MTG Will Announce New Standard Bans Later This Month
Magic: The Gathering recently had a big shake-up in what is widely seen to be its "primary" tournament format, Standard. Instead of being based on a three-year cycle, Standard will move to a shorter two-year cycle in a move that Wizards of the Coast hopes will revitalize the format.
Additionally, Magic's ban announcements will become more regular and somewhat less frequent. Speaking during today's WeeklyMTG, principle game designer Andrew Brown confirmed most ban announcements will now happen on an annual basis.
Related: Magic: The Gathering's Longer Standard Rotation Is A Small Step In The Right Direction
"The largest reason that we've heard from the community is that we are banning too frequently, too randomly," said Brown. "It was really hurting too many players, [and] we really want to ensure that people have confidence and that this will only happen once per year."
While the largest bans that span the most sets will take place once a year, Brown said that Wizards of the Coast will also provide itself some flexibility with a smaller ban window of three weeks after the release of a new set. This allows Magic's designers to remove problematic cards on an emergency basis should something slip through development.
Magic's next ban announcement will take place on Memorial Day, May 29, and be limited to just the Standard format. This will be Magic's last "special" ban date, with the new normal of annual bans picking up in the following weeks just before the release of Wilds of Eldraine. It will also focus on Magic's older formats while May 29th's announcements will stick to Standard.
As for what Magic players can expect to see banned, Reddit has a trio of likely suspects: Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Invoke Despair,
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