Brawl: Our Plans
Brawl has been a component of MTG Arena for some time now. It started as a smaller, casual format, but over the past few years its popularity has surged, and today it stands as MTG Arena’s second-most-played format. This growth is exciting because more players can enjoy Magic in new ways, yet it also brings certain challenges.
Alongside more players, Brawl has welcomed a broad array of new cards. Staples like Mana Drain and Strip Mine injected fresh power into the 99, and sets such as Modern Horizons 3 introduced several potent new commanders. For some players, this opened up thrilling new directions for their decks. For others, it diminished variety by compelling inclusion of certain cards in nearly every deck or by cards they expected to face in most matchups.
Brawl began on MTG Arena as a lighthearted, casual format where people predominantly piloted personal, fun-oriented decks. Recently, the rising power level—especially in the 99—has started to erode that casual atmosphere. This appeals to a subset of players, but for others it can feel like Brawl is veering away from what made it special.
As a format grows, change is natural, and we’ve taken several initial steps. We’ve banned some of the most dominant cards to preserve a more casual feel, and we plan to continue refining the format to ensure it remains a place where you can enjoy a fun match with whichever commander you love. At the same time, we’re genuinely excited by the more powerful, competitive side of Brawl. Our recent Brawl Metagame Challenge demonstrated that there are players seeking a different, more competitive take on Brawl, and we’re eager to explore that further.
This brings us to a new Metagame Challenge for Brawl. There are many potential directions for a more competitive version of the format. Should it be an “anything goes” style like Timeless, or should it resemble Duel Commander with an extensive ban list? Over the coming months, we’ll test several approaches to learn what players are most interested in.
[New Quick-Ban Display Images]
This next iteration of the format aims to remove the obvious power outliers among commanders from the first event. Ajani, Nacatl Pariah dominated the initial Brawl Metagame Challenge, along with a few other strong commanders that restricted deck diversity. These cards will be banned both as commanders and within decks. In the 99, we’ll adopt a lighter touch with power-level bans. Unlike standard Brawl, cards such as Mana Drain and Strip Mine will be legal, alongside five mana-free spells when you control a commander: Flawless Maneuver, Fierce Guardianship, Deadly Rollick, Deflecting Swat, and Obscuring Haze.
As always, we want to hear from you about these changes. We’ll monitor feedback, engagement, and participation to learn what resonates. We’re excited to discover which new options will excite players in Brawl and to bring you more ideas to try.
All-Access Brawl Modified Metagame Challenge
From December 16, 2025, to January 6, 2026, we’ll run a special competitive Brawl event on MTG Arena featuring a revised ban list and structure. The event is ranked, uses ranked matchmaking, and is all-access. Unlike standard Brawl, there is no free mulligan in this event.
This event is the first in a series that experiments with different ways to structure a competitive Brawl. For this edition, we’ve banned several of the top-performing commanders from the previous Brawl Metagame event. Our goal is to broaden the range of viable commanders for players to build around. In the 99-card format, we’ve taken a much more permissive approach and removed all bans in Brawl. Long-banned cards like Pithing Needle or Drannith Magistrate, newly banned cards like Strip Mine, and newly introduced cards like Deflecting Swat are all legal for this event. The event is all-access, giving players maximum freedom to experiment with new styles and strategies.
Banned Cards
All collectible cards on MTG Arena are legal in this format except the following:
- Oko, Thief of Crowns
- Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
- Rusko, Clockmaker
- Old Stickfingers
- Wrenn and Six
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- A-Nadu, Winged Wisdom
- Lutri, the Spellchaser
Note: This is the full ban list for the event. Cards banned in standard Brawl, such as Pithing Needle, Strip Mine, or Deflecting Swat, are legal in this event.
Event Details
Event Start: December 16, 2025, at 8 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC)
Signups End: January 6, 2026, at 8 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC)
You’ll still have 3 hours to complete your current run, but you won’t be able to join after this deadline. Matches in progress will be allowed to finish.
Event Ends: January 6, 2026, at 11 a.m. PT (19:00 UTC)
No new matches begin after this time, but matches in progress will be allowed to finish.
Entry Cost: 5,000 Gold or 1,000 gems
Format: Best-of-One Modified Brawl
Course Length: 7 Wins or 2 losses
Rewards:
Entry: 1 of 12 individual card rewards:
- Enlightened Tutor
- Flawless Maneuver
- Fierce Guardianship
- Mystical Tutor
- Deadly Rollick
- Entomb
- Gamble
- Deflecting Swat
- Worldly Tutor
- Obscuring Haze
- Arcane Signet
- Swiftfoot Boots
1 Win: No rewards
2 Wins: 2 Historic-legal packs
3 Wins: 250 Gems and 4 Historic-legal packs
4 Wins: 450 Gems and 4 Historic-legal packs
5 Wins: 900 Gems and 8 Historic-legal packs
6 Wins: 1,350 Gems and 16 Historic-legal packs
7 Wins: 1,800 Gems and 24 Historic-legal packs
