EVENTS: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

EVENTS: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

2017 World Championship Event Information

October 6-8, 2017

The Castle at Park Plaza & Revere Hotel
130 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
USA

Official hashtag: #MTGChamp

General Information

24 of the world’s best players and the two best teams of the 2016-17 season will compete at the Castle at Park Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts featuring three days, multiple formats, and a grand total of $350,000 being awarded.

The 24 competitors in the Magic: The Gathering World Championship main event will compete from October 6-8 across 14 rounds of Swiss and a Top 4 playoff for their share of a $300,000 prize pool, with a cool $100,000 going to the winner.

The Top two teams from the 2016-17 Pro Tour Team Series will compete on Sunday for their share of a little over $50,000 and the title of 2016-17 Team Series Champion.

2017 World Championship Competitors

  • Lucas Esper Berthoud

    Lucas Esper Berthoud

    Pro Tour Aether Revolt Champion

    Lucas Esper Berthoud cemented the story of the DEX Army teams at Pro Tour Aether Revolt, coming out ahead in a final match that represented Latin America's dominance at the event.

  • Samuel Black

    Samuel Black

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Samuel Black's impressive semifinals finish at Pro Tour Hour of Devastation—in his third Pro Tour Top 8—pushed him ahead of the pack during the last weekend, ensuring his place at the World Championship.

  • Christian Calcano

    Christian Calcano

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Christian Calcano's breakthrough season was 2017-18. It was the year in which he got his first Pro Tour Top 8, Platinum in the Pro Club for the first time, and it'll also be his debut at the World Championship.

  • Márcio Carvalho

    Márcio Carvalho

    European Geo-Region Champion

    2016 World Championship finalist Márcio Carvalho returns this year for another shot at the title thanks to his dominating performance during the first half of the 2016-17 season.

  • Kelvin Chew

    Kelvin Chew

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Singapore competitor Kelvin Chew propelled himself to Platinum in the Pro Club for the very first time in 2016-17 with a solid season at Pro Tours and Grand Prix, as he makes his World Championship debut.

  • Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa

    Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa

    Pro Tour Hour of Devastation Champion and Latin-America Geo-Region Champion

    Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa added to his legacy with a twelfth Pro Tour Top 8 and a second Pro Tour title in Kyoto, Japan's tournament, locking up 2016-17 Player of the Year with his victory.

  • Javier Dominguez

    Javier Dominguez

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Spain competitor Javier Dominguez has been a quietly dominating competitor. While a Pro Tour Top 8 has barely eluded him twice, the World Championship will be his chance to rise among the game's best.

  • Reid Duke

    Reid Duke

    North American Geo-Region Champion

    Two Grand Prix titles and a solid season at the Pro Tour secured Reid Duke top honors for North America in 2016-17 and an invitation to the World Championship, alongside his Peach Garden Oath brethren, Owen and Huey.

  • Eric Froehlich

    Eric Froehlich

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Eric Froehlich wraps up the 2017 World Championship's Top Pro Points invitations, as his Pro Tour Amonkhet Top 8 finish gave him just enough of a push to stay ahead of the pack after the conclusion of the season.

  • William Jensen

    William Jensen

    Top Pro Point Earner

    William "Huey" Jensen powered across the finish line to earn his invitation to the World Championship, thanks in part to his back-to-back Grand Prix victories in Cleveland and Kyoto.

  • Martin Jůza

    Martin Jůza

    2016-17 Draft Master

    Pro Tour Hall of Fame-elect Martin Jůza had a phenomenal season, but shined particularly bright during the draft rounds of 2016-17's Pro Tours. His Limited skills earned him the Draft Master title along with his invitation.

  • Lee Shi Tian

    Lee Shi Tian

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Widely regarded as the Asia's best Magic player outside of Japan, Lee Shi Tian added a fifth Pro Tour Top 8 to his resume in 2016-17, returning him once again to compete on Magic's biggest stage.

     

  • Seth Manfield

    Seth Manfield

    Top Pro Point Earner

    2015 World Champion Seth Manfield returns to Magic's biggest stage thanks in part to a solid 2016-17 season, capped off with his third Pro Tour Top 8 in Kyoto, Japan.

