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The '''Pro Players Club''' is a system set up by [[Wizards of the Coast]] to reward players on the [[Magic: The Gathering]] [[Pro Tour]]. It was announced in May 2005 by [[Randy Buehler]] and replaced several older and more complicated sytems like the professional standings. It took effect with [[Pro Tour]] London in 2005.
The '''Pro Players Club''' is a system set up by [[Wizards of the Coast]] to reward players on the ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' [[Pro Tour]]. It was announced in May 2005 by [[Randy Buehler]] and replaced several older and more complicated systems like the end-of-the-year payout. It took effect with [[Pro Tour]] London in 2005. The Pro Players Club was terminated in 2019, when ''Magic'' [[Esports]] were introduced with the [[Magic Pro League]] and [[Mythic Championship]]s on [[MTG Arena]].<ref name="Esports">{{DailyRef|news/next-chapter-magic-esports-2018-12-06|The Next Chapter for ''Magic'': Esports|[[Elaine Chase]]|December 6, 2018}}</ref>


There are eight levels in the Pro Players Club.
There were four ranks in the Pro Players Club: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.<ref name="2012changes">{{WebRef|title=Revamped Premier Play Coming in 2012|url=http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/other/122311a|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|date=2011-12-23|accessdate=2015-09-29}}</ref><ref name="2018changes">{{WebRef|title=THE PRO CLUB TRANSFORMS AFTER 2017–18|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/organized-play/pro-club-transforms-after-2017-18-2017-07-19|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|date=2017-07-19|accessdate=2017-07-19|author=Elaine Chase}}</ref>
 
==History==
Before the establishment of the Pro Players Club, Wizards had experimented with various ways of enabling a pro lifestyle by giving top players a method of somewhat regular income. The first of these was the [[Masters Series]], introduced for the [[2000–01 Pro Tour Season|2000–01 season]]. Each event took place before the Pro Tour and in the same city; the top players in the world were invited to a 32-person single-elimination tournament with a cash prize of $150,000.<ref>{{WebRef|title=Information on the Masters Series|url=http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/article.asp?x=MASTERSNY00/998info|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2016-05-03}}</ref> The Masters series was phased out following the [[2002–03 Pro Tour Season|2002–03 season]], as the single-elimination nature of the event proved to be too volatile and high variance and too low profile next to the Pro Tour taking place almost simultaneously. In its place, the End-of-Year Payout system was introduced. This system paid the top fifty finishers in the [[Player of the Year]] race a total of $635,000 at the end of each season; however, this was phased out during the next season, as it did not give immediate rewards to players for traveling to events, and it failed to encourage top players to stay on the Pro Tour for the next season.<ref>{{WebRef|title=The Dragonmaster's Lair - Upheavals In OP|url=http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/print.php?Article=23063|publisher=StarCityGames|accessdate=2016-05-03}}</ref>
 
The Pro Players Club was introduced on the 2nd of May, 2005.<ref name="PPC05">{{WebRef|title=WELCOME TO THE PRO PLAYERS CLUB|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/welcome-pro-players-club-2005-05-02|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|author=Randy Buehler|date=2005-05-02|accessdate=2016-04-29}}</ref> It featured a system with six levels based on [[Pro Points]] earned during the previous season, where a level 3 player would be invited to all Pro Tours, and level 6 players were also given significant appearance fees for attending [[Grand Prix]] and Pro Tour events, as well as airfare and a hotel room for all Pro Tours. Exact benefits and level requirements have since changed over the years, and before the [[2008 Pro Tour Season|2008 season]], the system was changed to having eight levels. During the [[2012 Pro Tour Season|2012 season]], the Pro Players Club was overhauled, and the previous eight levels were replaced by three: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
 
===Cycles===
In July 2017, it was announced that starting with the 2018–19 season, instead of being tied to annual seasons, the Pro Players Club levels would be tied to ''cycles''. There were four cycles in a year, each tied to an [[Expansion]] and including one [[Pro Tour]], and the last four cycles would count towards a player's point total, with the Pro Players Club membership being checked at the close of each cycle.<ref name="2018changes"/> Originally, at most 3 Pro Point finishes in each cycle would count towards the Pro Players Club level, but a revised version was released in September 2017, where it was announced that the 12 best finishes across the last four cycles would count towards the level instead. In August 2018, a further revision to the system was made, where players now retained a level earned for two cycles instead of one.<ref name="PPC18">{{WebRef|title=AUGUST 16, 2018 PRO TOUR UPDATE|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/organized-play/august-16-2018-pro-tour-update-2018-08-16|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|author=Blake Rasmussen|date=2018-08-16|accessdate=2016-04-29}}</ref>
 
Players winning a [[Pro Tour]], the [[World Championship]], or the [[Magic Online Championship Series|Magic Online Championship]], all of which award Platinum level in the Pro Players Club, retain that level for 5 cycles (including the cycle that event was in). A similar rule applies to the [[Rookie of the Year]]'s Gold level.
 
