Magic Arenahas become stronger since release, with players flocking to the game to satisfy theirMagic the Gathering(MTG) itch - particularly at a time when players may not want to play in person. The game’s popularity brings it in-league withHearthstone, and with new digital-only formats being introduced as sets are getting released onMagic Arenafirst, it’s likely to increase in prominence further. However,Magic Arenais still missing its most popular format: Commander.
In the Commander format, all sets coveringMagic the Gathering’s history of cardsare legal, which means players have an incredible amount of agency to build their dream deck. The massive popularity of Commander has led to consistent requests and demands to introduce the format inMagic Arena. There are many reasons why it should be in the digital platform, even beyond this player demand.
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Commander Format in the Magic Space
With theMagicfranchise continuing to expand, Wizards of the Coast seems to have acknowledged Commander’s popularity. Commander-only products are run in conjunction with each new set release, and there is a rules committee to ensure the format is as balanced as possible. In Commander, due to the larger amount of health that players have and the ease of establishing mana bases with less threats, cards that may not find a home in other formats are an easier consideration. Commander opensMTGup to a variety of new ways to utilize cards from every set, enabling aspects such as political, tribal, group-hug decks, and far more.
WithMagic Arenabeing a digital format, players have a single source for finding and utilizing their cards. WhileMagic Arenadoesn’t have the completeMTGlibrary, there are still a huge amount of cards available that could easily establish a Commander format. On top of this, every month the number of new products added toMagic Arenagrows. Wizards of the Coast is able toadd to theMagic Arenacard pool with ease, buffing out styles like Alchemy, Jumpstart, and Historic through limited-time events. There’s no reason to think that adding more cards or formats would be an issue forMagic Arena.
Wizards of the Coast could alsointroduce its massive list of Commander-specific productsintoMagic Arena, such as pre-constructed decks and format-dedicated cards - which would automatically validate a huge number of deck archetypes and strategies. Exploring the digital space, such as with Alchemy cards (Arena’s digital-only format), could expand the Commander format further, enabling opportunities onMagic Arenathat would not be possible on paper.
Growing Arena for MTG Fans
Magic Arenais no stranger to Commander-like formats. Brawl, especially Historic Brawl, is similar to Commander and is popular among the digital community. Brawl has become a crucial format forMagic Arenabecause players do not need to deal as much with the game’s economy.MTGand its many formats revolve around players having sets of cards, often at high rarity, in order to make legible decks. This can turn players off because of theexpense of creating a playableMagic Arenadeckin competitive formats, such as Standard and Historic.
In the Commander and Brawl formats, this is much less of a problem. The format is more accessible to new players, whether they are spending money or not. Introducing the Commander format, along with its supplementary products, would only benefit both new and existing players, and ensure thecontinuing expansion ofMagic Arena.
While there areconcerns over the technical limitations ofMagic Arenato implement formats beyond 2v2, there’s no reason to consider it an impossible undertaking.MTGOsuccessfully implemented Commander almost 30 years old. Introducing a Commander format toMagic Arenawould be a win both for players and for Wizards of the Coast, so it may simply be a matter of time.
Magic Arenais available now for Mobile and PC.
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