On April 22, 2025, Wizards of the Coast announced a significant update to the Commander format's banned list, unbanning five cards: Gifts Ungiven, Sway of the Stars, Braids, Cabal Minion, Coalition Victory, and Panoptic Mirror. These cards are now part of the "Game Changers" list, a component of the ongoing beta test for the Commander Brackets system. Format-by-Format Impact Commander The unbanning of these five cards introduces new strategic possibilities in Commander. Each card offers unique gameplay dynamics: Gifts Ungiven: Allows players to search for cards and create intricate combos. Sway of the Stars: Resets the game state, offering...

We've been thrown for a loop by the recent bans in Magic: The Gathering, and it's causing quite a stir in our player communities. As an MTG player myself, I've seen firsthand how these changes have an impact on both competitive and casual formats. The gameplay impact has been significant, with some of our favorite cards like Nadu Winged Wisdom now off-limits. It's not just about the cards themselves - these bans have shaken up the whole MTG scene, from local game stores to major tournaments. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the banned cards and why...