Next year, we're bringing tons of new events and exciting play opportunities to Magic for competitive players and casual fans alike, with growing access to even more of our best offerings around the world. That means more prizes, more high-stakes action, and more places to play! Read on to learn more.

Pioneer Returns!

MTG Arena already announced that they are supporting the return of Pioneer with their first Arena Championship of 2027, and we're happy to confirm that the third round of the 2026–27 Regional Championship, running April 10 to May 23, 2027, will also be Pioneer!

This will give players worldwide an opportunity to see Pioneer across a series of competitive events before the format returns to Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs) starting with the second RCQ round of 2027–28, which runs from July 3 to September 26, 2027. That RCQ round will follow the first round of 2027–28, which runs from April 10 through June 27, 2027, and will feature Modern. We'll have more info about both of those rounds in 2027 on the Magic.gg website.

And if you've been following closely, you may know what comes next!

Four Regional Championships and Qualifier Rounds

Some of you may have noticed that the round length is shorter than it has been for recent rounds.

The next change we're bringing into 2027 is moving from three rounds in a Regional Championship season to four rounds, giving players more chances to compete and qualify for the highest levels of Magic, which are about to get even bigger!

A Fourth Pro Tour

Starting in 2028, we will support four Pro Tour events in addition to the World Championship! This fourth Pro Tour will carry on the Limited excitement of 2027's Limited Championship. We will be sunsetting the Limited Championship after 2027 to make room for the fourth Pro Tour. And since we've heard your feedback about how much love there is for Limited, the fourth Pro Tour taking place starting in 2028 will feature an all-Limited tournament structure, giving fans of 40-card formats a cannot-miss event to qualify for!

But you don't have to wait until 2028 for big events. Here's the full breakdown for the Spotlight Series in 2027!

Magic Spotlight Series

The Magic Spotlight Series is back for 2027, now with CommandFests hosted alongside! You can read up on all the details for Magic Spotlight: Star Trek and Magic Spotlight: Nauctis on Magic.gg. For a broad overview of our upcoming schedule, we've got all the information below.

Announcing Magic Spotlight Series Events for 2027

Magic Spotlight Series Logo

We're pleased to announce that we're adding another two Magic Spotlight Series events to the schedule, bringing the total up to fourteen from twelve in 2026. This year will also feature the fun, fan-favorite Team Limited format, and more Limited events in general, opening the field for a new crop of Magic players. Today, we're excited to announce all of our Spotlight Series offerings for 2027. You can also check out the full video walkthrough of this schedule below.

  • Magic Spotlight: Star Trek — Limited Format
    • Minneapolis, US: January 9–10, 2027 — hosted by Star City Games
    • Lille, France: January 9–10, 2027 — hosted by Fanfinity
  • Magic Spotlight: Nauctis — Limited Format
  • Magic Spotlight: Marvel Darkhold Destiny — Modern Format
    • Seattle, US: April 24–25, 2027 — hosted by Star City Games
    • Beijing, China: May 22–23, 2027 — hosted by Kadou
  • Magic Spotlight: Kamigawa Titanbreach — Limited Format
  • Magic Spotlight: TBC — Team Limited Format
    • Washington, DC: August 14–15, 2027 — hosted by Star City Games
    • Utrecht, Netherlands: September 4–5, 2027 — hosted by Fanfinity
    • Sydney, Australia: September 4–5, 2027 — hosted by Let's Play Games
  • Magic Spotlight: Zhalfir — Pioneer Format
    • Valencia, Spain: October 16–17, 2027 — hosted by Fanfinity
    • Dallas-Fort Worth, US: October 23–24, 2027 — hosted by Star City Games

We'll have more information on when you can register for these events soon, so keep an eye on Magic.gg, and read on for more details.

The Spotlight Series and CommandFest

Starting in 2027, each Magic Spotlight Series event will begin offering a CommandFest for fans of Commander. Players who sign up for full-weekend CommandFest packages will also receive the Magic Spotlight Series main event promo card in non-foil in addition to any dedicated CommandFest promo card offering.

For Commander players who are curious about getting into competitive Magic, the Spotlight Series two-day main event offers—in most cases for 2027's lineup—an approachable way to participate through Limited, the format focused around building a deck out of cards from sealed boosters most often seen at Prerelease. Most importantly, the expansion of Magic Spotlight Series stops to include CommandFest gives all fans of Magic even more options during the weekend and more opportunities to gather.

More details about specific 2027 Magic Spotlight Series and CommandFest events will be available later on Magic.gg, so stay tuned for more info.

Where Can I Watch the Spotlight Series?

Individual event organizers will provide coverage, working with top-tier casting talent, letting you watch the action live. Follow organizer channels for information on when and where to watch. We'll be posting event highlights on Play MTG social channels, with in-depth coverage and analysis on Magic.gg coming after the events. Follow us on: Bluesky, X (Twitter), and YouTube.

What Is the Spotlight Series?

Magic Spotlight Series events are open to all players, letting anyone play high-level Magic, win prizes, and gather to see who has the skill to claim Magic greatness. Centered around an open-field tournament—meaning you don't have to qualify beforehand—these two-day events offer cash prizes, promo cards, invitations to the Pro Tour, and a shot at the winner's trophy.

If you don't make it to the end of the main event, then no worries. You can still enjoy all the vendors, side events, special guests, and starting this year, CommandFest!

What Can I Win?

Each Magic Spotlight event (apart from Team Limited events) features a $50,000 prize pool. Additionally, each participant in the main event will receive a non-foil promo card, and the Top 128 players will also receive traditional foil copies of this promo card. The Top 8 players in each of these events will be awarded invitations to the Pro Tour. The overall winner will also bring home a trophy to commemorate their victory.

Magic Spotlight: Eclipse Trophy

Notably, a Spotlight Series theme in 2027 will use the Team Limited format across three events. These events will feature a $60,000 prize pool. Additionally, each member of each participating team will receive a non-foil promo card, and the Top 48 teams will receive traditional foil copies of this promo card. The Top 4 teams will earn Pro Tour invitations, for a total of twelve invitations awarded. Each member of the winning team will take home a trophy to commemorate their victory.