Magic: The Gatheringis one of the most iconic and widely recognized card games in the world and has been at the top of the collectible card game market for nearly 30 years. The franchise enjoys a wide variety of ways to experience the game between physical play andonline gameplay throughMagic: The Gathering Arena. Alongside its multiple ways to play, Wizards of the Coast also officially supports a wide variety of formats for competitive play from Standard and Commander to less popular styles like Brawl.
The growth ofMagic: The Gatheringhas also led to a flourishing competitive scene for the classic card game with tournaments often seeing hundreds of players. Last weekend asawMagic’s CommandFest Frankfurt take place with the Commander-focused event also featuring some other side events in formats like Modern and Sealed Draft. However, the event’s Brawl tournament in particular saw player Joep Smit walk away with an unusual championship as the only player to enter the Brawl event.
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Smit’s unusual championship in one ofMagic’s less popular formats comes during an event for one of the game’s biggest. The 100-card “highlander deck” format has consistently remained one ofMagic’s most popular alternate formats with fans frequently calling for thegame mode to be introduced toMagic Arena. Brawl, on the other hand, has seen limited success withMagicfans as evidenced by Smit’s multiple victories due to being the only player to show up to the event.
Magic: The Gathering’s growth in popularity over nearly three decades has seen the card game frequently cross over with other popular franchises throughout its history. Wizards of the Coast has featured several major collaborations in recent years withpopular gaming franchises likeStreet FighterandFortnite.Magicalso previously featured a major tie-in event with one of Wizards' other most recognizable properties,Dungeons & Dragons. While Brawl may not have seen the levels of success Wizards had hoped for, Joep Smit continues to reap the rewards of the less-popular format.
Magic: The Gatheringis available now physically at game shops and digitally on PC and mobile devices throughMagic: The Gathering Arena.
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