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[[Image:ProTourNew.PNG|right]]The Magic: The Gathering '''Pro Tour''', abbreviated PT, is a series of major yearly invitation-only [[DCI]] sanctioned [[Magic: The Gathering]] tournaments.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr136|On Tour, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 09, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/feature/41e|Musings on the History of the Magic Pro Tour|[[Mark Justice]]|June 01, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|arcana/magics-first-pro-tour-top-8-2014-11-24|Magic's First Pro Tour Top 8|[[Blake Rasmussen]]|November 24, 2014}}</ref>
{{SubTabs
 
|noitalic=1
The first Pro Tour, as envisioned by [[Skaff Elias]], was held in New York City on February [[1996]], 17–18.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/feature/353|Inside "Showdown in New York"|[[Mark Rosewater]] and [[Henry Stern]]|August 21, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/mm/173|Flashback to the Future|[[Mark Rosewater]]|December 12, 2011}}</ref>
|sub1 = Historical features
}}
[[File:ProTour2022.PNG|right|thumb]]The '''Pro Tour''', abbreviated '''PT''', is a series of major invitation-only [[DCI]]-sanctioned ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' tournaments, held about once every three months from 1996 to 2018.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/tour-part-2-2004-08-09|On Tour, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 09, 2004}}</ref><ref name="Musings">{{DailyRef|feature/musings-history-magic-pro-tour-2009-06-01|Musings on the History of the Magic Pro Tour|[[Mark Justice]]|June 01, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/magics-first-pro-tour-top-8-2014-11-24|Magic's First Pro Tour Top 8|[[Blake Rasmussen]]|November 24, 2014}}</ref> The Pro Tour was reinstated for the [[2022–23 Pro Tour Season]].<ref name="Return">{{WebRef|url=https://www.magic.gg/news/return-of-the-pro-tour-your-path-to-playing-magic-at-the-highest-level|title=Return of the Pro Tour, Your Path to Playing Magic at the Highest Level|author=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|date=March 31, 2022|publisher=[[Magic.gg]]}}</ref>


{{TOCright}}
==History==
==History==
[[Image:Pro Tour.jpg|thumb|right]]
Even early on in ''Magic'' history, there had been high-prestige tournaments that had attracted a lot of top players, most notably the [[1994 World Championships]], the first major tournament, which ran over three days of competition. However, the winner, [[Zak Dolan]], received a trophy and a large number of [[booster pack]]s from various sets, but no money.<ref name="zakdiary">{{WebRef|title=ZAK DOLAN'S WORLDS DIARY|accessdate=2015-09-25|date=2004-08-26|author=[[Zak Dolan]]|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/zak-dolans-worlds-diary-2004-08-26}}</ref> Similarly, the [[1995 World Championships|1995 World Championship]] winner, [[Alexander Blumke]], won a box of [[Legends]] and some miscellaneous packs.<ref name="Musings"/> In 1995, ''Magic'' Brand Manager [[Skaff Elias]] felt that Organized Play needed to step up to the next level. Players had to have something to aspire to. Thus was the Pro Tour created.<ref name="OnTour1">{{DailyRef|making-magic/tour-part-1-2004-07-26|On Tour, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 26, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|ways-play/oral-history-first-pro-tour-2016-02-02|An Oral History of the First Pro Tour|[[Brian David-Marshall]]|February 2, 2016}}</ref>  
Even early on in ''Magic'' history, there had been high-prestige tournaments that had attracted a lot of top players, most notably the [[1994 World Championships]], the first major tournament, which ran over three days of competition. However, the winner, [[Zak Dolan]], received a trophy and a large number of [[Booster pack|booster packs]] from various sets, but no money.<ref name="zakdiary">{{cite web|title=ZAK DOLAN'S WORLDS DIARY|accessdate=2015-09-25|date=2004-08-26|[[Zak Dolan]]|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/zak-dolans-worlds-diary-2004-08-26}}</ref> Similarly, the [[1995 World Championships|1995 World Championship]] winner, [[Alexander Blumke]], won a box of [[Legends]] and some miscellaneous packs.<ref name="Justicearticle">{{cite web|title=Musings on the History of the Magic Pro Tour|accessdate=2015-09-25|date=2009-06-01|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|[[Mark Justice]]|url=http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/41e}}</ref> In 1995, ''Magic'' Brand Manager [[Skaff Elias]] felt that Organized Play needed to step up to the next level. Players had to have something to aspire to. Thus was the Pro Tour created.<ref name="OnTour1">{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr134|On Tour, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 26, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|ways-play/oral-history-first-pro-tour-2016-02-02|An Oral History of the First Pro Tour|[[Brian David-Marshall]]|February 2, 2016}}</ref>  


