Over the course of the weekend, Magic Esports hosted the Challenger Gauntlet, a pro-level event where some of the best players from the pro season who aren’t already in the Magic Pro League (MPL) were pitted against each other with high stakes on the line. The top four players earned invitations to both the upcoming World Championship XXVII and next season’s MPL. The next eight earned a chance to compete at the next postseason event, the Rivals Gauntlet, and invitations to the next Rivals League.
If you missed our previous coverage of the event, you can find a closer look at the meta in coverage from day one. Day two brought the Swiss rounds to a close, and on Sunday, the top 12 players faced off in an elimination-style tournament featuring the Standard Constructed format.
Now, the tournament has come to an end, and the final standings have been determined.
Challenger Gauntlet Final Bracket
The four winners from each bracket, Sam Pardee, Noriyuki Mori, Keisuke Sate, and Arne Huschenbeth, earned their slots in the MPL and will get the chance to compete in the World Championship. All eight of the other top 12 will go on to the Rivals League.
Adventure decks continue to prove the power of the namesake mechanic from Throne of Eldraine, with 8 of the top 12 decks falling into either the Naya or Gruul flavor of the archetype. Meanwhile, Noriyuki Mori earned the second MPL qualification with an off-meta Izzet Control deck, and Keisuke Sato scored the fourth with rising archetype Naya Winota (more on this archetype in day one coverage).
Along with the completed bracket above, all of the final results from the Challenger Gauntlet are compiled below. Read on for final standings from the Swiss rounds, as well as a metagame table for each format. Additionally, links to all 24 of the decks from the top 12 competitors are included.
Final Swiss Standings
Rank
Player
HistoricDeck
StandardDeck
Overall Record
1
Sam Pardee
Jeskai Control
Naya Adventures
10-2
2
Noriyuki Mori
Jund Food
Izzet Control
8-4
3
Matti Kuisma
Jeskai Control
Gruul Adventures
8-4
4
Arne Huschenbeth
Jeskai Control
Gruul Adventures
8-4
5
Gavin Thompson
Azorius Auras
Gruul Adventures
8-4
6
Sam Rolph
Rakdos Arcanist
Gruul Adventures
7-5
7
Logan Nettles
Jeskai Control
Naya Adventures
7-5
8
Ian Birrell
Selesnya Company
Sultai Ultimatum
7-5
9
João Moreira
Jeskai Control
Dimir Rogues
7-5
10
Jan Merkel
Rakdos Arcanist
Naya Adventures
7-5
11
Tomas Pokorny
Dragonstorm
Sultai Control
6-6
12
Piotr Wiktorzak
Jund Citadel
Naya Winota
6-6
13
David Inglis
Jeskai Control
Gruul Adventures
6-6
14
Keisuke Sato
Jeskai Control
Naya Winota
6-6
15
John Girardot
Jeskai Control
Temur Adventures
6-6
16
Yohei Nomiya
Orzhov Auras
Naya Winota
5-7
17
Tim Wan
Mono Red Goblins
Naya Winota
5-7
18
Lars Lukhaupt
Jund Food
Gruul Adventures
4-7
19
Bernando Torres
Mono Black Aggro
Dimir Rogues
4-7
20
Ron Branchaud
Orzhov Auras
Jeskai Cycling
4-7
21
Brad Barclay
Jeskai Control
Sultai Control
3-7
22
Toni Ramis Pascual
Mono Black Aggro
Gruul Adventures
3-7
23
Evan Kaplan
Jeskai Control
Dimir Rogues
2-7
24
Michael Bernat
Izzet Phoenix
Gruul Adventures
1-7
Visit MTGmelee to view results from the whole field.
