Qualifier Play-Ins and Qualifier Weekend Information

Qualifier Play-Ins are the first step on your journey to qualifying for the Pro Tour and Magic World Championship events through MTG Arena. There are both Best-of-One and Best-of-Three Qualifier Play-Ins, and events rotate between various Limited and Constructed formats.

The winners of Qualifier Play-Ins will earn a spot in a corresponding Arena Championship Qualifier Weekend. This article explains what an Arena Championship Qualifier Weekend is, what a Qualifier Play-In is, and how to earn an invitation to those events.

To skip ahead to more information on Arena Championship Qualifier Weekends, click here.

Qualifier Play-Ins

Qualifier Play-Ins are tournaments that grant invites to an Arena Championship Qualifier. Players can enter a Qualifier Play-In the following ways:

Qualifier Play-In Entry Options

• 20,000 Gold
• 4,000 Gems
• 20 Play-In Points

Additional means of invitation to a Qualifier Play-In event are provided at the sole discretion of Wizards of the Coast.

How do I earn Play-In Points?

Players who finish between rank 251 and rank 1,200 on either ranked ladder (Constructed or Limited) will earn 20 Play-In Points. Players can also earn Play-In Points with top finishes in some in-game events. More information is below.

Schedule

Qualifier Play-In events that will feed Arena Championship 10 (and the Qualifier Weekends they feed into) will take place on the following dates and times:

Important Notes:

• Players must be 18 years or older to compete in a Qualifier Play-In event.
• Players who are qualified for an Arena Championship are ineligible to compete in any Qualifier Play-Ins or Qualifier Weekends which feed that same Arena Championship, regardless of ranked-season standings.
• Multiple entries are allowed (including players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend Token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
  • The Saturday event is Best-of-One—six wins before two losses.
  • The Friday event is Best-of-Three—four wins without a loss.
• See the Qualifier Play-In rules and policies for additional details.

How to Earn Play-In Points

Events

Players who complete a course of the event types listed below with maximum wins will earn the amounts of Play-In Points shown:

Ranked Ladder Finishes

Players who rank 251–1,200 in either ranked ladder (Constructed or Limited) will be granted 20 Play-In Points during the first full week of the month following that ranked season. They will also receive an email invitation with their final standing as well as Qualifier Play-In details.

• Players are awarded only the prize for the single-highest finish between the two ladders:
  • Placing Top 250 on both ladders yields only one Qualifier Token.
  • Placing Top 250 on one ladder and Top 251–1,200 on the other ladder yields only the Qualifier Token (no Play-In Points).
  • Placing Top 251–1,200 on both ladders yields 20 Play-In Points.
• Players with an awarded Qualifier Token (usually from previous month's Arena Open) who finish Top 250 on one or both ladders earn 20 Play-In Points.

If you believe you have qualified or are due a grant of Play-In Points (via the ladder or via another method), and you do not see the Qualifier Token or Play-In Points on your account after the first full week of the month, please contact Customer Service as soon as possible.

Play-In Points continue to accumulate in accounts—even between Arena Championship seasons.

Ranked Season – Ladder Play

Players can typically earn the Qualifier Token by finishing in the Top 250 of either Constructed or Limited ranked play at the end of the ranked season.

Qualifier Play-In Information

Event Format

Each Month's Qualifier Weekend has a different format. There will always be a Bo1 and Bo3 Play-In that will match the format of the Qualifier Weekend that month. There may also be Bonus Play-In events with a different format to give more players an opportunity to earn Qualifier Weekend Tokens!

See the formats for upcoming Qualifier Weekends in the chart above.

Event Timelines

Best-of-One

Day One

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Queue opens.

• Once you begin a Qualifier Play-In course, no deck changes are permitted.
• Matches in Best-of-One will utilize a round timer of 30 minutes per player.
• Multiple entries are allowed (including those by players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend Token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
• Each course of the Best-of-One event completes when either six wins or two losses are reached.

Day Two

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Entry Window closes.

• Players must have clicked the green "Start" button and joined the matchmaking queue at least once prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline to begin playing their matches.
• Note that starting this late may cause you to not complete your course in time—please plan accordingly.

