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* December 4–6, 2020<ref name="August 2020">{{WebRef|url=https://magic.gg/news/esports-update-changes-to-2020-2021-magic-pro-league-play|title=Esports Update: Changes to 2020-2021 Magic Pro League Play|author=Ben Drago and Bear Watson|date=August 27, 2020|publisher=[[Magic.gg]]}}</ref> (Standard and [[Historic (format)|Historic]]). |
* December 4–6, 2020<ref name="August 2020">{{WebRef|url=https://magic.gg/news/esports-update-changes-to-2020-2021-magic-pro-league-play|title=Esports Update: Changes to 2020-2021 Magic Pro League Play|author=Ben Drago and Bear Watson|date=August 27, 2020|publisher=[[Magic.gg]]}}</ref> (Standard and [[Historic (format)|Historic]]). |
||
− | 184 players, from the [[MPL]] and [[Rivals League]] to top qualifying competitors through [[Qualifier Weekend]]s, [[Magic Online]] [[Players Tour Qualifier|Qualifiers]] and beyond, |
+ | 184 players, from the [[MPL]] and [[Rivals League]] to top qualifying competitors through [[Qualifier Weekend]]s, [[Magic Online]] [[Players Tour Qualifier|Qualifiers]] and beyond, were competing. The Championship featured a $250,000 prize pool. Friday and Saturday each featured four rounds of Standard. Friday and Saturday each also featured a combined seven rounds of Historic, and Sunday's Top 8 double-elimination playoff was exclusively Historic. |
− | At the end of Day One, it was [[Autumn Burchett]] leading the way with Gruul Adventures that smashed their way to a perfect 7-0 record. Eleven players including [[Hall of Fame]]rs [[Martin Jůza]] and [[Gabriel Nassif]], along with [[Pro Tour]] champions [[Jan-Moritz Merkel]] and [[Ivan Floch]], lurked just behind at 6-1. |
+ | At the end of Day One, it was [[Autumn Burchett]] leading the way with Gruul Adventures that smashed their way to a perfect 7-0 record.<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://www.magic.gg/news/zendikar-rising-championship-day-one-highlights|title=''Zendikar Rising Championship Day 1 Highlights|author=Corbin Hosler|date=December 4, 2020|publisher=[[Magic.gg]]}}</ref> Eleven players including [[Hall of Fame]]rs [[Martin Jůza]] and [[Gabriel Nassif]], along with [[Pro Tour]] champions [[Jan-Moritz Merkel]] and [[Ivan Floch]], lurked just behind at 6-1. |
===''Kaldheim'' Split=== |
===''Kaldheim'' Split=== |
Revision as of 07:29, 5 December 2020
2020–21 Players Tour Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Hall of Fame inductions | None | |||
PTs | 3 Split Championships | |||
Grand Prix | undetermined | |||
|
The 2020–21 Players Tour season is the twenty-sixth Players Tour season (formerly know as the Pro Tour).
Description
This season was to be the first regular season of the revamped Players Tour after the 2020 partial season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellations and rescheduling.[1] The season was supposed to start on August 7–9, 2020 with MagicFest Colombus, USA and to culminate in the 2021 World Championship.[2] Due to the Coronovirus induced rescheduling, the start of the season was postponed to the fall of 2020 (October 24). It was also announced that Wizards of the Coast would shift its focus to shorter length seasons with a structure that provides more flexibility so that they can quickly pivot and adapt in the current global landscape.[1][3]
While the global pandemic at the start of the season closed off traditional pathways for competitive tabletop Magic, Wizards of the Coast structured it to allow the flexibility to add tabletop opportunities. Only as it becomes safe to do so, they will begin to add qualification paths starting with local game stores and building over time to larger regional events.[4]
Esports
In this season, MPL and Rivals League players will play against other players within their leagues in recurring tournaments — League Weekends — where each match win awards one point toward their league standings.[5] Final league standings at the end of the season, after seven total League Weekends, will place players into postseason tournaments — the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals Gauntlet — to determine the new invitees to the following season's MPL and Rivals League. The four highest-finishing Challengers — non-league players — of each split's Championship will qualify for the postseason Rivals Gauntlet for the opportunity to join the MPL or Rivals League. All competitors — MPL, Rivals League, and Challengers — who continue to succeed in their events across the entire 2020–2021 season will receive the best opportunities for league promotion and invitation to the next World Championship.
