I normally like to have some coherent narrative or point to these posts. I treat them more as articles than journal entries. However, it is still a blog. This post is going to be mostly me trying to work out how I feel about the recent events in the world of MtG.
Losing What Was Promised
Thanks to Austin Bursavich, the announcement about changes to the upcoming RPT and other events was not a surprise. It was still a disappointment. It feels like an opportunistic move to kill the paper events I've been in love with for over 20 years. I could have understood an indefinite delay with a creation of a separate, online-only circuit to fill the time until we can return to the convention halls. Removing a significant amount of the previously advertised prize support is just a further slap in the face.
I understand that MTG Arena is the future, but I don't think that means we should cut ties with the past. Since Pro Tour 1 in New York almost 25 years ago, there has been a connected string of events that looks to be ending now. Despite the many rebrandings and changes to the structures, you could always finish in the top 50 or top 25 or whatever record you needed, and you would get to play the next event. Hopefully there is something in the future to keep this lineage going.
Losing any kind of status that I may have currently hurts a bit. This has been by far my most successful run on the Professional level. I was qualified for the next PT and had 95% partial invite to the following one. I was confident I could play all three this year and hopefully more into the next year. I have nothing to show for any of it now except an online 15 round standard event with effectively GP level prizes. I've been close before. In 2012 I had a great run of GP success and had played in 3 out of 4 PTs. This was good enough to get me Silver level in the first year of its existence. Unfortunately, Silver benefits at the time were basically nothing. Later on, they would add a PT invitation to the Silver status, but I never got one. It could have been 5 out of 6 PTs. It could have been something. This could have been something, too.
It was upsetting that there wouldn't be stocked Arena accounts. They gave everyone going to MCII early access to WAR events just last year, but somehow couldn't do it for this? The tin-foil hat people say they only withheld the accounts to appear like they were compromising on something after the expected backlash came. They probably are close to the truth.
I was hopeful after the announcement of the Arena Open. I was looking forward to actually having an event to prepare for. The PT announcement was also another event I could prepare for. Standard isn't at a great place, so that is frustrating, but at least it was something. I started playing my way through the format to get a feel.
Then they banned Austin.
Snitch or Die
It is hard for me to even put into words how brutal the action is. It seems without any warning they took the most extreme measure on an outsider in order to try to solve what is clearly an internal problem. Austin wasn't the only one with access to the "privileged" information. He was the one that shared it to a much broader audience, but it was already out there. No one with any real connection was surprised by what he was saying.
The MPL response has been gross. They keep claiming that it wasn't a huge advantage the way Austin and others have said. That almost certainly implies that they think it is at least a slight advantage, and that they are okay with having a slight advantage. As if being one of the best players in the world with a salary to support full time Magic playing wasn't an advantage enough! Perhaps the NDA is keeping their true feelings at bay. I have much more respect for the MPL / Rivals members who haven't said anything, or at least haven't tried to minimize the negative actions of WotC.
I don't know what to do. I was ready to start playing again. I had purchased some gems for Arena to get some decks built, despite knowing I would have access to a full account. I wanted to get back into the thick of it. I spent a holiday weekend relaxing and having a good time, but my mood was ruined on Sunday night.
I will try to get a refund for my Arena purchase. I don't know how hard to prepare for the upcoming RPT event. I'm still tempted to register 60 basics and collect my minimum prize for showing up. They've shown their cards. They are spineless and I don't know if I can support them in the future.
How Do I Even Feel About Magic?
I have always loved Magic. For the longest time, I wasn't sure how much more I loved it than the average players, or average PTQ grinder. It was probably well above average. I'm clearly not the biggest fan, but likely in the top 1000 or so.
My office at home is decorated with my trophies and memorabilia from various Magic events. I own an excessive amount of Magic cards. I will always play the game at some level. Maybe in the future that is just Old School and related formats.
The last Magic event I played was the RPT in Phoenix. It was one of the most satisfying events I've ever played. I remember getting dinner on Saturday night with two of my best friends and teammates Will Lowry and Collin Rountree. We all had a successful event on some level. We all made money in the tournament. We were all qualified for the next event. Our larger team had put 4 players in the top 8 and many more in the top 50. Our processed had worked. It wasn't my favorite trip, or my favorite tournament, or even my favorite after-event hangout experience. It was full of hope though, and that felt like the best thing ever at the time.
And now that hope is gone.
