In the wake of a controversial set of bans and unusually venomous backlash from fans, Wizards of the Coast is taking over management of its most popular Magic: The Gathering format, Commander, from the independent group of fans and players that make up the current Commander Rules Committee.
While the difficulty of managing an MTG format as big and as popular as EDH is clearly part of the reason for the decision, Wizards’ post, which went up on the official Magic website on September 30, starts off by discussing “unacceptable personal threats to the safety of members of the Commander Rules Committee”. These were allegedly made by fans angry at the banning of Jeweled Lotus, Dockside Extortionist, and Mana Crypt.
“The task of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and safety of being attached to any five people,” it concludes.
Commander RC member Jim Lapage also made a statement on Twitter, explaining that during the events of last week he decided it wasn’t possible for “a group of part-time volunteers” to manage the format successfully, and that it was time to “hand the keys over” to Wizards.
His statement suggests this wasn’t a decision he came to lightly, and the implication is that the vitriolic emails, DMs, and death threats are at least partially to blame.
“I am truly devastated. This is not the outcome I wanted, but it is the only option that provides both appropriate care and attention to the community, and the safety that the format’s leaders deserve as human beings,” he writes.
Speaking of safety, Wizards of the Coast’s article makes it clear that it will not put up with this kind of behavior. “We will not hesitate to take action against individuals who threaten to harm community members or employees,” it warns.
What will become of Commander now it’s under Wizards of the Coast’s mantle remains to be seen. We wonder if the disgruntled fans who wanted rid of the RC are happy. Technically they got what they were asking for – but something tells us they might see this as quite the monkey’s paw of a solution.
For now, all Wizards has said is it’s working on what will hopefully be a better, more objective way of judging the power levels of decks. No longer will every Commander deck be “about a 7”. Instead, there’ll be four power brackets, and a system to calculate which bracket a deck is in based on the combination of cards included.
The company plans to involve the community in creating the system, and is going to open it up in what it describes as “like an open beta”.
For more Magic: The Gathering news, check out our guides to the best MTG Arena decks, top MTG commanders, or every MTG set ever released.
Source: Wargamer