Qualification
Ranked Seasons are monthly periods for Ranked Play on MTG Arena. You can choose from several competitive Ranked Play formats to advance in rank, and finishing in the top 1,200 Mythic ranked players — the highest ranked players — for a Ranked Season unlocks invitation to a future qualifying event. Challengers are non-league players rising through the pathways of Magic Esports. Challengers earn qualification to rising levels of competition, beginning with Ranked Seasons on MTG Arena and leading all the way to invitation the MPL or Rivals League.[4]
In addition to monthly Ranked Play on MTG Arena, qualification opportunities are offered through previous competitive success, Magic Online Qualifiers, and sponsored events (e.g. the Premier Series, Red Bull Untapped). Qualification is also possible the Arena Open or through Players Tour Online events.
Qualifier Weekend
Monthly Ranked Play on MTG Arena earns invitation to monthly Qualifier Weekends. Each monthly Qualifier Weekend is a two-day event in MTG Arena, using a best-of-three Constructed format for both days. Top-finishing players from each Qualifier Weekend are invited to the relevant Split Championship.[4]
Splits
The 2020-2021 Magic Esports season is composed of three splits, which are several months of competitive play tied to an upcoming set release.[4] Each split is a three-step qualification progression leading all the way to that split's Championship.
In total for all League Weekends, MPL and Rivals League players will compete in 84 matches — a maximum total of 84 points — across seven weekends. No other tournaments award points for league standings.
There's a $400,000 prize pool divided across the three splits with $50,000 each for the MPL and Rivals League, as well as an end-of-season bonus $50,000 for each league.
Split Championships
Three Split Championships each form the culmination of a Split, featuring a $250,000 prize pool with remote play on MTG Arena. Invited are the top players from Qualifier Weekends, partner events, 2020 Partial Season events, and all members of the MPL and Rivals League.[6]
On top of League Weekends, MPL and Rivals players will earn points toward their league standings from each split's Championship:[6]
- Nine (9) wins earns 1 point toward league standings (the same as winning one match during a League Weekend).
- Ten (10) wins earns 2 point toward league standings.
- Eleven (11) wins earns 3 point toward league.
- Making Top 8 of a split's Championship earns four (4) points toward league standings.
Additionally, the eight best-finishing Challengers (or those that finish with a record of 11-4 or better, whichever is greater) in each split's Championship are invited to the postseason Challenger Gauntlet for the opportunity to compete for MPL or Rivals League invitation and qualification to Magic World Championship XXVII.
Schedule
Zendikar Rising Split
- Zendikar Rising Split featured two League Weekends of Swiss-style, best-of-three, competitive play.[7]
- October 24-25 (Standard)
- November 7-8 (Standard)
Zendikar Rising Championship (Pro Tour Zendikar Rising)
184 players, from the MPL and Rivals League to top qualifying competitors through Qualifier Weekends, Magic Online Qualifiers and beyond, were competing. The Championship featured a $250,000 prize pool. Friday and Saturday each featured four rounds of Standard. Friday and Saturday each also featured a combined seven rounds of Historic, and Sunday's Top 8 double-elimination playoff was exclusively Historic.
At the end of Day One, it was Autumn Burchett leading the way with Gruul Adventures that smashed their way to a perfect 7-0 record.[8] Eleven players including Hall of Famers Martin Jůza and Gabriel Nassif, along with Pro Tour champions Jan-Moritz Merkel and Ivan Floch, lurked just behind at 6-1.
