{"id":1045493,"date":"2026-01-17T16:47:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T16:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=485083"},"modified":"2026-01-17T16:47:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T16:47:16","slug":"magic-the-gatherings-commander-format-is-likely-getting-a-video-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/magic-the-gatherings-commander-format-is-likely-getting-a-video-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic The Gathering\u2019s Commander format is likely getting a video game"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wizards of the Coast is testing a video game version of its Magic: The Gathering<\/em> Commander<\/a> format, according to a Bloomberg interview<\/a> with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks earlier this week. This announcement is a continuation of the company\u2019s latest push-to-digital strategy,<\/a> which Cocks told Bloomberg is an attempt to \u201creach fans where they want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

The game will be distinct from the Magic Arena<\/em> mobile app, which allows users to play the traditional two-player MtG<\/em> format. The new Commander game will allow for more than two players, while attempting to make the digital iterations of the trading card game more collectible. This includes collaborations to make more Magic<\/em> cards with characters from other intellectual properties like Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/a>, Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/a>,<\/em> and Marvel<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This announcement comes less than two months since the community-created format changed custodianship<\/a>. After the volunteer-led Commander Rules Committee banned four cards from sanctioned play events<\/a>, players and collectors from the community reacted with severe backlash, including alleged threats against the CRC<\/a>. This response in turn resulted in the CRC handing over stewardship of the format to Wizards of the Coast.<\/p>\n

Hasbro has been facing some significant difficulties in the last two years. This includes selling its eOne film and TV business, canceling\u00a0other video game projects<\/a>, and laying off roughly\u00a01,900 employees in 2023<\/a> \u2014 with roughly 100 more slated\u00a0for later this year<\/a> \u2014 and most recently\u00a0getting sued by its investors<\/a>. Overall, WotC-operated properties like\u00a0Magic: The Gathering\u00a0<\/em>and Dungeons & Dragons, alongside mobile games like\u00a0Monopoly Go<\/em>, have been the company\u2019s saving grace. In its most recent quarterly earnings report<\/a>, Hasbro stated that its revenue has declined 15% overall. However, its WotC and Digital gaming segments had a revenue increase of 7%, indicating that as the rest of the toy company continues to struggle, its strongest bet is to invest more in what\u2019s already working. Whether having control of the Commander format, an increase in the number of inter-IP collaborations, and the company\u2019s prioritization of digital play are winning strategies has yet to be seen.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wizards of the Coast is testing a video game version of its Magic: The Gathering Commander format, according to a Bloomberg interview with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks earlier this week. This announcement is a continuation of the company\u2019s latest push-to-digital strategy, which Cocks told Bloomberg is an attempt to \u201creach fans where they want to play.\u201d The game will be distinct from the Magic Arena mobile app, which allows users to play the traditional two-player MtG format. The new Commander game will allow for more than two players, while attempting to make the digital iterations of the trading card game more collectible. This includes collaborations to make more Magic cards with characters from other intellectual properties like Lord of the Rings, Assassin\u2019s Creed, and Marvel.\u00a0…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1045494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1045493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nMagic The Gathering\u2019s Commander format is likely getting a video game | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wizards of the Coast is testing a video game version of its Magic: The Gathering Commander format, according to a Bloomberg interview with Hasbro CEO\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/magic-the-gatherings-commander-format-is-likely-getting-a-video-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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