Everything about MTG Arena 2021 MPL and Rivals Gauntlet

Watch Magic pros battle it out for an invite to the MTG World Championship XXVII.
Image via WotC

A total of four seats remain unclaimed for the 2021 Magic: The Gathering World Championship XXVII which will get determined via the Magic Pro League and Rivals League Gauntlets. 

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Scheduled to take place from Sept. 3 to 5, top Magic pros will compete in the Standard format for an invite to the 2021 MTG World Championship XXVII. The MPL and Rivals Gauntlet tournaments will overlap one another, except on the final playoff day for each event. From the broadcast schedule to who’s competing, here’s everything about the Rivals League and MPL Gauntlet tournaments. 

How to watch the MPL Gauntlet and Rivals League Gauntlet

The 2021 MPL Gauntlet will take place over three days: Sept. 3 and 4. Also taking place on Sept. 3 is the 2021 Rivals League Gauntlet, with the playoffs taking place on Sept. 5. 

Image via WotC

A live broadcast by WotC will cover all four days of both Gauntlets. Casters covering the 2021 MPL and Rivals League Gauntlets are Maria Bartholdi, Mani Davoudi, Riley Knight, Cedric Phillips, Eilidh Lone, Marshal Sutcliffe, and Corey Baumeister. 

Here is the main MPL and Rivals League Gauntlet schedule:

WotC originally had the MPL and Rivals League Gauntlet starting on Sept. 2. The Thursday date was removed on Sept. 1 to “ensure the stability of the MPL Gauntlet and the Rivals Gauntlet,” according to WotC.

  • Sept. 3: Starts at 11am CT and will feature nine rounds of both the MPL and Rivals League Gauntlets
  • Sept. 4: Starts at 11am CT and will showcase the remaining MPL Gauntlet Swiss rounds, along with the top eight playoffs
  • Sept. 5: Starts at 11am CT and will showcase the remaining Rivals League Gauntlet, along with the top eight playoffs.

What is the format for the MPL and Rivals League Gauntlet?

Due to a delay of Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, the format for both gauntlets is Standard Constructed. And all games are played in best-of-three. The first two winners in the MPL Gauntlet advance to Worlds, along with one competitor from the lower bracket on day three. Whoever wins the Rivals League Gauntlet will also advance to the Magic World Championship. Here is the day-by-day schedule for the MTG Arena Rivals League and MPL Gauntlet. 

  • Day one: The first day of each gauntlet features six rounds. In order to advance, a player must earn four or more match wins. 
  • Day two: A total of six rounds that will end with a top-eight cut. A ninth win will advance to the top-eight without having to finish rounds for the day. A tiebreaker round will determine players tied for eighth. 
  • Day three: The top-eight players in each gauntlet are placed in an elimination playoff bracket. Players who are seeded the highest choose to play or draw. A total of three players from the MPL Gauntlet and one competitor in the Rivals League Gauntlet will earn a seat at the Magic World Championship XXVII. 

Who’s competing?

Competing in the MPL Gauntlet are players who were ranked five to 12 in the MPL. Players ranked five to 20 from the Rivals League will also participate in the MPL Gauntlet. 

Here is every MTG competitor seeking a Magic World Championship XXVII invite in the MPL Gauntlet: 

MPL

  • Martin Jůza
  • Reid Duke
  • Márcio Carvalho
  • Javier Dominguez
  • Jean-Emmanuel Depraz
  • Rei Sato
  • Brad Nelson
  • William Jensen

Rivals League

  • Luis-Scott-Vargas
  • Riku Kumagai
  • Grzegorz Kowalski
  • Corey Burkhart
  • Austin Bursavich
  • Luis Salvatto
  • Thoralf Severin
  • Jacob Wilson
  • Luca Magni
  • Zachery Kilhne
  • Mike Sigrist
  • Yoshihiko Ikawa
  • Chris Botelho
  • Bernado Santos
  • Alexander Hayne
  • Ma Noah

Players ranked 13 to 16 in the MPL will compete in the Rivals League Gauntlet, along with Rivals League players ranked 21 to 32. The tournament will also showcase competitors from the Challenger Gauntlet that placed fifth to 12. 

Here is every MTG competitor seeking a Magic World Championship XXVII invite in the Rivals League Gauntlet:

MPL

  • Andrew Cuneo
  • Lee Shi Tian
  • Shota Yasooka
  • Ken Yukuhiro

Rivals League

  • Matthieu Avignon
  • Kai Budde
  • Louis-Samuel Deltour
  • Kenji Egashira
  • Ivan Floch
  • Kenta Harane
  • Christian Hauck
  • Shintaro Ishimura
  • Theo Moutier
  • Sebastián Pozzo
  • Miguel da Cruz Simões
  • Jakub Tóth 

Challenger Gauntlet

  • Gavin Thompson
  • Ian Birrell
  • João Moreira 
  • Logan Nettles
  • Jan Merkel
  • Sam Rolph
  • David Inglis
  • Matti Kuisma

When will decklists for each gauntlet get revealed?

Decklists for the MPL and Rivals League Gauntlet will become available via WotC on Sept. 3 at the start of round one. The MTG gauntlets will run from Sept. 3 to 5.


Updated Sept. 1 4:45pm CT: The article was updated to include a change in schedule made by WotC.


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Danny Forster
Lead Magic: The Gathering/Teamfight Tactics scribe and staff writer for Dot Esports. Danny is a gamer beach bum residing in Spacecoast Florida and has been a journalist for seven years, of which five have been at Dot Esports. Prior media outllets Danny wrote for were Screen Rant and TheGamer. You can typically catch Danny playing TCGs and a variety of strategic games. He also hangs out on Twitter @Dannyspacecoast.