The first Pro Tour, very briefly called the ''Black Lotus Pro Tour'', was held on 16–18 February 1996 in New York. Known as "Pro Tour Speed Dial" and "The Showdown in New York",<ref name="PTNY1996v">{{cite web|title=Magic the Gathering Showdown in New York 1/10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoZlFgnHSDs&list=PLB98CD31E324EF9EC|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=2015-09-29}}</ref> [[Michael Loconto]] from the United States ended up the winner, taking down 1994 Worlds finalist [[Bertrand Lestrée]] in the final. Loconto pocketed $12,000 for the win, much more than the winners of the early major tournaments got, yet a lot less than future Pro Tour winners would earn. The event was not streamed live, but a video was later published by Wizards.<ref name="OnTour1"/> In addition to the main event, there was also a junior Pro Tour for players under eighteen. The junior Pro Tour continued for a couple of years, until it was transformed into the [[Junior Super Series]]. The first Pro Tour season included three more Pro Tour events, culminating in the final Pro Tour, the World Championships, held at Wizards of the Coast's corporate offices in Seattle.
As envisioned by [[Skaff Elias]], the first Pro Tour - very briefly called the ''Black Lotus Pro Tour'' - was held on 16–18 February 1996 in New York City.<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/inside-showdown-new-york-2006-08-21|Inside "Showdown in New York"|[[Mark Rosewater]] and [[Henry Stern]]|August 21, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/flashback-future-2011-12-12|Flashback to the Future|[[Mark Rosewater]]|December 12, 2011}}</ref> Also known as "Pro Tour Speed Dial" and "The Showdown in New York",<ref name="PTNY1996v">{{WebRef|title=Magic the Gathering Showdown in New York 1/10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoZlFgnHSDs&list=PLB98CD31E324EF9EC|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=2015-09-29}}</ref> [[Michael Loconto]] from the United States ended up the winner, taking down 1994 Worlds finalist [[Bertrand Lestrée]] in the final. Loconto pocketed $12,000 for the win, much more than the winners of the early major tournaments got, yet a lot less than future Pro Tour winners would earn. The event was not streamed live, but a video was later published by Wizards.<ref name="OnTour1"/> In addition to the main event, there was also a junior Pro Tour for players under eighteen. The junior Pro Tour continued for a couple of years, until it was transformed into the [[Junior Super Series]]. The first Pro Tour season included three more Pro Tour events, culminating in the final Pro Tour, the World Championships, held at Wizards of the Coast's corporate offices in Seattle.


Since 1996, Pro Tours have been held every year, with the number of events varying from three to seven per year. [[Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad|Pro Tour ''Shadows over Innistrad'']] in Madrid in April 2016 was the 100th Pro Tour event.
Since 1996, Pro Tours have been held every year, with the number of events varying from three to seven per year. [[Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad|Pro Tour ''Shadows over Innistrad'']] in Madrid in April 2016 was the 100th Pro Tour event.


The prize purse of the Pro Tours increased rapidly, from $30,000 at the first Pro Tour to $100,000 at the second, Pro Tour Los Angeles 1996, to $200,000 at the [[1997 World Championships]] (plus $50,000 for the team competition). However, since then, the prizes have increased slowly; as of 2016, Pro Tours award $250,000 in prizes.
The prize purse of the Pro Tours increased rapidly, from $30,000 at the first Pro Tour to $100,000 at the second, Pro Tour Los Angeles 1996, to $200,000 at the [[1997 World Championships]] (plus $50,000 for the team competition). However, since then, the prizes increased slowly; as of 2016, Pro Tours awarded $250,000 in prizes.


==Qualification==
In 2019, more than twenty years after the first, the Pro Tours were rebranded as [[Mythic Championship]]s.<ref name="Esports">{{DailyRef|news/next-chapter-magic-esports-2018-12-06|The Next Chapter for ''Magic'': Esports|[[Elaine Chase]]|December 6, 2018}}</ref> In [[2020]], this was changed again, to [[Players Tour]].<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://www.magic.gg/news/the-future-of-magic-esports|title=The Future of ''Magic'' Esports|author=[[Elaine Chase]]|date=August 14, 2019|publisher=[[Magic Esports]]}}</ref> At the same time, Wizards of the Coast introduced the short-lived ''[[Magic]]'' [[Esports]] competition with the [[Magic Pro League]] (or "MPL") and the [[Rivals League]]. MPL players would be invited to [[Mythic Invitational]]s and all [[Tabletop]] [[Players Tour]] events.  
Pro Tours are invitation-only events. There several ways to qualify, and the complete list can be found in the [http://wpn.wizards.com/sites/wpn/files/attachements/mtg_peip-15_15apr20_en.pdf Magic: The Gathering Premier Event Invitation Policy]. Currently, the most common ways are:
*finishing with an 11–5 record (33 match points) or better at the previous Pro Tour
*finishing sufficiently highly in [[Pro Tour Qualifier]] that feeds that Pro Tour: which is either top four in Regional Pro Tour Qualifier (RPTQ), top eight in [[Magic Online]] RPTQ, or winning in Pro Tour Qualifier hold as Grand Prixes' side event.
*winning a Magic Online Pro Tour Qualifier or [[Magic Online Championship Series]] monthly event that feeds that Pro Tour
*finishing in the top two of the Magic Online Championship Series quarterly event that feeds that Pro Tour
*finishing in the top eight (or top four in team format) or 13–2 at a [[Grand Prix]] that feeds that Pro Tour
*winning a [[WPN Premium Series]] that feeds that Pro Tour. - ''this only applies to selected WPN Premium series approved by WotC.''
*having a sufficiently high [[Pro Players Club]] level (known as being on the "gravy train"). Gold-level and Platinum-level pros are invited to every Pro Tour, while Silver-level pros get invited to one Pro Tour event per year of their choice.
*being a member of the [[Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame]].
*being a member of a team that finished in the top 8 of the [[World Magic Cup]] – ''this only applies to the Pro Tour following the World Magic Cup''
*being invited to the Magic Online Championship – ''this only applies to players invited to the Magic Online Championship through an at-large slot, and only to the Pro Tour following the Magic Online Championship''
*being a member of a team that placed/finished in the top 8 of the [[Pro Tour Team Series]] - ''this only applies to the Pro Tour following the 3rd as well as last pro tour each season.''


