In this edition:

Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Release
(August 11)

0023_MTGHOB_Main: Ori, Keeper of Songs 0036_MTGHOB_Main: Elrond, Moon-Reader 0060_MTGHOB_Main: Along the Crooked Way 0091_MTGHOB_Main: Dáin Ironfoot 0142_MTGHOB_Main: Wood Elves 0155_MTGHOB_Main: Eagle's Rescue 0176_MTGHOB_Main: My Precious

Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit comes to MTG Arena tomorrow, August 11! Here are some reminders as you prepare for this release:

Arena Direct for Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Sealed
(August 14–23)

The first Arena Direct featuring Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit is this weekend! From August 14–23, this event will have players duel in Best-of-One matches of Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Sealed. Be among the first to compete with the new set and vie for the range of prizes at stake: gems and MTG Arena packs for three to six wins and, while supplies last, a Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Collector Booster box for seven wins!

Please visit the Arena Direct page and the official terms and conditions for more details regarding this event.

Banned and Restricted Announcement

0054_MTGTLA_Main: Gran-Gran 0075_MTGBLB_Main: Stormchaser's Talent 0167_MTGTLA_Main: Badgermole Cub

A new banned and restricted list update was published this morning. Effective today, the following cards are banned in Standard:

  • Gran-Gran
  • Stormchaser's Talent
  • Badgermole Cub

Players will receive up to one (1) wildcard for each banned card in their collection. As always, we recommend reading the article, as it contains a great deal more information on the changes being made, including insights and commentary on many MTG Arena and tabletop formats.

Event Schedule

The full Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes event schedule can be found here. The full Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit event schedule is available here.

Competitive Play Schedule

All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-07:00; UTC-08:00 after November 1).

Premier Play

Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month's Qualifier Weekend events.

Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events.

Qualifier tokens earned through seasonal rewards are delivered to your MTG Arena inbox. Remember to claim them before the event starts!

August Qualifier Format: Timeless

  • August 22: Best-of-One Qualifier Play-In
  • August 28: Best-of-Three Qualifier Play-In
  • August 29–30: Qualifier Weekend

August Season Rewards

Players will receive their rewards for the August 2026 season at the start of the September 2026 ranked season (12:05 p.m. PT on August 31).

You must have played at least one ranked game in the respective format to receive seasonal rewards.

  • Bronze Reward: 1 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit pack
  • Silver Reward: 1 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit pack + 500 gold
  • Gold Reward: 2 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit packs + 1,000 gold + Dwarven Mauler card style
  • Platinum Reward: 3 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit packs + 1,000 gold + Dwarven Mauler and Elven Passage card styles
  • Diamond Reward: 4 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit packs + 1,000 gold + Dwarven Mauler and Elven Passage card styles
  • Mythic Reward: 5 Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit packs + 1,000 gold + Dwarven Mauler and Elven Passage card styles
Dwarven Mauler (Depth Art) Elven Passage (Depth Art)