MTG Alchemy format confirmed for Arena Open

The January Magic: The Gathering Arena Open will feature gameplay within the new Alchemy format.

Wizards of the Coast confirmed today that Alchemy is the format for the Jan. 15 to 16 MTG Arena Open. A tweet from last week announced that no nerfs or buffs were scheduled to take place until after the Arena Open and January Qualifier weekend. This led many in the Magic community to speculate that Alchemy, a format that contains Standard legal, digital-only, and rebalanced cards, was the format of choice for one or both events. 

Anyone who is 18 and over can compete in an MTG Arena Open event, earning up to $2,500 with a total of eight wins on the second day of competition. But cashing out with a top prize is only accomplished through two days of gameplay. Players have the option of competing via best-of-one or best-of-three on the first day of the Arena Open, while all matches are best-of-three on day two. 

Competing via the Alchemy requires a 60-card deck that is legal within the format and a sideboard for best-of-three matches containing up to 15 cards. The cost to compete is 25,000 gold or 5,000 gems. Players who choose best-of-one for the first day of the Arena Open can earn up to seven wins or three losses. And best-of-three for day one is four wins or one loss. 

Any player who earns four wins via best-of-three or seven wins via best-of-one on the first day will advance to the second day of competition. Players can only lose two matches on day two, with cash rewards starting at six wins. A full breakdown of the prizes for both days can be found on the MTG website.