Magic World Championship XXVI

• Main Article: Metagame Breakdown and Top Cards
• All players will be able to review their opponent’s Constructed decklist before playing each other.
• Prior to each match, players will exchange decklists and have one minute to review their opponent’s decklist.
• Source: https://magic.gg/news/magic-world-championship-xxvi-metagame-breakdown

Top 8 Bracket

Saturday Play-In

Winner Group

Elimination Group

Draft A

Draft B

• Friday, February 14: 9 a.m. HST / 11 a.m. PST / 7 p.m. UTC
  Broadcast ends after the Winner Group and Elimination Group complete play
• Saturday, February 15: 9 a.m. HST / 11 a.m. PST / 7 p.m. UTC
  Broadcast ends after the Top 4 is determined
• Sunday, February 16: 10 a.m. HST / 12 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. UTC
  Broadcast ends after the Magic World Championship trophy ceremony

Day One

Theros Beyond Death Booster Draft

• All players begin in eight-player Draft pods.
• Players’ decklists will be imported into MTG Arena for Draft play.
• After two rounds, players advance to Standard Constructed play or continue Draft play based on record:
  • Four 2-0 players advance to Winner Group
  • Four 0-2 players advance to Elimination Group
  • Eight 1-1 players play a third round of Draft
• After the third Draft round, the remaining players advance to brackets based on record:
  • Four 2-1 players advance to Winner Group
  • Four 1-2 players advance to Elimination Group

Standard Constructed (Best of Three)

• Winner Group plays two rounds, then advance based on record:
  • Two 2-0 players advance to Top 8 Upper Semifinals
  • Two 0-2 players advance to Saturday Play-In
  • Four 1-1 players play a third round of Constructed
• Winner Group 1-1 players, after completing a third round, advance based on record:
  • Two 2-1 players advance to Top 8 Upper Semifinals
  • Two 1-2 players advance to Saturday Play-In
• Elimination Group plays two rounds, then advance or are eliminated based on record:
  • Two 2-0 players advance to Saturday Play-In
  • Two 0-2 players are eliminated
  • Four 1-1 players play a third round of Constructed
• Elimination Group 1-1 players, after completing a third round, advance or are eliminated based on record:
  • Two 2-1 players advance to Saturday Play-In
  • Two 1-2 players are eliminated

At the conclusion of Day One, four winning players have advanced to the Top 8 on Day Two while eight more remain in the field to fight for those last four slots in the in Top 8.

Day Two

Standard Constructed Saturday Play-In

Day Two begins in the morning with the eight-player Saturday Play-In of best-of-three Standard Constructed contending for the World Championship Top 8.

• After two rounds, players advance to Top 8 or are eliminated based on record:
  • Two 2-0 players advance to Top 8 Lower Bracket
  • Two 0-2 players are eliminated
  • Four 1-1 players play a third round of Constructed
• After the third round, the remaining players advance to Top 8 or are eliminated based on record:
  • Two 2-1 players advance to Top 8 Lower Bracket
  • Two 1-2 players are eliminated

Top 8 Double Elimination

The eight remaining players are seeded into a double-elimination Top 8 playoff to determine the four competitors for the Sunday Top 4 playoff.

• Top 8 Upper Semifinals are played as best-of-three games.
• Top 8 Lower Bracket Rounds 1-3, where competitors will be eliminated, are played as best-of-three matches.
• Top 8 Upper Semifinals are seeded by the 2-0 and 2-1 players from Friday’s Winner Group
  • The two players who win their Upper Semifinal match advance to the Upper Finals
  • The two player who lose are seeded into Lower Bracket
• Top 8 Lower Bracket Round 1 matches are seeded by the 2-0 and 2-1 players from Saturday Play-In
  • The two players who win their Lower Bracket Round 1 match advance to the Lower Bracket Round 2
  • The two players who lose their Lower Bracket Round 1 match are eliminated
• Lower Bracket Round 2 matches are seeded by losing players from Upper Semifinals and winning players from Lower Bracket Round 1
  • The two players who win their Lower Bracket Round 2 matches advance to Lower Bracket Round 3
  • The two players who lose their Lower Bracket Round 2 match are eliminated

At the conclusion of Day Two, four winning players have advanced to the Sunday Top 4 playoff.

Day Three

Standard Constructed Top 4 Playoff

Day Three is the Sunday showdown among the remaining for World Championship competitors.

The Top 4 is seeded by Top 8 advancement:

• Upper Finals are seeded by the two players who advanced from the Top 8 Upper Semifinals
  • The winning player advances to the Grand Finals
  • The losing player advances to the Lower Bracket Finals
• Lower Bracket Round 3 matches are seeded by the two players who advanced from Lower Bracket Round 2
  • The winning player advances to the Lower Bracket Finals
  • The losing player is eliminated
• Lower Bracket Finals continue this playoff structure:
  • The winning player advances to the Grand Finals
  • The losing player is eliminated

The Grand Finals is seeded by the winners of the Upper Finals and Lower Finals:

• The player from the Upper Finals, advantaged by losing fewer matches throughout the tournament, must earn two match wins for the title
• The player from the Lower Finals must earn three match wins for the title

After Sunday’s exciting conclusion, one player will win the Grand Finals earn the title of Magic World Champion.