Brawl: Our Plans (Rewritten and Expanded)
The Brawl format has become a fixture on MTG Arena, evolving from a light, casual fringe into the game’s second-most played format. It started as a laid-back, fun-focused format where players often piloted quirky or “for-fun” decks. Over the past few years, however, its popularity has surged, bringing with it a flood of powerful new cards. Iconic staples like Mana Drain and Strip Mine—alongside new commanders from sets such as Modern Horizons 3—introduced exciting, ambitious options for many players. For some, this expansion opened thrilling new directions for their decks. For others, it seemed to crowd out variety by pushing everyone toward similar choices in every build or every matchup.
As Brawl’s player base grew, its character began to shift. What felt like a charming, casual escape started to tilt toward power at the high end, making it feel less about playful experimentation and more about optimization. This isn’t inherently bad; it simply reflects the challenge of balancing a format that attracts both casual fans and competitive players. Some players relish the deeper strategy and stronger interactions this power level brings, while others long for the lighter, more approachable vibe that first drew them in.
In response to these tensions, we’ve begun to steer Brawl in a few directions. We’ve banned some of the most potent cards to help preserve a more relaxed, accessible experience, and we plan to continue iterating to keep Brawl welcoming for people who want to play with any commander they love. At the same time, we’re excited by the growing interest in a more competitive side of Brawl. Our recent Metagame Challenge demonstrated that there are players eager for a tougher, more cutthroat environment. That interest is something we want to explore further.
So we’re launching a new Metagame Challenge to test different ways to intensify Brawl without losing its core appeal. Several potential structures are under consideration: should Brawl be an anything-goes format, similar to Timeless? or should it resemble Duel Commander, with a structured, comprehensive ban list? Over the coming months, we’ll experiment with a range of formats to learn what players enjoy most and where interest lies.
The next iteration targets removing the most dominant commanders from the first Brawl Metagame Challenge, in an effort to broaden deck diversity. Ajani, Nacatl Pariah and a few other overpowering commanders that dominated early metagames will be banned as both commanders and deck components. In the 99-card portion, there will be no general power-level bans—so cards like Mana Drain and Strip Mine remain legal in this variant, alongside five extremely economical spells that cost nothing if you control a commander: Flawless Maneuver, Fierce Guardianship, Deadly Rollick, Deflecting Swat, and Obscuring Haze.
We invite ongoing feedback from the community. Your voices help shape how Brawl evolves, and we’ll be watching engagement, reactions, and how players experiment with new ideas as we move forward. Our goal remains clear: create options that spark excitement and give players fresh paths to build around their favorite commanders.
All-Access Brawl Modified Metagame Challenge
From December 16, 2025, to January 6, 2026, MTG Arena will host a special competitive Brawl event with a revised ban list and structure. The event is ranked, uses ranked matchmaking, and is all-access. Note that unlike standard Brawl, there is no free mulligan in this event.
This event is part of a broader series exploring how to run a more competitive version of Brawl. For this edition, we’re banning some of the top-performing commanders from the prior Metagame Challenge to open up more viable options for players building around different commanders. In the 99-card deck, we’ve stripped away all general bans for Brawl, while still allowing historically banned cards like Pithing Needle or Drannith Magistrate, newly restricted cards like Strip Mine, and new-to-MTG Arena cards like Deflecting Swat to be legal for this event. The format is all-access, giving players maximum freedom to experiment with diverse strategies.
Banned Cards (full list):
- Oko, Thief of Crowns
- Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
- Rusko, Clockmaker
- Old Stickfingers
- Wrenn and Six
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- A-Nadu, Winged Wisdom
- Lutri, the Spellchaser
Note: This ban list is specific to the event. Cards banned in standard Brawl, such as Pithing Needle, Strip Mine, or Deflecting Swat, remain legal for this event.
Event Details
- Start: December 16, 2025, 8:00 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC)
- Signups End: January 6, 2026, 8:00 a.m. PT (16:00 UTC)
- You will still have 3 hours to finish any ongoing run, but you won’t be able to join after the deadline. Matches in progress can finish.
- End: January 6, 2026, 11:00 a.m. PT (19:00 UTC)
- No new matches start after this time, but ongoing matches may conclude.
- Entry Cost: 5,000 Gold or 1,000 Gems
- Format: Best-of-One Modified Brawl
- Course Length: 7 Wins or 2 Losses
Rewards
- Entry reward: one of 12 individual card rewards, including Enlightened Tutor, Flawless Maneuver, Fierce Guardianship, Mystical Tutor, Deadly Rollick, Entomb, Gamble, Deflecting Swat, Worldly Tutor, Obscuring Haze, Arcane Signet, and Swiftfoot Boots
- 1 Win: No reward
- 2 Wins: 2 Historic-legal packs
- 3 Wins: 250 Gems and 4 Historic-legal packs
- 4 Wins: 450 Gems and 4 Historic-legal packs
- 5 Wins: 900 Gems and 8 Historic-legal packs
- 6 Wins: 1,350 Gems and 16 Historic-legal packs
- 7 Wins: 1,800 Gems and 24 Historic-legal packs
But here's where it gets controversial: does relaxing bans to enable broader deck diversity dilute the true competitive edge of Brawl, or does it invite a healthier, more creative metagame? And this is the part most people miss: the balance between power and accessibility is delicate, and the format’s direction will shape how new players enter the game and whether veterans stay engaged. What do you think—should Brawl lean more toward casual experimentation or deliberately cultivate a higher-level, competitive scene? Share your views in the comments.
