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MTG 2021 World Championship XXVII
Image via WotC

MTG 2021 World Championship XXVII: Formats, players, and schedule

Sixteen of the best Magic players from around the world will compete to become the 2021 world champion.

The 2021 MTG World Championship is set to showcase Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Draft and Magic: The Gathering Standard Constructed play, featuring a total of 16 competitors from around the globe. 

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Scheduled to take place from Oct. 8 to 10, the Magic World Championship XXVII will feature three rounds of MID Limited Draft and two days of Standard Constructed gameplay. Unlike previous MTG Worlds, the prize pool has been reduced to a total of $250,000 with the addition of a $50,000 appearance fee awarded to each of the 16 players who qualified. Competitors earned a seat at the World Championship XXVII via the MPL and Rivals League season, along with top finishes in the Challenger, MPL, and Rivals Gauntlet tournaments. 

How to watch the MTG 2021 World Championship

The broadcast will start at 11am CT on Oct. 8 to 10 via the Magic Twitch channel. Over the course of three days, a total of eight casters will provide gameplay analysis, standings, interviews, and deck techs. 

Image via WotC
  • Maria Bartholdi
  • Cedric Phillips
  • Eilidh Lonie
  • Marshall Sutcliffe
  • Riley Knight
  • Mani Davoudi
  • Paul Cheon
  • Corey Baumeister

Who’s competing at the MTG World Championship XXVII?

A total of 16 players from around the world have qualified to compete in the 2021 MTG World Championship. Based on points earned throughout the 2020-21 season, the top four competitors in the MPL and Rivals League earned a seat. Three MTG Gauntlet tournaments determined the other eight seats.

  • OndÅ™ej Stráský: MPL season qualifier
  • Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa: MPL season qualifier
  • Gabriel Nassif: MPL season qualifier
  • Seth Manfield: MPL season qualifier
  • Eli Kassis: Rivals League season qualifier
  • Stanislav Cifka: Rivals League season qualifier
  • Matt Sperling: Rivals League season qualifier
  • Yuta Takahashi: Rivals League season qualifier
  • Jan Merkel: Rivals League Gauntlet
  • Yoshihiko Ikawa: MPL Gauntlet
  • Sato Rei: MPL Gauntlet
  • Jean-Emmanuel Depraz: MPL Gauntlet
  • Sam Pardee: Challenger Gauntlet
  • Noriyuki Mori: Challenger Gauntlet
  • Arne Huschenbeth: Challenger Gauntlet
  • Keisuke Sato: Challenger Gauntlet

What’s the format at the 2021 Magic World Championship?

Limited Draft returns to the MTG World Championship during the first day of competition. A total of three rounds will be played, featuring gameplay via the new Standard-legal set, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt. Two rounds of Standard Constructed will also take place on the first day of the competition.

  • Oct. 8: Three rounds of MID Draft and two rounds Standard Constructed
  • Oct. 9: Four rounds of Standard Constructed and tie-breaker round if necessary
  • Oct. 10: Top four compete in an upper and lower bracket in Standard. The upper bracket is best-of-three games and the lower bracket is best-of-three matches

Day two will showcase five Swiss rounds in the Standard Constructed format. Players with seven wins will advance to the playoffs on day three. The third day will showcase a top-four double-elimination bracket playoff to determine the 2021 Magic world champion. 


Update Sept. 27 4pm CT: Article was updated to include the 2021 Magic World Championship broadcast information.

Update Oct. 7 11:30am CT: An update was added to the Magic World Championship XXVII format.


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Danny Forster
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.