  • Martin Müller

    Martin Müller

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Danish pro Martin Müller has the career of a future legend, with two Pro Tour Top 8s to his name at nineteen-years-old. The young competitor returns to the World Championship for the third year in a row.

  • Brad Nelson

    Brad Nelson

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Brad Nelson returns to the World Championship after a successful year with team Genesis, which featured multiple solid Pro Tour finishes and a Grand Prix victory in Omaha.

  • Samuel Pardee

    Samuel Pardee

    Top Pro Points Earner

    Samuel Pardee returns to the World Championship for a second consecutive year following an incredibly successful finale for his 2016-17 season at Pro Tour Hour of Devastation.

     

  • Sebastian Pozzo

    Sebastian Pozzo

    2016-17 Standard Master

    Argentina's Sebastian Pozzo has been a recurring competitor at the Pro Tour for a few years, and one of Latin America's bright young competitors. His Standard expertise at Pro Tours locked in his invitation to Worlds.

  • Donald Smith

    Donald Smith

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Donald Smith made his Pro Tour Sunday stage debut at Pro Tour Aether Revolt in Dublin, Ireland, where he made it to the semifinals. A fantastic season for him has earned Smith his first World Championship invitation.

  • Gerry Thompson

    Gerry Thompson

    Pro Tour Amonkhet Champion

    Game designer, content creator, and fan favorite Gerry Thompson made the most of his second Pro Tour Top 8, winning his first major title in Nashville, Tennessee to earn his invitation to the World Championship.

  • Owen Turtenwald

    Owen Turtenwald

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Two-time Player of the Year Owen Turtenwald returns once again to the Magic: The Gathering World Championship, this time as a member of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, following another incredible season.

  • Josh Utter-Leyton

    Josh Utter-Leyton

    Magic Online Champion

    Pro Tour Hall of Fame-elect Josh Utter-Leyton went from uncertainty on the Pro Tour to a guarantee to stay for the next season, winning the Magic Online Championship to secure Platinum and his Worlds invite.

  • Yuuya Watanabe

    Yuuya Watanabe

    Asia-Pacific Geo-Region Champion

    Yuuya Watanabe returns to the modern-day World Championship for the sixth consecutive year as Asia-Pacific's champion. He is the sole competitor to have competed in every World Championship since 2012.

     

  • Shota Yasooka

    Shota Yasooka

    Pro Tour Kaladesh Champion

    Pro Tour Hall of Famer Shota Yasooka earned his spot at the World Championship early in the season thanks to his win at Pro Tour Kaladesh, his fourth lifetime Pro Tour Top 8.

  • Ken Yukuhiro

    Ken Yukuhiro

    Top Pro Point Earner

    Ken Yukuhiro's Top 4 finish at Pro Tour Amonkhet, combined with a solid series of finishes all season long, propelled him to the top of the standings, earning him a World Championship invitation based on Pro Points.

     

  • MORE TO COME!

2016-17 Team Series Championship

The Top 2 teams from the 2016-17 Pro Tour Team Series will compete the Team Series Championship on Sunday, October 8, for their share of over $50,000! The Team Series Championship will take place first, and will be followed by the Top 4 playoff of the World Championship.

Live Streaming Video

Follow live streaming video coverage of the 2017 Magic: The Gathering World Championship on twitch.tv/magic October 6-8! More details to come!

Player Information

The 2017 Magic: The Gathering World Championship will take place at:

The Castle at Park Plaza & Revere Hotel
130 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
USA

Formats for Friday: 3 rounds of Ixalan Booster Draft, 4 rounds of Standard Constructed
Formats for Saturday: 3 rounds of Ixalan Booster Draft, 4 rounds of Standard Constructed
Formats for Sunday (Team Series Championship): Ixalan Team Sealed
Formats for Sunday (Top 4 Playoff): Standard Constructed

Nearest Airport: Boston Logan International Airport

More information on hall hours will be available closer to the event.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

The Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules and Infraction & Penalty Guide are in effect for this event unless specifically overruled by information in this Format document.

Day One will consist of 3 rounds of Ixalan Booster Draft, followed by 4 rounds of Standard Constructed.

Day Two will consist of 3 rounds of Ixalan Booster Draft, followed by 4 rounds of Standard Constructed.