8 a.m. PT (15:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

9 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC): Event ends.

Best-of-Three

Friday

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Queue opens.

• Once you begin a Qualifier Play-In course, no deck changes are permitted.
• Multiple entries are allowed (including those by players who already hold a Qualifier Weekend Token), but all Qualifier Tokens earned beyond the first are redundant.
• Each course of the Best-of-Three event completes when either four wins or one loss is reached.

Saturday

3 a.m. PT (10:00 UTC): Entry window closes.

• Players must have clicked the green "Start" button and joined the matchmaking queue at least once prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline to begin playing their matches
• Note that starting this late may cause you to not complete your course in time—please plan accordingly.

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

• Note that this time is also the start of the 2-hour entry window for Qualifier Weekend Day One—please plan accordingly if you are playing near this deadline.

7 a.m. PT (14:00 UTC): Event ends.

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Arena Championship Qualifier Weekend

Arena Championship Qualifier Weekends are two-day events held on MTG Arena in which the top eligible players at the end of the event will receive invitations to compete in the next upcoming Arena Championship.

Important Notes:

• Players must be 18 years or older to compete in a Qualifier Weekend event.
• Players who are qualified for an Arena Championship are ineligible to compete in any Qualifier Play-Ins or Qualifier Weekends which feed that same Arena Championship, regardless of ranked-season standings.
• All days of competition feature Traditional (Best-of-Three) formats.
  • Qualification for Day One uses a Qualifier Token.
  • Top 250 in Constructed and Limited earn a Qualifier Badge, while Top 251–1,200 earn one free entry to a Qualifier Play-In (only the highest single award among the two rankings is granted).

Qualifier Weekends that provide invitations to that Championship will take place on the following dates:

Entry Window

• Each Qualifier Weekend event day has a specific 2-hour entry window—late entries cannot be accommodated. The entry window is between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. PT.

2025 Qualifier Weekend Invitation Paths

There are several paths to qualifying for a Qualifier Weekend:

• When finishing in the Top 250 in either Constructed or Limited in the previous month's ranked season:
  • Players are awarded only the prize for the single-highest finish between the two ladders:
    • Placing Top 250 on both ladders yields only one Qualifier Token.
    • Placing Top 250 on one ladder and Top 251–1,200 on the other yields only the Qualifier Token (no Play-In Points).
    • Placing Top 251–1,200 on both ladders yields 20 Play-In Points for Qualifier Play-In.
  • Players with an awarded Qualifier Token (usually from previous month's Arena Open) who finish Top 250 on one or both ladders earn 20 Play-In Points.
  • Ranked-season start and end dates are listed in the rules and policies section below.
• Finishing with maximum wins in a Qualifier Play-In event for that month
• Earning one to three wins in a Qualifier Weekend Day Two will get you a Day One invite token for the following month.
• Earning four to five wins in a Qualifier Weekend Day Two will get you a Day Two invite token for the following month.

Additional means of invitation to a Qualifier Weekend (either Day One or Day Two) are provided at the sole discretion of Wizards of the Coast.

2025 Qualifier Weekend Event Information

Event Formats

Each month's Qualifier Weekend has a different format. There will be Best-of-One and Best-of-Three Play-Ins that match the format of the Qualifier Weekend it qualifies you for. There may also be additional Play-In events that vary in format. See the formats for upcoming Qualifier Weekends in the chart above.

Qualifier Token Required for Entry

Players who have qualified for this month's event will see a Qualifier Token in the top-right corner of the screen beside the wildcard display and receive an email with initial event details and their final standing in the ranked ladder.

If you earn an invitation via a Wizards-approved tournament organizer, your Qualifier Token will be granted at the same time as ranked-season players in the month you qualified (i.e., if your event took place in June, you would receive your Qualifier Token by July 6).

The grant of Qualifier Tokens to accounts is a manual process completed by the date listed above following the ranked season's completion. Please wait to contact Customer Service until then to confirm your eligibility.

If you believe you have qualified (via the ladder or another method) and you do not see the Qualifier Token on your account after the date mentioned for the season you qualified, please contact Customer Service as soon as possible.

