iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

All "A-" cards will be reverted to their original printing across all formats. This includes those that were buffed versions.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Alchemy as a format is leaving Arena. Alchemy: Reality Fracture is the last Alchemy release planned for MTG Arena. Read all the details in the 2026 Arena State of the Formats article I wrote here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

magic.wizards.com

MTG Arena State of the Formats 2026

Dave Finseth discusses the last two years of format evolution on MTG Arena and the team's plans for the game.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Before anyone asks where the HOB Collector Arena Direct went, it sold out! Players can still finish their run but no more entries will be allowed.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

We want Brawl to be a format where any commander can find a fun and interesting match. We believe we can accomplish this by matching players with proper opponents. Currently, Brawl matchmaking has some weaknesses that are not meeting our expectations, but we expect to be able to find solutions soon.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Today we are taking several steps to curate a fun and friendly Brawl format. The following cards are now banned: - Force of Will - Subtlety - Wash Away - Ugin's Labyrinth - Time Warp - Temporal Manipulation Read all about it here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/anno...

magic.wizards.com

Banned and Restricted Announcement – June 29, 2026

See statements regarding Legacy, Pauper, and Brawl. Changes will be effective June 29, 2026.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Magic exhibition in Minnesota? Can’t wait to see it myself!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

I had the opportunity to help create 5 new basic land cards (like this Island) that will be sold on Arena in June to raise money to protect Rainforests and Barrier Reefs! Each card is inspired by some of the Magic found in our natural world. Read more here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

This absolutely rules! MPR 🤝Magic 🤝 Good Luck High Five! I grew up in Minnesota playing Magic at the Wizards of the Coast store in Mall of America. 🫶

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

We just made another update to Brawl Matchmaking to further improve the experience! Player Rating is a part of the equation again, but we have softened how big a role it plays. Read more here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

magic.wizards.com

MTG Arena Announcements – May 18, 2026

Catch up with the latest info and events on MTG Arena.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

The Secrets of Strixhaven Collector Arena Direct event will now be starting 24hours early! Events now start Thursday, April 30th at 8am pacific. The event will also end a few hours early due to schedule maintenance, but overall more time to play! magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

A few Rebalance changes were included in the latest release: Rebalances - Darkstar Banisher - Indris, the Hydrostatic Surge - Sliver Weftwinder - The Grand Goatnapper - Putrid Hexhag Reverted Rebalances - Alrund's Epiphany - Omnath, Locus of Creation - Unholy Heat Full details in the blog:

magic.wizards.com

MTG Arena Announcements – April 13, 2026

Catch up with the latest info and events on MTG Arena.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I have been getting a number of questions about the new limited time MTG:Arena format: Contender Draft! Here is a quick TLDR: - Higher Entry, Higher rewards, Higher stakes Draft Format - Best of One - Ranked Full Secrets of Strixhaven Arena event schedule here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

magic.wizards.com

Secrets of Strixhaven MTG Arena Event Schedule

Prepare for the release of Magic's latest set on MTG Arena! Check out all the events ahead of the set's digital release on April 21.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

It was known that LED does not have smart priority. Still works to combo off but you do need to use full control. There are more details in the Arena Blog here - magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

magic.wizards.com

MTG Arena Announcements – October 27, 2025

Catch up with the latest info and events on MTG Arena.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Arena is planning to do 4 person Pick-Two drafts with OM1

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

I wrote the Ban and Restricted update for Arena Digital formats! Check it out for a little more insight into each of our formats current health:

magic.wizards.com

Banned and Restricted Announcement – June 30, 2025

Announcing changes to Standard, Alchemy, Historic, and Best-of-One Pioneer effective June 30, 2025.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

There was a bug with today's Qualifier Weekend so we are rewarding all players 2 additional wins. If you finished with 5 wins, expect to receive a day 2 token and play tomorrow!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

I too would like to see Goblin Piledriver! Waiting for someone to prove the card is still competitive in Pioneer.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

We are renaming Explorer to Pioneer and adding 11 new cards to the game! I wrote more about this change here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-... #wotcstaff

magic.wizards.com

Announcing Pioneer on MTG Arena

With the release of our first Pioneer Anthology, we're finally bringing the Pioneer format to MTG Arena.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Faithless Looting is my favorite magic card to cast. Super excited for the Modern changes! Arena formats are in a great place right now too. Read my thoughts on them here: magic.wizards.com/en/news/anno... #wotcstaff

magic.wizards.com

Banned and Restricted Announcement – December 16, 2024

Announcing changes to Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Explorer effective December 16, 2024.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

For Six Drop Saturday, checkout this card I made for Alchemy: Bloomburrow on Arena. The original design in this slot had technical issues so we had to create an alternative design for “payoff for an Otter Spells deck.” Storm on Lightning Bolt felt like a wild and exciting dream to build. #wotcstaff

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Close but Dave is unfortunately not a Keyword … yet. 😉

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Last we have one of my all-time favorite cards. The only Zombie and Fish creature. You know em, you love em. You are casting them for 1 Black mana. Its Gurmag Angler!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Next I get to reveal that Dark Petition is coming to Arena to enable your favorite combo decks.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Pioneer Masters is coming to MTG: Arena on December 10th and I have 3 preview cards to reveal from the upcoming set! #wotcstaff First up with a new art piece by Yohann Schepacz is an Eldrazi classic. It’s Void Shatter!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

❄️ First Chicago Snow of the year🥰

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

3 - Customer Support is better equipped to handle the expected volume of players we saw from previous events. 4 - We have a new FAQ page to better help players when they have issues - mtgarena-support.wizards.com/hc/en-us/art... I am hopeful these updates will make for a more streamlined event!

mtgarena-support.wizards.com

Arena Direct FAQ

What should I know before I enter? First, make sure you are eligible to enter in this event. You must be at least 18 years of age to participate. We currently only ship to the following regions: ...

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

1 - We extended the event by 24 hours so there is more time to play! 2 - We added a new in game popup after you claim six wins that confirms your email and country. We noticed a lot of players had to update their account information during the first events and that caused delays in getting boxes.

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Arena Direct is back starting this weekend with Foundations Play Boosters: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-... The #wotcstaff Arena team has made a lot of improvements since the last event that I wanted to highlight:

magic.wizards.com

Arena Direct | Magic: The Gathering Foundations November 22–24

Play MTG Arena and win boxes of physical Magic: The Gathering cards in Arena Direct events!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Oh, this is great! Please add me to the list if there is room. Thanks for making it easy to follow all the local game devs!

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

My favorite restaurant is a small Persian restaurant called Kabobi which serves family-style meals on silver platters and has the best hummus. Here are a few other recommendations: 🍕 = Pequods - Deep / Spacca Napoli - Thin 🍔 = Ah Cheval 🥟 = MingHin - Dim sum 🥪 = Cafecito - Cubano & Cafe con Leche

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Dave Finseth @davidfinseth.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Hello World! I am a product manager on MTG: Arena responsible for events, store, format management, and Alchemy Card design. I am based in Chicago and love to cook and try new food while traveling. Excited to chat with you all more about Magic on this platform! #wotcstaff

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