===Termination===
The Pro Club program ended on December 22, 2019.<ref name="Qualifying">{{DailyRef|competitive-gaming/mythic-championship-qualification-magic-world-championship-2019-02-20|How to Become The Next ''Magic'' Champion: Qualifying for Mythic Championships and Worlds|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|February 20, 2019}}</ref>
* Platinum, Gold, and Silver invitations and appearance fees ended with [[Mythic Championship VI]] in Richmond, Nov. 8–10, 2019.
* Platinum Grand Prix appearance fees ended with the Grand Prix in Portland the week of December 21–22, 2019.


==Earning Levels==
==Earning Levels==
To quote the [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=protour/playersclub/guidelines Pro Players Club's Guidelines and Procedures]:
From the Pro Tour Players Club Guidelines and Procedures:<ref name="PPC">{{WebRef|title=PRO TOUR PLAYERS CLUB GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/content/pro-players-club|publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref>
{{cquote|When a member reaches the required number of Pro Points in the current season's Player of the Year Standing, he or she is immediately promoted to the applicable Club Level for the rest of the current season. At the beginning of each new season, every member will be awarded the membership level based on his or her final point total in his or her previous season's Player of the Year Standing.}}
{{cquote|When a member reaches the required number of Professional Points in the current Professional Points season, he or she is immediately promoted to the applicable Club Level for the rest of the current season. At the beginning of each new season, every member will be awarded the membership level based on his or her final point total in the previous Professional Points season.}}
Starting with the 2012 season, players that win a [[Pro Tour]] event, the [[Worlds|World Championship]], or the Magic Online Championship are immediately promoted to Platinum level until the end of the next season (5 cycles starting with the [[2018–19 Pro Tour Season|2018–19 season]]). The [[Rookie of the Year]] is immediately promoted to Gold level until the end of the next season.


==Benefits==
For the 2013–14 season, only the five best Grand Prix results (in terms of Pro Points earned) counted towards a player's total number of points during a season. This cap was increased to six for the 2014–15 season, a system which lasted until the 2017–18 season,<ref name="GPCap2014">{{WebRef|title=NEW ENHANCEMENTS TO THE PRO PLAYERS CLUB STARTING AUGUST 2014|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/new-enhancements-pro-players-club-starting-august-2014-2014-07-29|author=Helene Bergeot|accessdate=2015-09-29|date=2014-07-29|publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|news/state-organized-play-2016-06-23|State of Organized Play|[[Helene Bergeot]]|June 23, 2016}}</ref> when the Grand Prix cap was replaced by the cycle system, where the best 12 results in the past 4 cycles were counted.
*Grand Prix Byes: Players get 1 bye at all [[Grand Prix|Grand Prixes]] for each level they have, to a maximum of 3 byes per event.


*National Championship: All players with Level 2 or higher are automatically invited to their country's [[National Championship]].
==Levels and benefits==
In the 2012 season, the Pro Players Club was changed to a system with three ranks; benefits and requirements are adjusted every year if necessary. In 2017, a new rank, Bronze, was added.


*Pro Tour & Worlds: All players with Level 3 or higher qualify for all [[Pro Tour]] events, including the [[Magic World Championships]].
The 2018–19 system's benefits and requirements are listed below unless stated otherwise, events mentioned on the list below indicate on respective events held in that cycle.  


*Appearance Fees: All players with Level 3 or higher get paid appearance fees for participating in a [[Pro Tour]] or [[Worlds]]. Players with Level 5 or higher also get paid appearance fees for participating in [[Grand Prix]] events.
===Bronze (10 points)===
Bronze-level players receive:
*two byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
*invitations to their country's [[National Championships|Nationals]].
*An invitation to one Regional Pro Tour Qualifier during each Regional Pro Tour Qualifier season.


