Editor's Note: Added the section on rarity shifts for some Special Guests cards.

In this edition:


Aetherdrift logo

Aetherdrift Careens into MTG Arena Tomorrow!

Grab preorders before they're gone! Bundles available only until release on February 11.

Racers! Ignite your engines! Tomorrow, February 11, the biggest and wildest race you've ever seen tears out across the Multiverse and into MTG Arena!

Have you grabbed a preorder bundle yet? Don't get left idling at the starting line: you still have time to purchase your preorder before the update starts Tuesday morning, February 11. Once the update starts, they're gone forever!

Also kicking off is whole fleet of Aetherdrift events you can start playing after release on February 11:

Plus, be sure to catch this week's Midweek Magic event, Jump into Aetherdrift. Select packets of Aetherdrift cards to make a deck and play! Entry is free for a fun taste of the new set. Midweek Magic begins on Tuesday, February 11, at 2 p.m. PT and runs until Thursday, February 13 at 2 p.m. PT.


A Closer Look at MTG Arena Achievements

We have more details on achievements and titles for you this week! Senior Designer Max Manco takes you through the system to show you what you can earn through achievements, including titles.

Check out more details in Grant Reid's updated achievements article, where you will also find lists of achievements, titles, as well as other rewards like stickers, sleeves, and more.


February Best-of-One Qualifier Play-In This Saturday

February Qualifier Play-In, Friday, February 15

Your first shot at scoring a quick pass into the February Qualifier Weekend event happens this Saturday, February 15. Bring your Historic deck to the Best-of-One Qualifier Play-In event and play against some of the best players in MTG Arena, all vying for that invitation to the Qualifier Weekend and that next step toward Arena Championship 9!


Win a Collector Booster Box in Arena Direct: Aetherdrift

Arena Direct: Aetherdrift, win a Collector Booster box

The stakes have been raised for Arena Direct: Aetherdrift, coming February 21–23: this time you can win a Collector Booster box in Aetherdrift Sealed Best-of-One matches!

Each Collector Booster box contains 12 Collector Boosters, which can have some of the sweetest collectible pulls around, plus a first-place Box Topper pack. Arena Direct: Aetherdrift kicks off Friday, February 21, at 8 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC) and then closes to entries at 6 a.m. PT (14:00 UTC) on February 24, so don't miss it!


Rarities for Crafting Special Guests Cards in Aetherdrift

As we mentioned last week, some of the Special Guests cards in Aetherdrift will have their rarities adjusted to facilitate crafting them with wildcards for your collections (for those cards with rarity changes, this will not affect how often they appear in packs):

Cardname Rarity
Cavalier of Dawn Mythic Rare*
Chrome Mox Mythic Rare*
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship Mythic Rare*
Bone Miser Rare
Chandra's Ignition Rare
Lord of the Undead Rare
Pathbreaker Ibex Rare
Whir of Invention Rare
Galvanic Blast Common
Thoughtcast Common

*Indicates no change in rarity.


Event Schedule

Events open at 8 a.m. PT on their starting dates (excluding Midweek Magic) and close to entries at 8 a.m. PT (UTC-08:00) on the ending date shown unless otherwise noted.

Midweek Magic

Midweek Magic events open on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. PT and close to new entries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT (UTC-08:00).

  • February 11–13: Jump into Aetherdrift
  • February 18–20: Aetherdrift Constructed
  • February 25–27: Standard Pauper
  • March 4–6: Into the Future

Quick Draft

  • February 1–15: Bloomburrow
  • February 16–25: Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Other Events

  • February 21–23: Historic Metagame Challenge
  • March 4–18: Alchemy: Aetherdrift Premier Draft

February Qualifier Events – Historic

  • February 15: Best-of-One Play-In
  • February 21: Best-of-Three Play-In
  • February 22–23: Qualifier Weekend

Competitive Play Schedule

All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-08:00).

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!

February

  • Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-One)
    February 15, 6 a.m. PT–February 16, 3 a.m. PT
    • Format: Historic
  • Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
    February 21, 6 a.m. PT–February 22, 3 a.m. PT
    • Format: Historic
  • Qualifier Weekend
    February 22, 6 a.m. PT–February 23, 4 p.m. PT
    • Format: Historic

February 2025 Ranked Season

The February 2025 Ranked Season begins January 31, 2025, at 12:05 p.m. PT (UTC-08:00) and ends February 28, 2025, at 12 p.m. PT (UTC-08:00).

  • Bronze Reward: 1 Aetherdrift pack
  • Silver Reward: 1 Aetherdrift pack + 500 gold
  • Gold Reward: 2 Aetherdrift packs + 1,000 gold + Spell Pierce card style
  • Platinum Reward: 3 Aetherdrift packs + 1,000 gold + Spell Pierce card style + District Mascot card style
  • Diamond Reward: 4 Aetherdrift packs + 1,000 gold + Spell Pierce card style + District Mascot card style
  • Mythic Reward: 5 Aetherdrift packs + 1,000 gold + Spell Pierce card style + District Mascot card style
February Ranked Season Aetherdrift Spell Pierce card style reward
February Ranked Season Aetherdrift District Mascot card style reward