MTG: WotC Takes the Reins for Commander – Rules Committee Quits
In the wake of a tumultuous week, Wizards of the Coast has taken over management of the Commander Rules Committee.
Welcome in, Praetors and Planeswalkers! Unless you’ve vanished into the Blind Eternities for the past week, you know that things have been crazy in the MTG world.
The Commander Rules Committee released a ban list, and the community went feral. Unfortunately, a few acted outside the unspoken rules we’ve set, which led to problems. In the wake of the events of the last week, Wizards of the Coast has taken over management of the format. Whether this will be a bane or a boon remains to be seen.
What Happened?
The CRC released a statement on September 23rd banning Jeweled Lotus, Dockside Extortionist, Mana Crypt, and Nadu from the Commander format. While their reasoning was sound, this raised a massive uproar in the wider community. Players who had spent a fortune accumulating these chase cards found their collections tank in a matter of hours. Gaming Stores lost thousands of dollars of revenue, and a dark haze descended on the community.
Mostly, people either accepted the ban or chose to ignore it. The Rule Zero of Commander has always been critical, and as a primarily casual format, most players decided they’d check with their opponent about running the banned cards. The cEDH community, in particular, pushed back against the bans since fast mana is vital for high-level play.
However, some reacted more viscerally. Hateful messages, including threats of violence, were levied against the Rules Committee, even those who were against the bans. Many members immediately resigned, and for a moment, it seemed the EDH community forgot there were HUMANS behind the CRC. To prevent further damage, Wizards stepped in, taking over management of the format going forward.
The Good
On the surface, I think this is a great idea. With the company that makes the game managing the rules, it’s more likely that cards will be balanced a little better before printing. That means high-cost chase cards won’t immediately get banned, and the financial aspect of the game will be a little healthier.
What’s more, we’ll likely get more Commander-focused products like Masters and the Forgotten Realms sets. Overall, I think this is the way it always should have been. Sure, WotC has had a few odd marketing choices (but honestly, point out a company that hasn’t), but I think that overall, this is what’s best for the future of the format I love.
The Potential Bad
Commander has always been a casual, community format. It was founded to be that, and has always been that. With the reins firmly in the hands of Wizards, the community aspect has been largely removed. The commercialization of Commander may become more prevalent, and the opposite effect of the ban may happen. A saturation of chase products leaves players with little time to adjust before another vital card drops. While I don’t foresee this happening soon, it’s always possible.
You can read the full release here.
What are your thoughts on WotC taking control?
