Explorer

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Explorer
DCI Sanctioned
Paper No
Magic Online No
Magic Arena Yes
Rules
Type Constructed
Multiplayer No
Add. rules Best-of-one and Best-of-three

Explorer was a constructed format introduced on April 21, 2022, as an on-ramp for the Magic: The Gathering Arena software to eventually support the Pioneer format. Like Pioneer, it was a non-rotating format where core sets and expansions since Return to Ravnica were legal, but necessarily excluding cards not yet implemented in the game. Unlike Arena's other major non-rotating format, Historic, Explorer was created to support "true-to-tabletop" gameplay, and thus did not use digital-only or Alchemy cards.[1]

In May 2025, the merger was complete and the Explorer format was retired, in favor of full Pioneer on MTG Arena.[2]

Background

Originally, the first format that would allow Arena players to make use of all cards that were no longer legal in Standard after rotation was the implementation of the Historic format in November 2019.[3] To expand Historic, the Pioneer Masters set was announced in July 2020, bringing Historic nearer to the Pioneer format.[4]

However, the release of Jumpstart: Historic Horizons in August 2021 included a selection of cards with digital-only mechanics. A few months later, the release of Alchemy: Innistrad introduced additional digital-exclusive cards to Historic. By including Alchemy cards and other digital-only cards in the format, Historic stopped being "true to tabletop", leaving MTG Arena without a non-rotating format of that type. This created negative feedback, and in February 2022, Wizards of the Coast announced they were exploring the development of a new format to meet the demand.[5] Explorer was introduced as a format in April 2022. It turned out to be mechanically the same as a format called "What was Written," a Midweek Magic event format that allowed cards from Return to Ravnica Block forward and had the same banlist as Pioneer. It answered the ask and demand for a Constructed, non-rotating, "true-to-tabletop" format using all the Pioneer-legal cards available on MTG Arena, with a path towards becoming the true Pioneer format on Arena.[6]

Explorer Anthologies

Main article: Explorer Anthology

Explorer Anthologies were added to the game to supplement the Explorer format. The first Explorer Anthology was released on July 28, 2022, and added 20 Explorer-legal cards to MTG Arena, from iconic powerhouses to offbeat favorites.[7]

Pioneer Masters

Pioneer Masters was released in December 2024. It combined cards from all the sets legal in Pioneer, pulling them together into a single set for both Limited and Constructed play.[4] It was designed to “fill out those remaining archetype gaps” that were not currently in Explorer, while also “being a fun experience on its own”.[8] It would be create 99% parity with paper Pioneer.

In October 2024, it was said that once Pioneer Masters was released in December 2024, Explorer would be be renamed to Pioneer on MTG Arena.[9] This came true in May 2025.[2]

Deck construction

All the regular rules for constructed formats applied. Decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There was no maximum deck size; however, decks in Arena can not have more than 250 cards. Like other constructed formats, a sideboard of at most fifteen cards could be used. Except for basic lands and cards like Rat Colony, a player's combined deck and sideboard could not contain more than four of any individual card.

Set legality

Cards from all regular core sets and expansions since Return to Ravnica (including exclusives that only appeared in Welcome Deck 2016 and Welcome Deck 2017) are legal. The format was retired after the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm.

Banned List

See also: Timeline of DCI bans and restrictions

Explorer followed the Pioneer banned list at first. Any cards that caused problems in Explorer specifically (such as because the format hadn't yet added answers found in Pioneer) would be banned rather than be rebalanced or suspended, just as with other paper formats, but this type of ban was expected to be reversed as Explorer grows toward parity with Pioneer.[1]

As of June 7th, 2022, there was one Explorer-specific ban:

When Explorer was merged with Pioneer, this ban was reversed.[2] However, the best-of-one Pioneer queue banned it in June 2025 under much of the same logic.[11]

In addition, cards banned in Pioneer were banned in Explorer:

The following cards had not been available in Arena but would be banned if they were released in a future set:

One card was legal in Pioneer and implemented in Arena but was only playable if conjured by other cards. They could not be obtained or crafted as part of a player's collection, and therefore could not be part of an Explorer deck.

References

  1. ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (April 21, 2022). "MTG Arena: State of the Game – Streets of New Capenna". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-04-21.
  2. ↑ a b c Dave Finseth (May 5, 2025). "Announcing Pioneer on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Brett Teran (June 27, 2019). "MTG Arena update: Introducing the Historic format". Magic Esports.
  4. ↑ a b author=Wizards of the Coast (date=July 15, 2020]). "MTG Arena: State of the Game – July 2020". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-07-15.
  5. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 8, 2022). "MTG Arena: State of the Game - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-02-10.
  6. ↑ Monthly Announcement Day (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (April 22, 2022).
  7. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July 6, 2022). "MTG Arena: State of the Game – Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27.
  8. ↑ Jess Lanzillo, Chris Kiritz, Athena Froehlich & Mark Rosewater (August 5, 2023). "Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Panel at GenCon – A Recap of MTG's Past, Present & Future (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
  9. ↑ The Foundations of Magic’s Next Era (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (October 25, 2024).
  10. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 11, 2022). "May 11, 2022 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-05-11.
  11. ↑ Carmen Klomparens, Jadine Klomparens, Arya Karamchandani, Gavin Verhey & Dave Finseth (June 30, 2025). "Banned and Restricted Announcement – June 30, 2025". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ a b Andrew Brown (May 13, 2024). "August 26, 2024, Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ a b c d e Ian Duke (February 15, 2021). "February 15, 2021 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-02-15.
  14. ↑ a b c d e Blake Rasmussen (October 21, 2019). "Announcing the Pioneer Format"
  15. ↑ a b Michael Majors and Ian Duke (June 7, 2022). "June 7, 2022 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-06-07.
  16. ↑ a b Ian Duke (December 02, 2019). "December 2, 2019 Pioneer Banned Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-12-02.
  17. ↑ a b Dan Musser (December 4, 2023). "December 4, 2023 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  18. ↑ Dan Musser, Arya Karamchandani, Dave Finseth (December 16, 2024). "Banned and Restricted Announcement – December 16, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  19. ↑ a b c d Ian Duke (August 3, 2020). "August 3, 2020 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03.
  20. ↑ a b Ian Duke (November 04, 2019). "November 4, 2019 Pioneer Banned Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04.
  21. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 7, 2022). "March 7, 2022 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07.
  22. ↑ a b Ian Duke (December 16, 2019). "December 16, 2019 Pioneer Banned Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02.
  23. ↑ Ian Duke (November 11, 2019). "November 11, 2019 Pioneer Banned Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-11-12.

See also

DCI
Sanctioned
Casual
Constructed
Limited/Draft
Multiplayer
Retired
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