Day Three will consist of two parts: The Team Series Championship, and the Top 4 Playoff.

The Team Series Championship will be Ixalan Team Sealed.

The Top 4 Playoff will be Standard Constructed.

For the World Championship:

  • 14 Swiss Rounds total, 60 minutes per round.
  • When time is called, the active player will finish the turn and five additional turns will be taken.
  • Stalling and slow play rules will be strictly enforced during the tournament.
  • All players may participate in all 14 Swiss rounds on Friday and Saturday’s competition.
  • The Top 4 players after Round 14 will advance to Sunday’s single-elimination playoff rounds.

Team Series Championship

The Team Series Championship will consist of Ixalan Team Sealed, in which both teams split into two groups of three.

Teams will construct decks on [Day Goes Here]?, with each group within their team receiving 12 booster packs from which to construct a total of three decks per group. The two groups may help either during deck construction. Deck building takes place before Sunday, and the tournament staff will hold onto card pools and decks until Sunday’s play once teams have finished deck construction.

Match play with the Team Sealed decks will take place on Sunday, October 8, to start the day. The groups in each team will be paired against one another randomly, and will two groups that face off will play one at a time.

All matches for the Team Series Championship are best two-out-of-three. When two team members in a single group have won two games, their group is declared the winner of the entire match.

If, at the end of two team matches, one team has won both, that team will be declared the Team Series Championship. If both teams are tied at the end of two matches, the winning group from each team will face off to determine a winner.

The Team Series Championship will consist of Ixalan Team Sealed, in which both teams split into two groups of three.

Teams will construct their decks on a day that will be announced as we get closer to the event, with each group within their team receiving 12 booster packs from which to construct a total of three decks per group. The two groups may help either during deck construction. Deck building takes place before Sunday, and the tournament staff will hold onto card pools and decks until Sunday’s play once teams have finished deck construction.

Match play with the Team Sealed decks will take place on Sunday, October 8, to start the day. The groups in each team will be paired against one another randomly.

All matches for the Team Series Championship are best two-out-of-three. When two team members in a single group have won two games, their group is declared the winner of the entire match.

If, at the end of two team matches, one team has won both, that team will be declared the Team Series Championship. If both teams are tied at the end of two matches, the winning group from each team will face off to determine a winner.

  • Playoff matches will be best 3 out of 5.
  • The first two games played in a 3 out of 5 playoff match on Sunday are pre-sideboard games. After Game 2 is completed, players may exchange cards from their deck for cards in their sideboard.
  • Standings after the Swiss rounds will be used to determine final order in the standings for losing players in the semifinal playoff round.
  • While there are no time limits in the playoff rounds, players are expected to play at a reasonable pace and finish their matches within 90 minutes.
  • For the first game of each match in the playoff, the player that finished higher in the Swiss rounds chooses either to play first or to play second. For subsequent games in each playoff match, the usual Play/Draw rule applies (loser of the previous game decides whether to play first in the next game).
  • Planeswalker Points Multiplier 12x (Lifetime Total only), REL: Professional.
  • Players are required to use the same Standard Constructed decks turned in to tournament staff for all days of competition.

Social Media

Media Requests

Please send an email to press@wizards.com if you wish to set up a media credential for the 2016 Magic: The Gathering World Championship. Wizards of the Coast asks that all media requests be submitted according to this schedule:

Video coverage: By September 8 (4 weeks prior to the event)

Non-video coverage: By September 22 (two weeks prior to the event)

Requests made after that date, including requests made on-site, may be denied.

Prize Structure

Place Amount
1 $100,000
2 $50,000
3-4 $25,000
5-8 $10,000
9-16 $5,000
17-24 $2,500
Total $300,000

The winner of the 2017 Magic: The Gathering World Championship is also granted Platinum for the remainder of the 2017-18 season as well as the first cycle in the new Pro Tour Players Club following the conclusion to the 2017-18 annual season.

Pro Points

  • One Professional Point is awarded for each match won after a player’s third match win in the tournament in the Swiss rounds.
  • Two Professional Points are awarded for each match won in the Top 4 playoff rounds.
  • No professional Points are awarded for losses and draws.
Place Per Player Per Team
1st $6,000 $36,000
2nd $2,400 14,400
Total   50,400

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