*Airfare Fees: Level 4 players get free airfare to one [[Pro Tour]] and [[Worlds]] for the current season. Level 5 and 6 players get free airfare to all [[Pro Tour|Pro Tours]] and [[Worlds]].
===Silver (22 points)===
Silver-level players receive:
*two byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
*an option of attending the Pro Tour, if they are not invited otherwise. If they choose to attend the Pro Tour this way, they are not allowed to use the same option in the following three cycles. This option does not affect their eligibility for Pro Tour Qualifier events.
*invitations to their country's [[National Championships|Nationals]].
*15 QPs each month for the [[Magic Online Championship Series]].
*An invitation to one Regional Pro Tour Qualifier during each Regional Pro Tour Qualifier season.


*Hotel Fees: Level 6 players have their hotel rooms paid for at [[Pro Tour]] and [[Worlds]].
===Gold (37 points)===
Gold-level players receive:
*three byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
*invitations to the Pro Tour with the expenses-paid air travel tickets.
*invitation with one bye at their country's Nationals.
*35 QPs each month for the [[Magic Online Championship Series]].
 
===Platinum (52 points)===
Platinum-level players receive:
*three byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
*a complementary sleep-in special at all Grand Prix (where available).
*invitations to the Pro Tour with the expenses-paid air travel tickets.
*invitation with two byes at their country's Nationals.
*35 QPs each month for the [[Magic Online Championship Series]].
*appearance fees for attending select tournaments:
**Pro Tour – $3000
**World Magic Cup – $1000
**Nationals and Grand Prix – $500
***For Grand Prix events, however, appearance fees are only paid out for the first 2 events attended per cycle.
*Players Cards (similar to [[Pro Tour Player Card]]s) which have their name, photo, and team in the [[Magic Pro Tour Team Series|Team Series]] (if any) printed on them.


==References==
==References==
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=protour/playersclub/guidelines Pro Players Club - Guidelines and Procedures]
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Navbox Pro MTG}}
[[Category:Magic tournaments]]
[[Category:Magic tournaments]]

Latest revision as of 18:47, 8 July 2022

The Pro Players Club is a system set up by Wizards of the Coast to reward players on the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It was announced in May 2005 by Randy Buehler and replaced several older and more complicated systems like the end-of-the-year payout. It took effect with Pro Tour London in 2005. The Pro Players Club was terminated in 2019, when Magic Esports were introduced with the Magic Pro League and Mythic Championships on MTG Arena.[1]

There were four ranks in the Pro Players Club: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.[2][3]

History

Before the establishment of the Pro Players Club, Wizards had experimented with various ways of enabling a pro lifestyle by giving top players a method of somewhat regular income. The first of these was the Masters Series, introduced for the 2000–01 season. Each event took place before the Pro Tour and in the same city; the top players in the world were invited to a 32-person single-elimination tournament with a cash prize of $150,000.[4] The Masters series was phased out following the 2002–03 season, as the single-elimination nature of the event proved to be too volatile and high variance and too low profile next to the Pro Tour taking place almost simultaneously. In its place, the End-of-Year Payout system was introduced. This system paid the top fifty finishers in the Player of the Year race a total of $635,000 at the end of each season; however, this was phased out during the next season, as it did not give immediate rewards to players for traveling to events, and it failed to encourage top players to stay on the Pro Tour for the next season.[5]

The Pro Players Club was introduced on the 2nd of May, 2005.[6] It featured a system with six levels based on Pro Points earned during the previous season, where a level 3 player would be invited to all Pro Tours, and level 6 players were also given significant appearance fees for attending Grand Prix and Pro Tour events, as well as airfare and a hotel room for all Pro Tours. Exact benefits and level requirements have since changed over the years, and before the 2008 season, the system was changed to having eight levels. During the 2012 season, the Pro Players Club was overhauled, and the previous eight levels were replaced by three: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Cycles

In July 2017, it was announced that starting with the 2018–19 season, instead of being tied to annual seasons, the Pro Players Club levels would be tied to cycles. There were four cycles in a year, each tied to an Expansion and including one Pro Tour, and the last four cycles would count towards a player's point total, with the Pro Players Club membership being checked at the close of each cycle.[3] Originally, at most 3 Pro Point finishes in each cycle would count towards the Pro Players Club level, but a revised version was released in September 2017, where it was announced that the 12 best finishes across the last four cycles would count towards the level instead. In August 2018, a further revision to the system was made, where players now retained a level earned for two cycles instead of one.[7]

Players winning a Pro Tour, the World Championship, or the Magic Online Championship, all of which award Platinum level in the Pro Players Club, retain that level for 5 cycles (including the cycle that event was in). A similar rule applies to the Rookie of the Year's Gold level.

