[/h2]
The September 2023 Ranked Season begins August 31 at 12:05 p.m. PT and ends September 30 at 12 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00)

• Bronze Reward: 1 Wilds of Eldraine pack
  
• Silver Reward: 1 Wilds of Eldraine pack + 500 gold
  
• Gold Reward: 2 Wilds of Eldraine packs + 1,000 gold + Ego Drain card style
  
• Platinum Reward: 3 Wilds of Eldraine packs + 1,000 gold + Ego Drain card style + Regal Bunnicorn card style
  
• Diamond Reward: 4 Wilds of Eldraine packs + 1,000 gold + Ego Drain card style + Regal Bunnicorn card style
  
• Mythic Reward: 5 Wilds of Eldraine packs + 1,000 gold + Ego Drain card style + Regal Bunnicorn card style
  

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[h2]FOLLOW MTG ARENA SOCIAL[/h2]

• Twitter @MTG_Arena
  
• Facebook @MTGArena
  
• Instagram @mtgarena
  
• TikTok @MTGArena
  
• MTG Arena YouTube channel
  
• Magic: The Gathering Discord channel
  
• Threads @mtgarena

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