The Standard format is returning to competitive play this month at the third MTG Arena Championship of the 2022-2023 season.
Digital organized Magic: The Gathering play resumes through the third MTG Arena Championship of the 2022-2023 season, featuring March of the Machine Draft and Standard Constructed matches.
A total of 32 MTG players from around the globe will compete at the third MTG Arena Championship for a chance to play at the Magic World Championship. The main format at the tournament is Standard Constructed. And it’s likely the last time cards like Fable of the Mirror-Breaker may get played in the Standard format since multiple MTG card bans are slated to take place after the tournament on May 29.
Related: 5 MTG Standard cards everyone hates that won’t rotate until 2024
When is MTG Arena Championship 3?
Showcasing MOM Draft and Standard Constructed, the MTG Arena Championship will run from May 27 to 28. Each of the players earned an invite to the digital tournament by winning a Weekend Qualifier, a monthly tournament through MTG Arena. Top players will advance to the World Championship stage while all players can earn a slice of the $200,000 prize pool.
The MTG Arena Championship will have a live broadcast through Twitch that starts at 11am CT on both May 27 and 28.
What is the format?
With only 32 players competing at the third MTG Arena Championship, top-eight cuts will take place after a total of nine Swiss rounds. Day one showcases three rounds of MOM Draft, followed by three rounds of Standard Constructed.
Day two contains three more rounds of Standard Constructed, in which the top eight players will get decided. And the remainder of day two will showcase the top eight playoff rounds.
All matches played during the MTG Arena Championship playoffs are best-of-three matches and not games. A total of seven wins will automatically advance a player into the top-eight playoffs.