Until 2011, players could also get qualified for the Pro Tour by having a sufficiently high [[DCI]] rating, and for Pro Tour ''Dark Ascension'' in 2012, the players with the most Planeswalker Points during the previous season were also invited.
At the end of the 2022 season, the MPL and the Rivals League were terminated<ref>{{YouTubeRef|k2ckkBm56VY|The new ORGANIZED PLAY announcement and how it affects competitive players|channel=[[Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa]]|date=May 14, 2021}}</ref> and a modified old system was reinstated.<ref name="Return"/> This [[Premier Play]] program once again featured Pro Tours.


With the exception of Silver-level pros and Hall of Famers, players qualified for the Pro Tour also get airfare paid by Wizards of the Coast. Hall of Famers do get an appearance fee of $1500 for participating in the first Pro Tour event in the season, however.<ref name="HoF">{{cite web|title=HALL OF FAME|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/content/hall-fame-top-players-coverage-events|publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref>
==Qualification==
[[File:Premier Play.jpg|right|thumb|300px|2022 [[Premier Play]] pyramid]]
Pro Tours are invitation-only events. There are several ways to qualify.<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://www.magic.gg/news/return-of-the-pro-tour-details|title=Return of the Pro Tour: Details|author=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|date=March 31, 2022|publisher=[[Magic.gg]]}}</ref> The most common ways will be:


==Structure==
* Be one of the top finishers at the previous [[Regional Championship]], with invites passing down as players earn multiple qualifications.
Traditionally, Pro Tours other than the World Championships have been three-day events with 11 to 16 rounds of Swiss play on the first two days, before a cut to the top eight players, who on the last day of competition play quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to determine a winner. Reaching a Pro Tour top eight is considered a major accomplishment, and players are often measured by how many top eights they have achieved during their career. Starting with the [[2016–17 Pro Tour Season|2016-17 season]], top seeded players coming into the top eight will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the lower seeds have to play two quarterfinal stages.<ref>{{cite web|title=PRO TOUR ELDRITCH MOON ORGANIZED PLAY ANNOUNCEMENT|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/pro-tour-eldritch-moon-organized-play-announcement-world-championship-pro-tour-2016-08-02|Helene Bergeot|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2016-08-03|date=2016-08-02}}</ref>
* Finish with ten or more wins at the previous Pro Tour.
* [[Magic Online Premier Play Program|''Magic: The Gathering Online'' Champions Showcases]]
* Players who finish with 39 or more [[Adjusted Match Points]] from the previous three Pro Tours (rolling).


Since Pro Tour Honolulu 2009, all Pro Tours have been 16 rounds of swiss, with ten rounds of [[Constructed]] and six rounds of [[Booster Draft]], including two drafts. The constructed part has been either [[Standard]], [[Extended]], [[Modern]], or [[Block Constructed]]. Starting with the 2014–15 season, three of the four Pro Tours use the Standard format, the last one using Modern.<ref>{{cite web|title=MODERN AT THE PRO TOUR IN 2015|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/modern-pro-tour-2015-2014-08-10|Helene Bergeot|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2015-09-29|date=2014-08-10}}</ref> Starting with the [[2016–17 Pro Tour Season|2016-17 season]], the Constructed portion of all four Pro Tours will be Standard.
For the transitional period between the sunsetting of the [[League]] structure and the first new Pro Tour in 2023, more invites will be given out for those beyond the normal cutoff point at the Regional Championships.