Kaldheim Split
- Kaldheim Split will feature two League Weekends.
- January, 16-17 (Historic)
- February, 27-28 (Standard)
Kaldheim Championship (Pro Tour Kaldheim)
TBA
Strixhaven Split
- Strixhaven Split will feature three League Weekends.
Strixhaven Championship (Pro Tour Strixhaven)
The Strixhaven Championship will take place prior to the third Strixhaven Split League Weekend, ensuring league play determines final league standings and placement in postseason playoff events.
Mythic Invitationals
- October 22–25, 2020: Mythic Invitational – Zendikar Rising (canceled[1])
Tabletop
For the foreseeable future, there are no large tabletop events planned.
Grand Prix
As a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic all Grand Prix of the 2020 Players Tour Season were cancelled and MagicFest Online was created.[9] It is unclear if and how tabletop Grand Prix will return.
Feeding in the Players Tour Finals (Series 4)
- July 31 -August 2, 2020: MagicFest Strasbourg, France (Pioneer) (canceled)
- August 7–9, 2020: MagicFest Columbus, USA (Modern) (canceled)
- August 14–16, 2020: MagicFest Kobe, Japan (canceled)
- August 21–23, 2020: MagicFest Bologna, Italy (canceled)
- August 27–30, 2020: MagicFest Las Vegas, USA (canceled)
- September 11–13, 2020: MagicFest Montreal, Canada (canceled)
- October 8-11, 2020: MagicFest Washington DC, USA (canceled)
- October 15–18, 2020: MagicFest Barcelona, Spain (canceled)
- October 16–18, 2020: MagicFest Sydney, Australia (canceled)
- October 23–25, 2020: MagicFest Milwaukee, USA (canceled)
- October 30-Nov. 1, 2020: MagicFest Budapest, Hungary (canceled)
- November 6–8, 2020: MagicFest Anaheim, USA (canceled)
- November 13–15, 2020: MagicFest Utrecht, Netherlands (canceled)
- November 20–22, 2020: MagicFest Memphis, USA (canceled)
Feeding in the Players Tour Finals (Series 5)
- November 27–29, 2020: MagicFest Nagoya, Japan (canceled)
- December 4–6, 2020: MagicFest Hartford, USA (canceled)
- December 11–13, 2020: MagicFest London, UK (canceled)
- December 18–20, 2020: MagicFest Portland, USA (canceled)
Players Tours
Series 3
- October 9-11, 2020: Players Tour Americas - Washington DC, USA (canceled[1])
- October 16–18, 2020: Players Tour Europe - Barcelona, Spain (canceled)
- October 17–18, 2020: Players Tour Asia-Pacific: Sydney, Australia (canceled)
- Players Tour Finals (Series 3) (canceled)
Series 4
Canceled
Series 5
Canceled
References
- ↑ a b c d Wizards of the Coast (May 20, 2020). "What's Next For the Magic Esports 2020 Partial Season". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Elaine Chase (August 14, 2019). "The Future of Magic Esports". Magic Esports.
- ↑ Elaine Chase (May 29, 2020). "2020 MagicFest And The Future of Tabletop Magic Esports". Magic.gg.
- ↑ a b c d Wizards of the Coast (July 14, 2020). "Announcing The 2020-2021 Magic Esports Season". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July 14). "The 2020-2021 Magic Pro League Season Overview". Magic.gg.
- ↑ a b c Ben Drago and Bear Watson (August 27, 2020). "Esports Update: Changes to 2020-2021 Magic Pro League Play". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 29, 2020). "Upcoming MTG Arena Ranked Season Qualification and Players Tour Qualifiers". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Corbin Hosler (December 4, 2020). "Zendikar Rising Championship Day 1 Highlights". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Elaine Chase (May 29, 2020). "2020 MagicFest And The Future of Tabletop Magic Esports". Magic.gg.