The meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of Brawl.

Wizards of the Coast is making significant changes to the dynamics of its most popular and competitive format. Following a tumultuous period marked by a string of highly contentious picks and an avalanche of vitriolic online abuse, the creator of the popular cardboard game recently announced that they would be taking a break from the series.

The format’s 13-year run comes to an end with its transition from a volunteer-led, community-driven entity that has remained independent of Wizards of the Coast. 

In the final week, the Commander Guidelines Committee, a volunteer panel comprising specialists, prohibited the inclusion of certain cards in Commander decks. As a result of the decision, some gamers responded by bombarding committee members with vile messages, including explicit death and sexual violence threats. With the foundations committee, gamers also targeted members of the Commander advisory board, a subgroup comprising gamers and content creators serving as a liaison between the broader Commander community and the foundations committee.

“When I think back to the inception of Gamergate,” says Shivam Bhatt, Commander advisory group member, his words echoing the tumultuous dawn of that era. 

After a grueling seven days of relentless harassment, Wizards of the Coast announced on September 30th that the Foundations Committee would relinquish control over the Commander format, stating: “The Guidelines Committee is entrusting the management of the Commander format to the game design team at Wizards of the Coast.”

Commander initiated a fan-created, casual multiplayer mode designed for enjoyable team-based gameplay among friends, offering a stark contrast to the competitive, one-vs-one dynamics typical in other formats. As the Commander format evolved, a dedicated community of players, spearheaded by Adam Staley and Sheldon Menery, further fine-tuned the game’s rules to ensure a more cohesive and enjoyable experience for all participants. In 2005, Meneary entrusted the innovative format to Scott Larabee, a seasoned match supervisor, who subsequently shared it with Wizards of the Coast. 

In 2011, Wizards of the Coast officially recognized EDH, now widely referred to as Commander, and began creating cards specifically tailored to the format’s unique demands. Despite differences between various codecs, Wizards of the Coast holds exclusive authority to establish or modify rules, as well as enforce card bans and selection decisions for Commander, with such control remaining solely in the hands of its creators. For nearly two decades, Menery spearheaded a guidelines committee, ensuring the effective management of the format until the events of last week.

Since its official recognition by Wizards of the Coast in 2011, the popularity of Commander has experienced a meteoric rise to widespread acclaim. Wizards of the Coast, also known as the publisher of popular franchises like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, is a subsidiary of global play and entertainment company Hasbro. While Wizards of the Coast and its parent company, Hasbro, have faced numerous legal challenges from competitors, a succession of lawsuits has surrounded their latest offerings. By leveraging Commander’s familiarity and reputation, the corporation is able to generate a lucrative revenue source. 

“With a focus on sustainability, Wizards of the Coast started producing eco-friendly playing cards that significantly outperformed their predecessors,” Bhatt said. “This strategic approach led to an innovative and assertive Commander format in matches.”

At the core of the issue lies a tension between the organic nature of Commander as an unofficial format and the commercial interests of Wizards of the Coast and its enthusiastic player base. As demand surges for these premium playing cards, which initially come at a higher cost due to their packaging in booster units, they escalate into an even more expensive commodity on the secondary market. Investors eagerly fork over substantial sums to either add these coveted items to their personal collections or acquire them in the hope of reselling them for even higher prices. For some gamers, card games are no longer just a fun activity to enjoy with friends, but rather a financial investment vehicle. As a scaled-down representation of times past, enthusiasts eagerly pursued the coveted Pikachu, seeking to claim it as their own.

While the strong demand for these cards could boost Wizards of the Coast’s revenue, this trend is fundamentally at odds with the essence of the Commander format. “According to Bhatt, Commander is intended to be the opposite of match play.”

The Principles Committee concurred, proscribing the four prominent cards that had increasingly dominated decks in the Commander format. “In line with Commander’s philosophical approach, which values creativity, our traditional strategies for setting guidelines and banning cards aim to foster a more measured pace in games.”

In the ever-changing landscape of competitive card games, different codecs – particularly match play – are governed by a dynamic metagame shaped by the most powerful and popular playable cards. While a participant’s achievements are often heavily influenced by their capacity to invest in expensive, top-tier resources, it is unfair to assume that their success is solely defined by this factor. In some cases, event play can unfold at a breathtaking pace, with matches concluding in as few as three to five turns. This setup fosters a environment where games unfold rapidly and overwhelmingly in favor of one team.

What if a typical baseball game were called in the third inning at 20-0, thanks to one team having the financial resources to sign Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge? Here is the rewritten text:

Imagine a world where humanity has mastered cloning technology, and every affluent professional sports team boasts a Shohei Ohtani and a Bryce Harper on their roster, revolutionizing the competitive landscape of their respective leagues. In this revised version: What distinguishes Commander from normal play is the absence of a dominant strategy, where players rely on the same expensive cards to succeed; instead, this format celebrates diversity in deck-building and creativity. 

The decision to prohibit certain playing cards, Bhatt acknowledged, was not taken lightly, as the committee was acutely aware of the potential financial consequences it would have for some enthusiasts. “Moreover, we’ve long recognized that financial constraints shouldn’t limit our creative potential; with unlimited resources at our disposal, the possibilities are endless.” 

Card bans are a rare occurrence in Magic, let alone in Commander. As the prohibitively expensive and highly coveted cards were banned, they became a focal point for gamers frustrated by the inability to utilize their decks or the rendered uselessness of their investments.

“The group erupted,” Bhatt stated. SKIP As tensions escalated, content creators, finance experts, and retail owners alike lit a fuse that ignited a wave of escalating threats.

In the wake of this decision, the foundations committee opted to relinquish control over Commander to Wizards of the Coast, entrusting them with the responsibility of overseeing the popular trading card game format. “These threats prompted residents to conclude that the rules committee cannot voluntarily organize something as massive as Commander without, at least, the safeguards of a formal entity,” Bhatt said.

The Wizards company has released a statement addressing recent events, strongly denouncing the reported harassment and offering a concise explanation of its strategic vision for the future of the format. 

“While the ownership of the format may fluctuate, local committee members and stakeholders remain committed, ensuring that the social format’s vision remains unchanged.”

Despite Wizards of the Coast embracing Commander, it remains uncertain whether both parties will ultimately reap the rewards they seek. The Wizards of the Coast company has yet to make an official statement regarding the potential unbanning of their contentious trading cards. Given the Wizards’ authority to regulate card bans, it’s a free pass for them to continue printing powerful, format-hindering cards that prioritize revenue growth over competitive balance.

Social media reactions have become increasingly blurred. While some gamers concede that the original handling of the situation by the foundation’s committee fell short, an even more distressing reality emerged: the subsequent harassment they endured. Whether it’s considered good or not depends on various perspectives. I don’t know,” Bhatt stated. “Regardless of its quality, I am convinced that it played a vital role.”