Prior to the 2009 season, Pro Tours other than the World Championships were held in a single format.
Members of the ''Magic: The Gathering'' [[Hall of Fame]] are invited to one Regional Championship and Pro Tour per season. Those events must be in the same round and cannot be in the same round in which they played in a Regional Championship Qualifier.
*Constructed Pro Tours were typically 16 rounds of Swiss, eight rounds on day one and eight rounds on day two. The players with 15 or more match points (a 5–3 record) after six rounds advanced to day two.
*Limited Pro Tours were typically 15 rounds of Swiss, spread across five [[Booster draft|Booster drafts]] or [[Rochester draft|Rochester drafts]], with three of the drafts and seven of the rounds being on day one, and two of the drafts and eight of the rounds being on day two. The players with 12 or more match points (a 4–2 record) after six rounds advanced to day two.
*Team Limited Pro Tours usually consisted of 11 rounds of Swiss, with six rounds of [[Sealed deck]] on day one and five rounds of Team Rochester draft on day two. The teams with 12 or more match points after six rounds (a 4–2 record) advanced to day two.


Prior to the 2012 season, the World Championships were typically a four- or five-day tournament with 18 rounds of Swiss play. The most common structure was six rounds of [[Standard]] on day one, six rounds of [[Booster draft]] on day two, and six rounds of either [[Extended]] or [[Block Constructed]] on day three. The fourth day was the team portion day, with the teams usually playing four rounds of Team Rochester draft or Mixed Constructed. The fifth day included both the top eight playoff for the individual competition, held in [[Standard]], as well as the Team Finals.
==Structure==
Pro Tours are hosted by [[Wizards of the Coast]]. Currently, they are 16-round Swiss-paired events that are split into two mornings of three-round Draft pods and two afternoons of five-round Constructed. As of 2023, each year has one Pro Tour of each supported Constructed format in Standard, Pioneer and Modern; the Modern one often receives a new product in the summer supplementary period. Players strive for first a four-win record to qualify for Day 2, ten wins to requalify for the next Pro Tour, then twelve wins to qualify for the Top 8. At twelve wins, the player is removed from the pool and given winner's byes; this to avoid excessive intentional draws and is one of the holdovers from the online-only Players Tour era.


==Prizes==
The Top 8 is a set of knockout rounds with best-of-five matches, as opposed to the traditional best-of-three. Sideboarding begins after the second game.


===Money awarded===
==Pro Tour season==
The current prize purse amounts to $250,000, distributed among the top 64 finishers as follows:
The Pro Tour Season currently consists of three Pro Tour events spread through the calendar year. In previous seasons it had gone to four or five, with the Mythic Championship era having eight in the season at the highest.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Prior to the 2005 season, the season ran roughly from August to the following August, culminating with Worlds in August or early September. The 2005 season was extended, with it beginning after the 2004 World Championships in September 2004, and ending with the 2005 World Championships in December 2005. From 2005 to 2012, the seasons were run as a unit of year (half year in 2012), which consisted of three to five Pro Tour events spread throughout the calendar year.
|-
! Place !! Payout
|-
! 1st
| $50,000
|-
! 2nd
| $20,000
|-
! 3rd
| $15,000
|-
! 4th
| $12,500
|-
! 5th
| $10,000
|-
! 6th
| $9,000
|-
! 7th
| $7,500
|-
! 8th
| $6,000
|-
! 9–16
| $5,000
|-
! 17–24
| $3,000
|-
! 25–32
| $2,000
|-
! 33–48
| $1,500
|-
! 49–64
| $1,000 
|}


The largest prize pool in the history of the game was paid out for the 2006 World Championships, comprising $465,245 ($255,245 for the individual competition; $210,000 for the team competition).<ref>{{cite web|title=2006 World Championships Prize Payout|url=http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Events.aspx?x=events/magic/worlds06prizes|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2015-09-29}}</ref>
Starting with the 2012 season, all Pro Tour rounds were named after the most recent [[expansion]] instead of the location of the venue, and were held two weeks after the release of that expansion. The season hence started with rotation in September and ends in July to August. Starting with [[Pro Tour Ixalan|Pro Tour ''Ixalan'']], the interval between the expansion and the Pro Tour were no longer fixed, and as of [[Mythic Championship Cleveland 2019]], Pro Tours were no longer tied to sets, though each release did have an event attached to it.


===Pro Points awarded===
For Premier Play, the expansion release date and Pro Tour schedule were generally decoupled. There are three Pro Tours each year, with the first Pro Tour in February, which is after the third expansion of the rotation season is released. The third Pro Tour is after the supplementary summer set, while Worlds (currently always Las Vegas) is immediately after rotation. Two are set in the United States and the third one in Europe, but locations may expand to Canada or Asia in the future.
Unlike money, for players outside the top eight, Pro Points are awarded based on match points in the tournament rather than final standing.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Finish!! Pro Points
|-
! 1st
| 30
|-
! 2nd
| 26
|-
! 3rd
| 24
|-
! 4th
| 22
|-
! 5th
| 20
|-
! 6th
| 18
|-
! 7th
| 17
|-
! 8th
| 16
|-
! 36+ points
| 15
|-
! 35 points
| 12
|-
! 34 points
| 11
|-
! 33 points
| 10
|-
! 32 points
| 8
|-
! 31 points
| 7
|-
! 30 points
| 6
|-
! 28–29 points
| 5
|-
! 27 points
| 4
|-
! 26 or fewer points
| 3
|}
 
==Pro Tour Season==
The Pro Tour Season usually consists of three to four Pro Tour events spread through the calendar year. The last event of the season is the summer Pro Tour, usually held in late July or early August.
 
Prior to the 2005 season, the season ran roughly August to August, culminating with [[Worlds]] in August or early September. The 2005 season was extended, with it beginning after the 2004 World Championships in September 2004, and ending with the 2005 World Championships in December 2005. From 2005 to 2012, the seasons were run as a unit of year (half year in 2012), which consisted of 3-5 Pro Tour events spread through the calendar year. The current season setup started halfway through 2012.
 
Starting with the 2012 season, all Pro Tour rounds were named after the most recent [[expansion]] instead of the location of the venue, and were held 1-2 weeks after the release of that expansion.
 
===Player of the Year===
{{Main|Player of the Year}}
''Player of the Year'' is an award given at the end of a Pro Tour season to the player with the highest number of Pro Points in that season. Although there are currently no additional prizes awarded to the Player of the Year, it is considered a highly prestigious title; players have been known to embark on worldwide tours to play as many Grand Prix events as possible in order to win the Player of the Year race.<ref>{{cite web|title=Feature: Kenji Tsumura, Player of the Year|url=http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds05/fpoy|Ted Knutson|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2015-09-29|date=2005-12-02}}</ref> The current Player of the Year is American [[Owen Turtenwald]].
 
===Rookie of the Year===
{{Main|Rookie of the Year}}
''Rookie of the Year'' is an award given at the end of a Pro Tour season to the player with the highest number of Pro Points in that season that also made their Pro Tour, [[Worlds|World Championship]], or [[World Magic Cup]] debut that season. The Rookie of the Year is granted Gold status in the [[Pro Players Club]] for the following season,<ref name="PPC">{{cite web|title=PRO TOUR PLAYERS CLUBGUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/content/pro-players-club|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2015-09-29}}</ref> and for 2014, it was announced that the Rookie of the Year would be invited to the World Championship. However, this was discontinued after the 2014 event. The current Rookie of the Year is American [[Oliver Tiu]].
 
==Pro Points==
Pro Points are earned through participation in a Pro Tour event, the [[Worlds|World Championship]], or the [[World Magic Cup]]. Points can also be won through high [[Grand Prix]] and [[National Championships]] finishes. The amount of Pro Points won depends on the finish in the event.
 
Pro Points are used to determine a player's level in the [[Pro Players Club]], and the player with the most Pro Points during a single season wins the [[Player of the Year]] title. Similarly, the [[Rookie of the Year]] title is won by the player with the most Pro Points during a single season that also made their Pro Tour debut during that season. Since 2012, Pro Points have also been used to determine who gets invited to the World Magic Cup as their country's captain, as well as most invitations to the World Championship.
 
===Pro Players Club===
{{Main|Pro Players Club}}
The Pro Players Club is a reward system associated with the Pro Tour. Points accumulated during the season determines the players' level in the club, each with different benefits. The levels and their benefits are, as of February 2016:<ref name="PPC"/>
*'''Silver (20 points)''': Two byes at individual-format Grand Prix events; automatic invitation to National Championships; invitation to one Pro Tour event per season of their choosing; automatic invitation to the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier; 15 QPs each month in the Magic Online Championship Series.
*'''Gold (35 points)''': Three byes at individual-format Grand Prix events; 1 bye at National Championships; invitation to all Pro Tour events; expenses-paid air travel ticket to all Pro Tour events; 35 QPs each month in the Magic Online Championship Series.
*'''Platinum (52 points)''': Three byes at individual-format Grand Prix events; 2 byes at National Championships; invitation to all Pro Tour events; expenses-paid air travel ticket and hotel accommodations at all Pro Tour events;35 QPs each month in the Magic Online Championship Series; complementary sleep-in special at all Grand Prix (where available). The player also receives an appearance fee for attending select tournaments: $3000 for a Pro Tour, $1000 for the World Magic Cup, $500 for National Championships, $250 for a Grand Prix.
 
==Amateur Status==
A player that has never played in a Pro Tour event, [[Magic World Championships|World Championships]], or [[World Magic Cup]] is considered to have Amateur Status. Prior to September 2006, Amateur Status only applied to players who did not have any lifetime Pro Points.  Since Pro Points can be won by a high enough finish at a [[Grand Prix]], it was previously possible to lose your Amateur Status without ever playing at a Pro Tour.
 
Until 2007, the top finishing Amateur players at GPs won a prize; nowadays, Amateur status is only used to determine who is eligible for the [[Rookie of the Year]] title.
 
==Most successful players==
The following table shows the players who have made it to the top eight of six or mour Pro Tours, or have won multiple Pro Tours. Only ten players have six or more Pro Tour top eights, and only nine players have more than one Pro Tour win.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Player
!Wins
!Top 8
|-
|{{flagicon DEU}} [[Kai Budde]]
|7
|10
|-
|{{flagicon USA}} [[Jon Finkel]]
|3
|16
|-
|{{flagicon DEU}} [[Dirk Baberowski]]
|3
|5
|-
|{{flagicon FRA}} [[Gabriel Nassif]]
|2
|9
|-
|{{flagicon NOR}} [[Nicolai Herzog]]
|2
|5
|-
|{{flagicon USA}} [[Brian Kibler]]
|2
|5
|-
|{{flagicon FIN}} [[Tommi Hovi]]
|2
|4
|-
|{{flagicon JPN}} [[Shota Yasooka]]
|2
|4
|-
|{{flagicon DEU}} [[Marco Blume]]
|2
|3
|-
|{{flagicon BRA}} [[Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa]]
|1
|11
|-
|{{flagicon USA}} [[Darwin Kastle]]
|1
|8
|-
|{{flagicon USA}} [[Luis Scott-Vargas]]
|1
|8
|-
|{{flagicon NLD}} [[Kamiel Cornelissen]]
|1
|6
|-
|{{flagicon JPN}} [[Masashi Oiso]]
|0
|6
|-
|{{flagicon JPN}} [[Kenji Tsumura]]
|0
|6
|-
|{{flagicon JPN}} [[Shuhei Nakamura]]
|0
|6
|}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The player who has played the most Pro Tours is [[Raphaël Lévy]]. As of [[Pro Tour Amonkhet|Pro Tour ''Amonkhet'']], Levy has attended 94 Pro Tours.
*The player who has played the most Pro Tours is [[Raphaël Lévy]]. As of [[Mythic Championship Cleveland 2019]], Levy had attended 100 Pro Tours.
**Levy is also the player who has attended the most consecutive Pro Tours, with 90 since the [[1998 World Championships]].
**Levy is also the player who has attended the most consecutive Pro Tours, with 91 starting with the [[1998 World Championships]] and ending with [[Pro Tour Hour of Devastation|Pro Tour ''Hour of Devastation'']] in 2017.
*The largest Pro Tour of all time was Pro Tour Charleston 2006, with 525 players (175 teams).
**The player with the current longest active streak of Pro Tours attended is [[Shuhei Nakamura]], who, as of [[Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica|PT ''Guilds of Ravnica'']], has attended 60 in a row since the 2004 World Championships. Whether this streak broke depends on how one defines the [[Mythic Championship]]s and regional [[Players Tour]] events. His streak continues for those named Pro Tour, having attended all three in 2023.
**The largest individual Pro Tour was Pro Tour Paris 2011, with 483 players.
*The largest Pro Tour of all time was PT Charleston 2006, with 525 players (175 teams).
**The largest individual Pro Tour was [[Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica|PT ''Guilds of Ravnica'']], with 510 players.
*The only player who has won two consecutive Pro Tour events was [[Kai Budde]], who in 2001 followed up his win at PT New York with a win at PT New Orleans. No player has won back-to-back individual Pro Tours (at PT New York, a Team Limited event, Budde won alongside teammates [[Dirk Baberowski]] and [[Marco Blume]]).
*The only player who has won two consecutive Pro Tour events was [[Kai Budde]], who in 2001 followed up his win at PT New York with a win at PT New Orleans. No player has won back-to-back individual Pro Tours (at PT New York, a Team Limited event, Budde won alongside teammates [[Dirk Baberowski]] and [[Marco Blume]]).
**[[Nicolai Herzog]] won back-to-back [[Limited]]-format Pro Tours in 2004, winning in Amsterdam and San Diego. However, Pro Tour Kobe, a [[Block Constructed]] event, happened in between.
**[[Nicolai Herzog]] won back-to-back [[Limited]]-format Pro Tours in 2004, winning in Amsterdam and San Diego. However, Pro Tour Kobe, a [[Block Constructed]] event, happened between those Pro Tours.
*Three players have finished in the top eight of three consecutive Pro Tour events: [[Scott Johns]] (Los Angeles 1996, Columbus 1996, [[1996 World Championships|Worlds 1996]]), [[Jon Finkel]] (New York 1998, [[1998 World Championships|Worlds 1998]], Chicago 1998), and [[Luis Scott-Vargas]] ([[Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch|''Oath of the Gatewatch'']], [[Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad|''Shadows over Innistrad'']], [[Pro Tour Eldritch Moon|''Eldritch Moon'']]).
*Five players have finished in the top eight of three consecutive Pro Tour events: [[Scott Johns]] (Los Angeles 1996, Columbus 1996, [[1996 World Championships|Worlds 1996]]), [[Jon Finkel]] (New York 1998, [[1998 World Championships|Worlds 1998]], Chicago 1998), and [[Luis Scott-Vargas]] ([[Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch|''Oath of the Gatewatch'']], [[Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad|''Shadows over Innistrad'']], [[Pro Tour Eldritch Moon|''Eldritch Moon'']]), and [[Nathan Steuer]] ([[2023 World Championship]], [[Pro Tour Phyrexia]], [[Pro Tour March of the Machine]]).
**[[Simon Nielsen]] has chained four events: [[Pro Tour March of the Machine]], [[Pro Tour The Lord of the Rings]], [[2024 World Championship]] and [[Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor]].
*The player with the most money finishes in consecutive Pro Tour events is [[Jon Finkel]], who cashed every Pro Tour from PT New York 1997 to PT Los Angeles 1999, ten in total.
*The player with the most money finishes in consecutive Pro Tour events is [[Jon Finkel]], who cashed every Pro Tour from PT New York 1997 to PT Los Angeles 1999, ten in total.


==See Also==
==See also==
*[[Pro Tour Collector Set]]
*[[Pro Tour Collector Set]]
*[[Magic World Championships]]
*[[Pro Tour Player Card]]s
*[[World Magic Cup]]
*[[List of PT events]]
*[[Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame]]
 
*[[Pro Players Club]]
==Promos==
*[[Player of the Year]]
*[[Promotional card#Pro Tour cards]]
*[[Rookie of the Year]]
*[[Pro Tour Qualifier#Promos]]
*[[Pro Tour Player Cards]]
*[[DCI]]
*[[Pro Tour Qualifier]]
*[[Grand Prix]]
*[[National Championships]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
{{Navbox Pro MTG}}
* {{NewRef|arcana/pro-tour-trivia-2008-02-19|Pro Tour Trivia|[[Magic Arcana]]|February 19, 2008}}
[[Category:Pro Tours| ]]
* [http://www.wizards.com/Magic/PlaneswalkerPoints/Information Planeswalker Points information page]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/bd246 The Week That Was - You're Invited]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=protour/standings/top8byevent Pro Tour Top 8s - By Event]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=sideboard/facts/top8ptlist Pro Tour Top 8s - By Player]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=protour/standings/lifetime Lifetime Pro Points]
*[http://www.wizards.com/dci/downloads/MTG_PEIP-07_07feb1_EN.pdf Magic: The Gathering Premier Event Invitation Policy]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/events/protour Pro Tour]
*[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=sideboard/coverage Past Pro Tour Coverage]
* {{NewRef|beyond-basics/how-play-pro-tour-2017-05-11|How to Play on the Pro Tour|[[Gavin Verhey]]|May 11, 2017}}
[[Category:Magic tournaments]]

Latest revision as of 07:43, 5 March 2024

Pro Tour
 
Historical features
 

The Pro Tour, abbreviated PT, is a series of major invitation-only DCI-sanctioned Magic: The Gathering tournaments, held about once every three months from 1996 to 2018.[1][2][3] The Pro Tour was reinstated for the 2022–23 Pro Tour Season.[4]

History

Even early on in Magic history, there had been high-prestige tournaments that had attracted a lot of top players, most notably the 1994 World Championships, the first major tournament, which ran over three days of competition. However, the winner, Zak Dolan, received a trophy and a large number of booster packs from various sets, but no money.[5] Similarly, the 1995 World Championship winner, Alexander Blumke, won a box of Legends and some miscellaneous packs.[2] In 1995, Magic Brand Manager Skaff Elias felt that Organized Play needed to step up to the next level. Players had to have something to aspire to. Thus was the Pro Tour created.[6][7]

As envisioned by Skaff Elias, the first Pro Tour - very briefly called the Black Lotus Pro Tour - was held on 16–18 February 1996 in New York City.[8][9] Also known as "Pro Tour Speed Dial" and "The Showdown in New York",[10] Michael Loconto from the United States ended up the winner, taking down 1994 Worlds finalist Bertrand Lestrée in the final. Loconto pocketed $12,000 for the win, much more than the winners of the early major tournaments got, yet a lot less than future Pro Tour winners would earn. The event was not streamed live, but a video was later published by Wizards.[6] In addition to the main event, there was also a junior Pro Tour for players under eighteen. The junior Pro Tour continued for a couple of years, until it was transformed into the Junior Super Series. The first Pro Tour season included three more Pro Tour events, culminating in the final Pro Tour, the World Championships, held at Wizards of the Coast's corporate offices in Seattle.

Since 1996, Pro Tours have been held every year, with the number of events varying from three to seven per year. Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad in Madrid in April 2016 was the 100th Pro Tour event.

The prize purse of the Pro Tours increased rapidly, from $30,000 at the first Pro Tour to $100,000 at the second, Pro Tour Los Angeles 1996, to $200,000 at the 1997 World Championships (plus $50,000 for the team competition). However, since then, the prizes increased slowly; as of 2016, Pro Tours awarded $250,000 in prizes.

In 2019, more than twenty years after the first, the Pro Tours were rebranded as Mythic Championships.[11] In 2020, this was changed again, to Players Tour.[12] At the same time, Wizards of the Coast introduced the short-lived Magic Esports competition with the Magic Pro League (or "MPL") and the Rivals League. MPL players would be invited to Mythic Invitationals and all Tabletop Players Tour events.

At the end of the 2022 season, the MPL and the Rivals League were terminated[13] and a modified old system was reinstated.[4] This Premier Play program once again featured Pro Tours.

Qualification

2022 Premier Play pyramid

Pro Tours are invitation-only events. There are several ways to qualify.[14] The most common ways will be:

For the transitional period between the sunsetting of the League structure and the first new Pro Tour in 2023, more invites will be given out for those beyond the normal cutoff point at the Regional Championships.

Members of the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame are invited to one Regional Championship and Pro Tour per season. Those events must be in the same round and cannot be in the same round in which they played in a Regional Championship Qualifier.

Structure

Pro Tours are hosted by Wizards of the Coast. Currently, they are 16-round Swiss-paired events that are split into two mornings of three-round Draft pods and two afternoons of five-round Constructed. As of 2023, each year has one Pro Tour of each supported Constructed format in Standard, Pioneer and Modern; the Modern one often receives a new product in the summer supplementary period. Players strive for first a four-win record to qualify for Day 2, ten wins to requalify for the next Pro Tour, then twelve wins to qualify for the Top 8. At twelve wins, the player is removed from the pool and given winner's byes; this to avoid excessive intentional draws and is one of the holdovers from the online-only Players Tour era.

The Top 8 is a set of knockout rounds with best-of-five matches, as opposed to the traditional best-of-three. Sideboarding begins after the second game.

Pro Tour season

The Pro Tour Season currently consists of three Pro Tour events spread through the calendar year. In previous seasons it had gone to four or five, with the Mythic Championship era having eight in the season at the highest.

Prior to the 2005 season, the season ran roughly from August to the following August, culminating with Worlds in August or early September. The 2005 season was extended, with it beginning after the 2004 World Championships in September 2004, and ending with the 2005 World Championships in December 2005. From 2005 to 2012, the seasons were run as a unit of year (half year in 2012), which consisted of three to five Pro Tour events spread throughout the calendar year.

Starting with the 2012 season, all Pro Tour rounds were named after the most recent expansion instead of the location of the venue, and were held two weeks after the release of that expansion. The season hence started with rotation in September and ends in July to August. Starting with Pro Tour Ixalan, the interval between the expansion and the Pro Tour were no longer fixed, and as of Mythic Championship Cleveland 2019, Pro Tours were no longer tied to sets, though each release did have an event attached to it.

For Premier Play, the expansion release date and Pro Tour schedule were generally decoupled. There are three Pro Tours each year, with the first Pro Tour in February, which is after the third expansion of the rotation season is released. The third Pro Tour is after the supplementary summer set, while Worlds (currently always Las Vegas) is immediately after rotation. Two are set in the United States and the third one in Europe, but locations may expand to Canada or Asia in the future.

Trivia

See also

Promos

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 09, 2004). "On Tour, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ a b Mark Justice (June 01, 2009). "Musings on the History of the Magic Pro Tour". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (November 24, 2014). "Magic's First Pro Tour Top 8". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2022). "Return of the Pro Tour, Your Path to Playing Magic at the Highest Level". Magic.gg.
  5. ↑ Zak Dolan (2004-08-26). "ZAK DOLAN'S WORLDS DIARY". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2015-09-25.
  6. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (July 26, 2004). "On Tour, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Brian David-Marshall (February 2, 2016). "An Oral History of the First Pro Tour". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater and Henry Stern (August 21, 2006). "Inside "Showdown in New York"". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 12, 2011). "Flashback to the Future". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Magic the Gathering Showdown in New York 1/10. YouTube. Retrieved on 2015-09-29.
  11. ↑ Elaine Chase (December 6, 2018). "The Next Chapter for Magic: Esports". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ Elaine Chase (August 14, 2019). "The Future of Magic Esports". Magic Esports.
  13. ↑ The new ORGANIZED PLAY announcement and how it affects competitive players (Video). Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. YouTube (May 14, 2021).
  14. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2022). "Return of the Pro Tour: Details". Magic.gg.
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