MTG Arena is introducing the long-awaited Brawl gameplay mode today as part of an update that will also serve as a preview of its upcoming set, Throne of Eldraine, with an event called Eldraine Courtside Brawl. MTG Arena will be adding Throne of Eldraine to its Standard set on September 26, a full week before the set releases in tabletop form.
Throne of Eldraine is one of the most talked about sets in recent memory, competing with War of the Spark’s planeswalker in every pack design for player excitement. The newest set will blend Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Arthurian legends for inspiration, transforming some of the world’s most famous fables into Magic: The Gathering cards. Throne of Eldraine started its preview season off with a bang yesterday when we got the chance to give players an exclusive first look at Oko, Thief of Crowns, a brand-new faerie planeswalker that will play on some of the new set’s most important mechanics.
MTG Arena will be getting in on the preview season fun with an exclusive first look at some of the new cards from Throne of Eldraine - on top of the obviously huge addition of the Brawl gameplay mode, something Wizards of the Coast has been teasing for months. Eldraine Courtside Brawl runs from today, September 4, until September 9. Brawl lets players bring one legendary creature or planeswalker card along with 59 singleton Standard cards (not including basic lands) in their deck for a special format battle. MTG Arena’s first Brawl event will also introduce cards from Throne of Eldraine weeks before their release, with special Mythic Rare legendary creatures that will have new enter-the-battlefield animations prepared.
MTG Arena’s Throne of Eldraine launch day will also coincide with another major milestone for the digital platform - it will mark the official release of MTG Arena proper, as the game has been in open beta for several months. Wizards of the Coast is promising players who have taken part in the MTG Arena beta special recognition for their time spent playing in the form of a Fblthp avatar and card back. The reward can be earned by playing MTG Arena any time before September 26’s official launch. MTG Arena will also be adding special thematic battlefields set in the world of Eldraine at launch, too.
MTG Arena has sorely needed a few extra gameplay modes as the beta has progressed, and while MTG Arena special events have helped, having Brawl and the extended format Historic as options for players will further increase their investment in the platform. Throne of Eldraine is looking like a special set for Magic: The Gathering as a whole, and MTG Arena remains the premier choice for players looking to experience that magic ahead of schedule thanks to the Eldraine Courtside Brawl.
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