Players who finished in the Top 251–1,200 in the ranked season in either Constructed or Limited (and did not finish in the Top 250 in the other ladder) will be granted 20 Play-In Points by this date—more details can be found here.

Qualifier Weekend Schedule

Friday

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Players with the Qualifier Token (including those earned during the Friday Play-In event) will be able to see the Day One event.

Players who earn maximum wins in the Friday Play-In event will be awarded a Qualifier Token as part of their prize.

Players who hold a direct invitation to Day Two will receive a Day Two token by this time. Once the Day Two token is on their account, this group of players will only be able to see the Day Two event.

If you believe you have qualified but do not see the event in game, please contact Customer Service by the Friday before the Qualifier Weekend at 5 p.m. PT (midnight UTC Saturday). Failure to do so may prevent you from participating in the Qualifier Weekend.

Saturday

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Day One event begins—start of the two-hour entry window.

8 a.m. PT (15:00 UTC): Day One entry window closes.

• Players must have selected the green "Start" button and entered deck building prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline.
• For Sealed Deck formats, changes to the main deck's configuration are permitted between rounds.
• Players only get to compete in one course of the Day One event: seven wins or three losses.

4 p.m. PT (23:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

5 p.m. PT (midnight UTC Sunday): Day One ends.

Players who reach seven (7) match wins on Day One are eligible to play on Day Two and will receive a Day Two token. The Day Two event should be visible to players with a token, but players will be unable to join this event until the next day. If you do not see the event, contact Customer Service as soon as possible.

Sunday

6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC): Day Two event begins—start of the 2-hour entry window.

8 a.m. PT (15:00 UTC): Day Two entry window closes.

• Players must have clicked the green "Start" button and joined the matchmaking queue at least once prior to the 8 a.m. PT deadline to begin playing their matches.
• Players only get to compete in one course of the Day Two event: six wins or two losses.
• Note: There will be significantly fewer players in the Day Two event than the Day One event. Matchmaking times may be much longer than usual. Players should remain in the matchmaking queue even if the wait time takes a while—you may not have an opponent to match up with immediately.

4 p.m. PT (23:00 UTC): Matchmaking queue is disabled. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish until the event ends.

5 p.m. PT (midnight UTC Monday): Day Two ends.

Prizes

Players will receive prizes based on the number of match wins they earn during Day One as follows:

Players will receive their gem and token awards once they have completed their event and select "Claim Prize."

Players who qualify for and compete in Day Two will receive gems based on the number of match wins they earn in that event as follows:

All players who reach six (6) wins will receive an invitation to compete in the Arena Championship, provided they are eligible to participate in the event upon verification. Eligible players will be contacted within three to five business days to provide Wizards of the Coast the following information:

• Full name
• Age (All players must be 18 years or older to participate in the Championship and all events that feed the Championship.)
• Country of residence

Please note that players who qualify for a Championship will have fourteen days to respond to the email they receive from Magic Premier Play, otherwise, they forfeit their invitation. Qualified players should ensure that the email address associated to their Wizards Account—the account system used to log in to MTG Arena—is active and up to date.

Qualifier Weekend Structure

The Qualifier Weekend takes place as a special event in MTG Arena. Players who have the Qualifier Token in their account will see the event and will be eligible to compete in one course of it during Day One. Both days of competition are Best-of-Three with sideboarding.

General Structure—Day One

For Constructed formats, the event will allow a player to select their deck prior to any match play, but once a deck is chosen, it cannot be changed for the remainder of the Day One event.

For Phantom Sealed formats, players will have access to six Limited packs of the corresponding Magic set and must build a deck with a minimum of 40 cards. Other cards that were opened and available in the sealed pool will be available in that player's sideboard between games of each Best-of-Three match. Additionally, players may modify their 40-card deck between matches during this event after initially submitting a deck. Cards opened will not be added to players' collections.

For Phantom Draft formats, players will draft anonymously within the Traditional Draft queue and must build a deck with a minimum of 40 cards. Other cards that were drafted will be available in that player's sideboard between games of each Best-of-Three match. Additionally, players may modify their main deck between matches during this event. After each match completes, each player's deck will be automatically de-sideboarded by the game client. Cards opened will not be added to players' collections.

