A total of 32 of the best Magic: The Gathering digital players competed in the MTG Arena Championship for two World Championship seeds a piece of the $200,000 total prize pool.
The MTG Arena Championship 3 featured a Standard format that will likely drastically change on May 29. Players competed in March of the Machine (MOM) Draft and Standard Constructed over the course of two days, May 27 to 28, with the top two earning a direct invite to the 2022-2023 Magic World Championship taking place from Sept. 22 to 24.
All players earned invites to the third MTG Arena Championship through Qualifier Play-In and Qualifier Weekend tournaments played on the digital client. Similar to Pro Tour tabletop tournaments, Arena Championship tournaments take place around every four months, with the top two players earning a Worlds seed.
Related: MTG Pro Tour Minneapolis: Standings, scores, and format
May 27 MTG Arena Championship 3 standings
Day one of the MTG Arena Championship showcased three rounds of MOM Draft and three Swiss rounds of Standard Constructed. All of the 32 total players advanced to day two.
After six Swiss rounds, Noham Maubert, Austin Bursavich, Luciano Pellegrino, and Seth Manfield were sitting atop the leaderboard with 5-1 records. Close behind the leaders was Ondřej Stráský at 4-2 and Jonny Guttman at 3-3.
May 28 MTG Arena Championship 3 standings
Day two wrapped up the Standard Constructed Swiss rounds with three more games, determining the top eight players who advanced to the playoffs. Games played during the top eight playoffs were single elimination, with the final match having a best-of-three match format. Both players who made it to the final match earned invites to the 2022-2023 Magic World Championship.
Here were the top eight players who advanced to the MTG Arena Three Championship playoffs:
- Austin Bursavich: Jeskai Dragons
- Antonio Abreu: Selesnya Enchantments
- Benjamin Broadstone: Rakdos Breach
- Shota Kuze: Five-color Ramp
- Ondřej Stráský: Jeskai Dragons
- Noham Maubert: Azorius Soldiers
- Luciano Pellegrino: Rakdos Midrange
- Tim Schuafert: Mono-White Aggro
Only two players at the MTG Arena Championship Three brought Selesnya Enchantments as a Standard Constructed deck, with Antonio Abreu being one of them. Abreu faced off against Broadstone in the semifinals, who was the number eight seed heading into the top eight single elimination bracket.
Broadstone defeated Selesnya Enchantments and Abreu with Rakdos Breach, while Stráský defeated Pellegrino piloting Rakdos Midrange. Both Stráský (Jeskai Dragons) and Broadstone (Rakdos Breach) earned 2022-2023 Magic World Championship seeds as they battled for the MTG Arena Championship Three title in a best-of-three match format.
Rakdos Breach and Broadstone swept Stráský and his Jesakai Dragons deck in the final match. Both decks that earned the players an invite to Worlds may change on May 29 following the official MTG Banned and Restricted list reveal.
All screenshots via Wizards of the Coast.
