Posted in: Card Games, eSports, Games, Magic: The Gathering, Tabletop, Video Games, Wizards of the Coast | Tagged: card games, coronavirus, eSports, Ikoria, magic, Magic: The Gathering, MTG, MTG Arena, Tabletop, wizards of the coast, WotC

Wizards of the Coast Shutting Down "Magic: The Gathering" In-Store Play

Due to the rampant spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, tabletop gaming giant and Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast has been given no other recourse but to make a slew of online announcements detailing their response to the Coronavirus outbreak and spread. Starting today, the company has decided to shut down all Magic: The Gathering in-store sanctioned play as far as May 10th of this year at the very soonest. This affects North America, the European Union, and Latin America at present, but this mandate by Wizards of the Coast may increase in range in due time.

This will affect the release of Magic's newest set, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths in that all events save for any at-home Prerelease events will be cancelled up until that day (again, at the soonest as Wizards is trying to keep as cautious as possible here).

From Wizards of the Coast's DailyMTG news hub:

In response to COVID-19, Wizards has made a number of announcements and policy changes to enable WPN members to best serve their communities, navigate the disruption, and, above all, remain safe. Today, we are announcing that in-store play is suspended in North America, Europe, and Latin America until at least May 10.

If you represent a WPN store, please check here to see what this means for you.

This includes all Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths events, except for At-Home Prerelease. Existing events scheduled in those regions will be cancelled, and event scheduling has been removed from Wizards Event Reporter.

We strongly recommend that stores and players take measures to stay connected and set up remote play opportunities. We've partnered with Discord to create a template that stores can use to create a community hub with one click. Find more information on that initiative here.

This policy goes into effect Tuesday, March 24. We'll continue monitoring the situation and make adjustments where necessary, including potentially rescheduling Ikoria launch, which many WPN members have asked about. Expect final word on that decision in the coming days.

Furthermore, this page details what retailers get to do with promo packs as well as Buy-A-Box promos during this time:

Under normal circumstances, Promo Packs are to support in-store play. However, in-store play is not a possibility in many parts of the world. Effective immediately and through Ikoria season, Promo Packs may be used as a sales incentive.

Likewise, Buy-a-Box promo cards are usually reserved for in-store pickups. That, too, is impossible in some parts of the world. Effective with Ikoria launch and through Ikoria season, WPN members may ship Buy-a-Box cards along with orders of full displays. (Note that those shipments may also include Promo Packs.)

Till the virus peters out to the point where it's safe to go outside and interact with other people, I suppose our best option is to play Magic: The Gathering: Arena, right?

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