Magic: The Reunion has seen a boom in new players thanks to recent collaborative efforts, but longtime Commander players feel left behind. Starting as an experimental format in 2011 Commander has grown to become one of the most popular and profitable formats in Magic: The Reunion todaybenefiting greatly from its ease of access and social focus. While Wizards Of The Coast has been successful in attracting new players to the format, controversies over product releases and recent card bans have left a negative impression on some die-hard fans.
Fortunately, for fans of the popular card game and the equally iconic Dungeons and DragonsWOTC has gotten much better at applying fan feedback. Responding to D&D Beyond’s criticism of eliminating cross-compatibility with 5e, WOTC immediately took the backlash to heart, listening to fans and making changes to improve the experience for returning players. Continuing the trend of fan base recognition, WOTC is introducing new initiatives to address areas of continuous improvement in its game formatsand avoiding future controversies over poorly received changes.
The commander panel is a huge improvement
THE Commander Panel is a community-focused group with a diverse group of 17 members from different backgroundsbeing involved in making vital decisions with WOTC. While MTG already has groups overseeing detailed changes made to the Commander format, this panel aims to give a voice to a wider variety of players with different perspectives. Instead of getting bogged down reviewing every card or small update, The Commander Panel will provide feedback on new mechanics, individual cards that need a second opinion, or changes made to the Commander format as a whole, such as card bans or rule changes.
Given that a large part of the Panel team is made up of content creators, each member has a direct line of communication with various fans of the format, giving more voice to the everyday player. Panel members are also encouraged to express their opinions openly on social media and can criticize key WOTC decisions without fear. of losing your position. These changes are a fantastic way for WOTC to quickly respond to future issues, allowing creators to take community feedback and pass it on to key decision makers. Magic: The Reunion’s Commander Format.
What this means for the future of Magic: The Gathering
A revolving door of fresh opinions from content leaders
While 17 members may seem like a challenge to reach a decisive decision, the panel is intended more for open discussion of ideas with a focus on majority agreement rather than unanimous decisions. While each member has a voice on the panel and in the community, Ultimately, WOTC has the final say in decisions, avoiding concerns about mob mentality that would dramatically shake up the format. Current panel members will also be replaced or changed annually, creating a rotating team that will continue to provide new and updated player perspectives as time goes on.
Fans of Magic: The ReunionThe Commander format won’t have to worry about major changes anytime soon, as panel leaders are taking the time to get it running smoothly before it impacts the community. The first major area the panelists plan to discuss is how slowly Commander games play out.emphasized by conversations with bosses and fan feedback. While this is certainly a change that could have a large-scale effect on the Commander community, it will be a slow transition as more players get involved to gather as much feedback as possible.
Source: Wizards. with, Wizards_Magic/X
- Platform(s)
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Computer, Android, iOS
- Released
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September 27, 2018
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer