Open event
A Limited Open is a large, open-field Limited Magic: The Gathering tournament that provides acces to the Pro Tour. It is the first tournament since the demise of the Grand Prix to be open to all players, with no need to qualify for the event. The Limited Open was first featured at MagicCon Barcelona on July 28-30, 2023.[1]
Description
This multi-day Premier Event features eight rounds of Sealed on Day 1, two three-round drafts on Day 2, and a single-elimination draft in the Top 8 on Sunday.
The tournament has a limit of players (ranging from 1,200 to 2,000) and a total of money prizes ranging between $75,000 and $100,000. All players who finish with 36 match points or higher will earn a Pro Tour invite. All participants must have badges for the MagicCon on Friday and Saturday (Top 8 competitors will be given a Sunday badge if they do not already have one) and pay the entry fee of (about $160) for the event.
As of yet, the Top 8 is not counted as a Top Finish. It isn't counted as a Grand Prix Top 8 either.
History
The first Limited Open te be announced was the one for MagicCon Las Vegas on September 22–24, 2023, with a prize pool of $100,000.[2] Although the return of open tournaments was lauded, players noticed that the price to play ($65 for a badge + $160 entry fee) was prohibitive. In contrast, Grand Prix used to cost around $50-60 to participate.[3][4] Some of the cost could be attributed to economic stress after COVID, but the premium location of Las Vegas played a part, and the choice to bring back the Open in one of the most high-profile locations in America was something that was questioned.
However, due to the apparent popularity of the Las Vegas event, Wizards of the Coast added a similar event to the ticketed play offerings at MagicCon: Barcelona on the earlier date of July 28-30, 2023, replacing the Pro Tour Qualifier.[1] This event had a smaller players limit and prize pool, but a similar ranged entry fee.
References
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (June 28, 2023). "The MagicCon: Barcelona $75,000 Limited Open". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 13, 2023). "Introducing the $100,000 Limited Open at MagicCon Las Vegas". Magic.gg.
- ↑ PleasantKenobi (June 13, 2023). "I don't think a $225 weekend tournament is what people were asking for when they said "bring back GPs".". Twitter.
- ↑ PleasantKenobi (June 14, 2023). "This is an event run by WotC, as their big tent pole event. A billion dollar company can take a hit on costs.". Twitter.