Day One Entry Window

Players will be able to join the event on Day One no earlier than Saturday at 6 a.m. PT and no later than 8 a.m. PT. Late entries cannot be accommodated. The entry window is in place to ensure lower matchmaking times and to permit players enough time to complete all Day One matches.

Players can participate in Day One until they receive either seven match wins or three match losses. If a player earns seven match wins, an in-game notification will appear, and a Day Two Token will appear on the top-right corner of the player's in-client home screen.

General Structure—Day Two

For Day Two, players will only be able to participate if they earned seven match wins on Day One or were directly invited to Day Two as mentioned above. Eligible players should receive a Day Two token that appears in the top-right corner of the home screen. That token will appear in eligible players' accounts by the Thursday prior to the Qualifier Weekend (for direct invitees) or as soon as the seven-win Day One course ends. Players who expect to be able to join Day Two but cannot do so should contact Customer Support for assistance.

Due to the Day Two event being available to many fewer participants than Day One, competitors are strongly encouraged to complete all their games as soon as possible. As the event nears its completion, matchmaking times may take longer than normal.

Players who are eligible to participate on Day Two can play in one course that ends when they receive either six match wins or two match losses.

For Constructed formats, players are permitted to enter with the same deck as Day One (if applicable), the same deck but with changes, or a different deck. Once a player begins their Day Two course, no further deck changes are permitted.

For Phantom Sealed formats, like Day One, players will have access to a new pool of six Limited packs of the corresponding Magic set and must build a deck with a minimum of 40 cards. Other cards that were opened and available in the sealed pool will be available in that player's sideboard between games of each Best-of-Three match. Additionally, players may modify their 40-card deck between matches during this event after initially submitting a deck. Cards opened will not be added to players' collections.

For Phantom Draft formats, like Day One, players will draft a new deck anonymously within the Traditional Draft queue and must build a deck with a minimum of 40 cards. Other cards that were drafted will be available in that player's sideboard between games of each Best-of-Three match. Additionally, players may modify their main deck between matches during this event. After each match completes, each player's deck will be automatically de-sideboarded by the game client. Cards opened will not be added to players' collections.

Day Two Entry Window

Players will be able to join the event on Day Two no earlier than Sunday at 6 a.m. PT and no later than 8 a.m. PT. Late entries cannot be accommodated. The entry window is in place to ensure lower matchmaking times and to permit players enough time to complete all Day Two matches.

Match Play in MTG Arena

Players are expected to compete under the implemented rules for MTG Arena.

Each player will have 30 minutes on their respective match clock that will count down whenever that player has priority. To see the clock, hover your cursor over the bottom-left corner of the screen beside your display name.

If a player runs out of time on their clock before the current game finishes, they will lose the match regardless of the current board state.

Disclaimers

Players who compete acknowledge that they have read the tournament rules and are competing on hardware that meets the recommended hardware specifications for running Magic: The Gathering Arena.

It is not recommended that players compete in Arena Premier Play events on a mobile device or any platform in early access. Players who elect to do so assume all responsibility for gameplay and/or connection issues they experience.

Contacting Customer Service

For any questions regarding eligibility or participation in the event, or if you encounter any issues with your account leading up to the event, or if you have a technical issue within the event, please contact Customer Service and choose "High-Level Events," then either "Qualifier Weekend Day One" or "Day Two," as appropriate, using that link will expedite your request.

• Be sure to include at least one screenshot of issues that arise.
• Also, generate and attach a log file covering the affected match, if logs are available for your device (PC/Mac directions and Apple iOS directions; none available for Android).
• Nullifications of match results are not available for Qualifier Weekend events; please conclude your course before contacting Customer Service.

Qualifier Weekend Rules and Policies

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend, modify, and change its events at any time and for any reason without notice.

Participation

Participation in the Qualifier Weekend, the Arena Championship, or any events supported by Wizards of the Coast or the Magic Pro League LLC, is contingent on players having accounts that are in good standing for Magic: The Gathering Arena and competitive tabletop Magic: The Gathering. Players suspended from participation in Magic: The Gathering Arena or in sanctioned tabletop tournaments are ineligible for any prizes and subject to additional action.

