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Magic : The Gatheringis going through some serious growing pains during its attempt to legitimize itself as anesports intersection . While some of these come as a result of a secret plan that is simply becoming more popular and appealing to a all-encompassing demographic — that sort of expansion loosely causes logistical issues for even the most disposed companies — others have come from more troubling illustration of neglect or ignorance . For a microcosm of the emergence confront professionalMagicas the game moves forward into a future where that term is less a joke and more a viable vocation , fans do n’t want to search further than the thing that should ’ve been a shining example of Wizards of the Coast ’s commitment to its most dedicated players , the Mythic Pro League .
For those unfamiliar , theMythic Pro League(MPL ) is a 32 player league that tempt the expert players in the world to compete in different tabletop andMagic Arenaevents . More significantly , it also represent Wizards ' decision to embraceMagic : The Gatheringas both esport and career path — the Mythic Pro League pays its player $ 75,000 USD annually , although item of the contracts and what is expected of the histrion remains muddied . It ask its players to stream a certain amount of hours a week , but the caller also reportedly give its MPL members seminars on cyclosis and social media etiquette , and the final result has been a number of personalities becoming more visible and democratic .
connect : Magic : The assemblage is The World ’s Most Complex Game
In essence , that ’s really what the MPL should be . It ’s a modest - risk investment from Wizards that help further the game for both professional and the casual viewers who can now go on to front up to them for their skill and charm ( and , if wizard is particularly lucky , both ) .
MPL Controversies, Explained
Unfortunately , the MPL ’s initiatory season has been anything but fascinate or easy . First , it was the bailiwick of scrutiny for how it take players , which seemed like a hard - to - explicate admixture of the world ’s best players and some personality who helped better represent specific demographic of buff . Then , it faced its first major vault in the disqualification of musician Rei Sato , a Nipponese MPL phallus who was caught cheat on at a tabletopMagictournament . Things in truth came off the rail then : he was n’t replaced , but the next two members of the MPL would be in Owen Turtenwald and Yuuya Watanabe , two ofMagic ’s most iconicplayers .
For Turtenwald , an alleged account of intimate misconduct became a focal point that was never deal by superstar but would preempt his sudden fade from both the MPL and professionalMagicaltogether . For Watanabe , perhaps the most disgraceful tournament disqualification in late memory saw him criminate and subsequently convicted of using marked sleeve to cheat his opposite . Both players have been remove from the MPL , and Watanabe has been removed from Magic ’s Hall of Fame while also being banned for two - and - a - half years .
Wizards of the Coast ca n’t be take for at fault for not knowing about the player ' tendencies — they ’d never been catch for misdemeanour of that magnitude before . What the company can be fault for , however , is the fallout from the players who have replace several penis of the MPL . Autumn Burchett , a non - binary Mythic Championship winner made sensory faculty when Turtenwald was removed from the conference . They were the most late paladin , a streamer with an already devoted following , and exactly the type of person who strengthens a assembling of thespian meant to be representative ofMagic ’s divers community of interests .
The next replacements , however , have been more confutative . Gerry Thompson , noted for protestingMagicWorlds last class to try on to meliorate the state of the plot , stepped down from his position in the MPL originally today , and released a statement criticizing the want of communication from Wizards , which has hamstrung the players ' ability to sympathize how to re - characterize for their emplacement , what ’s wait of them , and more . That meant his posture , and Watanabe ’s , still needed to be filled .
MPL Replacements
wizard choose to sate them with Mythic Invitational competitor Jessica Estephan and pop strategy game streamer Janne " Savjz " Mikkonen . For Savjz , his recent Top 4 finish at the Mythic Invitational is the only far-famed result on hisMagic - playing resume . Estephan has an even grown claim to renown , having succeed a Grand Prix last class in Sydney . Both of them deserve their position , and neither of them should be knock for accepting them . They ’re worthy plus to the MPL , but unfortunately also representative of one of its major issues in communicating and consistency .
Eli Loveman , the most late Mythic Championship victor , was n’t invite to the MPL . The common law set by Autumn ’s comprehension made many believe he was the logical addition . Beyond that , Ondrej Strasky , aMagicpro with multiple Grand Prix victories and Pro Tour Top 8s , also finished in the Top 4 of the Mythic Invitational alongside Savjz . If Savjz ’s claim to a spot was that finish , then Strasky would have been the obvious other option .
rather , Wizards has proven that the MPL currently has no unclouded direction . There ’s no consistency in the fashion the party decides to address the league ’s various issues , and it ’s leave alone many pros with a bitter taste in their mouth , especially with the latest two inclusions . EvenMagic : The Gatheringlegend and all - around nice guy Reid Duke could n’t blot out his dashing hopes in Wizard ’s selection process :
The State ofMagic: The GatheringProfessional Play
conjuring trick : The Gathering ’s MPL is a promotional prick , and Wizards has n’t been diffident about hide that fact . Unfortunately , though , it appears the company is either unable or unwilling to balance that marketing process with a organization that rewardsMagic ’s most enfranchised instrumentalist — its professional community , through whom many fans were introduced to the game . harmonize toThompson ’s statementafter he stepped down from the MPL , the league also had various shortcomings that musician were n’t able to speak in public :
" Our contract ' negotiation ' involved WotC officials purposefully not do our interrogation and telling us to either sign or walk …
We also give feedback on contractual government issue ( ever marvel why none of the MPL player have been picked up by esports orgs ? ) , structural issues for the MPL ( nobody sleep together how to restrict for 2020 or what it ’s going to look like ) , and Duo Standard with seemingly all of it being ignored . "
It ’s not a practiced facial expression forMagic : The Gathering . The approach to esports by Wizards of the Coast , at least when it comes to MPL , is reminiscent of the means other organizations struggled with tournament , player retention , integrity , and more back in the former Day of esports . That time has long since passed , though . There are still a lot of issues present within the scene , but a major company miscarry to key out exactly what ’s required of players to exert their bread and butter , and not communicating with its professional players , are not among them .
Make no mistake — Magic ’s hereafter is very much draw as such to the MPL , an theme that should substantiate its professional and casual emergence thanks to how far it reaches across demographics . It ’ll also likely go the way the MPL goes , though , and given its current state , that should be enough to giveMagicplayers , specially the professionals , have for concern moving into the latter half of a 2019 that has been full of mostly unfulfilled hope up until this point . IfMagic : The Gatheringis vary , then so be it . But it ’s time for Wizards to let everyone , including the pro players whose living are tied to it , know for certain .
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