There's a new way to draft, and it's swinging into Magic sooner than you think. Pick-Two Draft is a brand-new way to play, offering all the fun of Limited for four-player pods. Attendees of recent MagicCons may have seen us playtest this format, but we're excited to make it official. Grab three friends and twelve Play Boosters: it's time to draft!

A Four-Player Draft Format? What Is Pick-Two Draft?

Pick-Two Draft is our dedicated four-person draft format, and its name tells you everything you need to know! It's designed to be played with four players as opposed to Draft's usual eight-person pods. If you have a group you usually play Commander with, Pick-Two Draft is a great way to mix up your Magic nights.

Pick-Two Draft events play out similarly to other Draft events but with a few key differences. When you open your first Play Booster, you take two cards from it and pass it to the left. You repeat this process, taking two cards each time and passing to the left, until there are no more cards being passed. Then, you open your second Play Booster, pick two cards, and pass to the right. You'll do the same for the third Play Booster, taking two cards, passing to the left, and repeating the process.

After you've completed the draft, you'll build a 40-card deck out of the cards you've drafted and any number of basic lands. You'll then play against one of the other drafters, with the winning players from the first round pairing up and the other two players also pairing up. The winner walks away with the greatest prize of all: bragging rights (plus any other prizes if this is an official event).

Where Can I Play Pick-Two Draft?

Looking to try Pick-Two Draft? You may already have! We've been including Pick-Two Draft as part of our lineup of ticketed play and on-demand events at MagicCons, letting you meet new friends while playing this new format. We plan to host Pick-Two Draft events at future MagicCons, so keep an eye out for this format at MagicCon: Atlanta in September.

Pick-Two Draft events are a great way to sneak in some games between panels or live events, as the format is very fast. In our playtests, pods have been able to draft, build decks, and play a set of matches in 90 minutes or less! That means more time to play more Magic.

Additionally, you can play Pick-Two Draft using any Magic: The Gathering booster packs. While the format is designed primarily with Play Boosters in mind, there's nothing stopping you from playing Pick-Two Draft with booster packs from across Magic's history.

Since this is an official format, your local game store may also host sanctioned Pick-Two Draft events. We're excited for you to enjoying this fun new format at your local game store in the near future.

We're excited for you to experience this new way to draft, whether it's at your local game store or at home with friends. You can prepare for Pick-Two Draft events by preordering Magic's upcoming offerings from your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.