Players in Magic: The Gathering Arena events are required to follow the Wizards terms and conditions.

Connectivity and Known Issues

Players should review known issues in Magic: The Gathering Arena prior to participation in the Qualifier Weekend and the Arena Championship. Wizards is not responsible for impacts on the game because of players experiencing known issues.

Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for the results of any disconnection or network problems experienced by players.

Eligibility and Prizes

Once a player qualifies for the Arena Championship, they become ineligible to participate in other Qualifier Play-In events and Qualifier Weekends feeding that Championship. Players who qualify for the Championship will have their Qualifier Token removed if they otherwise would receive it through monthly ranked-season performance.

That player can continue to compete in Magic Online Premier Play.

All prizes are awarded "as is" and without warranty of any kind, expressed, or implied (including, without limitation, any implied warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). This is a contest of skill and, therefore, there are no odds of winning as is the case with a game of chance. All applicable taxes, fees, duties, tariffs, passport or visa costs, and any license, destination, entry, exit, and/or delivery charges are the sole responsibility of each player. Taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income taxes), if any, are the sole responsibility of any player winners.

Invitations to the Arena Championship are contingent on signing a waiver and consent form. These documents will be provided to all competitors who receive invitations so that they can sign and submit prior to attending the event.

Players may be disqualified from the Qualifier Weekend or from participation in the Arena Championship if they are suspended from Magic: The Gathering Arena or sanctioned Magic: The Gathering tabletop play for any reason, including without limitation, a violation of the Magic: The Gathering Arena End User License Agreement.

Although a player may have multiple accounts qualified for the Qualifier Weekend event, only one of those accounts can be entered into that event. Players are not permitted to have any accounts entered in events played by other players for any reason. If a player is discovered to have more than one account playing in the Qualifier Weekend before, during, or after the event, Wizards may take action against that player's account(s), up to and including disqualification, suspension of the offending account(s), and/or termination of the offending account(s). Using an account other than your own, allowing any other player to use your account, selling your account, and other similar actions are all violations of the Magic: The Gathering Arena User Agreement.

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to reschedule and/or restart tournaments, matches, and extend timers and/or games as needed.

To be eligible to participate in Qualifier Weekend and the Arena Championship, the following requirements must be met:

• All players must be at least 18 years of age or older on the date of the event.
• Players must have internet access and a Wizards Account.
• Players must have access to a personal computer.

Players residing in the following regions and territories are ineligible to compete: Belarus, the Central African Republic, the Crimea region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.

Employees of Wizards of the Coast and their household members, if related, are not eligible.

Legal Information

Release

By entering the Qualifier Weekend and Arena Championship, each participant and the invited players thereby release Wizards, Hasbro, and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agencies from any liability whatsoever and waive any and all causes of action related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Qualifier Weekend and Championship or delivery, mis-delivery, acceptance, possession, or use of or inability to use any prize (including, without limitation to, claims, costs, injuries, losses, and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty, or other theory. Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved under the laws of the State of Washington, without respect to any conflict of law issues, and participants agree that such shall be resolved properly, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the US Federal and State Courts of King County, Washington, USA. All of Sponsor's decisions regarding the application and interpretation of the Rules are final.

Disclaimer of Liability; Certain Risks

Wizards, Hasbro, and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, and agencies will not be responsible for: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled, distorted, or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer- or communications-related malfunctions or failures; (c) any event disruptions, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Qualifier Weekend and Championship.

Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to modify, reschedule, and/or delete any tournament for any reason, including without limitation, if in its sole judgment that tournament's integrity has been compromised by an unforeseen technical issue and/or error in that tournament's administration.

Participation in a Qualifier Weekend or Arena Championship event is void where restricted, taxed, or prohibited by law.

Players who qualify for an Arena Championship agree to have their usernames and/or provided names as what is associated to their Wizards Account or Premier Play account posted on magic.gg and Wizards of the Coast social media channels. Players who participate in the Qualifier Weekend agree to have their usernames and selected deck posted on magic.gg and Wizards of the Coast social media channels.