Termination

The Pro Club program ended on December 22, 2019.[8]

  • Platinum, Gold, and Silver invitations and appearance fees ended with Mythic Championship VI in Richmond, Nov. 8–10, 2019.
  • Platinum Grand Prix appearance fees ended with the Grand Prix in Portland the week of December 21–22, 2019.

Earning Levels

From the Pro Tour Players Club Guidelines and Procedures:[9]

“  When a member reaches the required number of Professional Points in the current Professional Points season, he or she is immediately promoted to the applicable Club Level for the rest of the current season. At the beginning of each new season, every member will be awarded the membership level based on his or her final point total in the previous Professional Points season.  ”

Starting with the 2012 season, players that win a Pro Tour event, the World Championship, or the Magic Online Championship are immediately promoted to Platinum level until the end of the next season (5 cycles starting with the 2018–19 season). The Rookie of the Year is immediately promoted to Gold level until the end of the next season.

For the 2013–14 season, only the five best Grand Prix results (in terms of Pro Points earned) counted towards a player's total number of points during a season. This cap was increased to six for the 2014–15 season, a system which lasted until the 2017–18 season,[10][11] when the Grand Prix cap was replaced by the cycle system, where the best 12 results in the past 4 cycles were counted.

Levels and benefits

In the 2012 season, the Pro Players Club was changed to a system with three ranks; benefits and requirements are adjusted every year if necessary. In 2017, a new rank, Bronze, was added.

The 2018–19 system's benefits and requirements are listed below unless stated otherwise, events mentioned on the list below indicate on respective events held in that cycle.

Bronze (10 points)

Bronze-level players receive:

  • two byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
  • invitations to their country's Nationals.
  • An invitation to one Regional Pro Tour Qualifier during each Regional Pro Tour Qualifier season.

Silver (22 points)

Silver-level players receive:

  • two byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
  • an option of attending the Pro Tour, if they are not invited otherwise. If they choose to attend the Pro Tour this way, they are not allowed to use the same option in the following three cycles. This option does not affect their eligibility for Pro Tour Qualifier events.
  • invitations to their country's Nationals.
  • 15 QPs each month for the Magic Online Championship Series.
  • An invitation to one Regional Pro Tour Qualifier during each Regional Pro Tour Qualifier season.

Gold (37 points)

Gold-level players receive:

  • three byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
  • invitations to the Pro Tour with the expenses-paid air travel tickets.
  • invitation with one bye at their country's Nationals.
  • 35 QPs each month for the Magic Online Championship Series.

Platinum (52 points)

Platinum-level players receive:

  • three byes at all individual-format Grand Prix tournaments.
  • a complementary sleep-in special at all Grand Prix (where available).
  • invitations to the Pro Tour with the expenses-paid air travel tickets.
  • invitation with two byes at their country's Nationals.
  • 35 QPs each month for the Magic Online Championship Series.
  • appearance fees for attending select tournaments:
    • Pro Tour – $3000
    • World Magic Cup – $1000
    • Nationals and Grand Prix – $500
      • For Grand Prix events, however, appearance fees are only paid out for the first 2 events attended per cycle.
  • Players Cards (similar to Pro Tour Player Cards) which have their name, photo, and team in the Team Series (if any) printed on them.

References

  1. ↑ Elaine Chase (December 6, 2018). "The Next Chapter for Magic: Esports". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Revamped Premier Play Coming in 2012. Wizards of the Coast (2011-12-23). Retrieved on 2015-09-29.
  3. ↑ a b Elaine Chase (2017-07-19). "THE PRO CLUB TRANSFORMS AFTER 2017–18". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2017-07-19.
  4. ↑ Information on the Masters Series. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-05-03.
  5. ↑ The Dragonmaster's Lair - Upheavals In OP. StarCityGames. Retrieved on 2016-05-03.
  6. ↑ Randy Buehler (2005-05-02). "WELCOME TO THE PRO PLAYERS CLUB". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-04-29.
  7. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (2018-08-16). "AUGUST 16, 2018 PRO TOUR UPDATE". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-04-29.
  8. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 20, 2019). "How to Become The Next Magic Champion: Qualifying for Mythic Championships and Worlds". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ PRO TOUR PLAYERS CLUB GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Helene Bergeot (2014-07-29). "NEW ENHANCEMENTS TO THE PRO PLAYERS CLUB STARTING AUGUST 2014". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2015-09-29.
  11. ↑ Helene Bergeot (June 23, 2016). "State of Organized Play". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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