The best Magic: The Gathering players around the globe returned to digitally organized play for the second MTG Arena Championship of the 2022-2023 season, with two earning a direct invite to Worlds.
For two days, from March 18 to 19, the second MTG Arena Championship features players like Yuta Takahashi, Jan Merkel, Simon Nielsen, Ondřej Stráský, Zach Barret, and Yukki Ichikawa. 32 players competed in the tournament, earning invites through digital events like Qualifier Play-In and Qualifier Weekends.
The two finalists at the second Arena Championship are invited to the 2022-2023 Magic World Championship in Las Vegas from Sept. 22 to 24.
Two formats were featured at the second MTG Arena Championship—Phyrexia: All Will Be One Draft and Historic. Six rounds were played during the first day, three in Draft and three in Historic, with all players advancing to day two.
Jund Midrange and Kethis Combo were the two favorite decks for the Historic Constructed rounds, along with Mardu Reanimator and Rakdos Midrange.
March 19 Arena Championship 2 standings
Matti Kuisma was the only MTG player to start day two of the Arena Championship undefeated, followed by Merkel and Nielsen at 5-1 on the Mardu Reanimator deck.
Three rounds of Historic were played during day two, determining the top eight. The top eight players then continued to play Historic Constructed in a single-elimination bracket, with the finals featuring best-of-three matches.
Kuisma was the first player to lock into the top eight, going undefeated during the Swiss rounds with a 7-0 record while piloting Mardu Reanimator in Historic Constructed. Merkel was the second player to lock a top-eight finish on Rakdos Midrange. And Hiroshi Onizuka essentially was soft-locked in heading into round nine with a 6-2 record on Izzet Wizards.
The other five players who advanced to the top eight after nine rounds at the second MTG Arena Championship were Alexey Paulot, Jeff Lin, Yukki Ichikawa, Ondřej Stráský, and Karl Stelzner.
- Matti Kuisma: Mardu Reanimator
- Jan Merkel: Rakdos Midrange
- Hiroshi Onizuka: Izzet Wizards
- Alexey Paulot: Izzet Phoenix
- Jeff Lin: Esper Pact
- Yukki Ichikawa: Rakdos Midrange
- Ondřej Stráský: Kethis Combo
- Karl Stelzner: Jund Midrange
Advancing to the semifinals were Merkel, Paulot, Onizuka, and Stráský. Paulot defeated Merkel 2-1 and Onizuka advanced to the finals over Stráský, 2-1. Both Onizuka and Paulot earned direct invites to the 2022-2023 Magic World Championship.
Onizuka piloted his Izzet Wizards deck to an Arena Championship victory, sweeping Paulot and his Izzet Phoenix deck in the final match. Both players will attend Magic Worlds in Las Vegas from Sept. 22 to 24.
