When it was announced that Wizards of the Coast was taking over the Commander format, many MTG players braced for the worst. Thankfully, since picking up the reins in 2024, Wizards has handled the format well, introducing multiple warmly received changes. Between waves of unbans, the new bracket system, and Game Changers, Wizards has taken the format from strength to strength.
As we move into 2026, however, there’s the potential for major change on the horizon. Not only are some iconic cards potentially up for banning, but Commander could see a major rules change this year. While technically still up for debate, following a statement from Mark Rosewater, the MTG hybrid mana rules change now seems inevitable.
What Wizards Wants
When it was first pitched last year, the hybrid mana change, which allowed hybrid mana cards to be played in mono-colored decks, was just a suggestion. At the time, Wizards was after feedback on this idea to ensure the final decision was what the community wanted. Currently, these conversations are still ongoing; however, it seems Wizards isn’t neutral on the topic.
Responding to a recent question on Blogatog, MTG Head Designer, Mark Rosewater, revealed why Wizards wants the hybrid mana change. Rather than having to functionally reprint hybrid mana cards in just one color, as Makeshift715 asked, Wizards could just make them legal. As Rosewater explained, while this would be possible, it’s not exactly very efficient.
“Makeshift715: Have you ever thought about printing a monocolor version of a hybrid card just to give monocolor Commander decks that effect?
Mark Rosewater: It’s the whole reason we’d like to see the hybrid rules change for Commander. Making a second card just to have the functionality that every other format already has is very inefficient.”
Via: Blogatog
With this statement in mind, it certainly feels like Wizards wants the hybrid mana change to go through. Considering they’re in charge of the format nowadays, this does make the rules change feel somewhat inevitable. Potentially, player pushback could keep Wizards from implementing this change, but they’re not exactly shying away from the mechanic.
Recently, hybrid mana cards have been popping up more and more in MTG, especially at lower rarities. As Rosewater has explained previously, this is no accident, and this design tool has continued to see steady use. MTG Avatar, for instance, featured 20 of these cards, and the TMNT set already has ten, despite only rares and mythics being spoiled.
Since many of these MTG cards are quite difficult to use due to their hybrid status, the rules change feels more and more necessary. Realistically, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Wizards officially announces this change. That being said, even with hybrid cards becoming more common, MTG players aren’t totally won over yet.
A Difficult Decision
Ever since Wizards started collecting feedback on this change, it’s been clear that it’s a controversial decision. At the very least, changing the hybrid mana rules alters a fundamental part of the format that’s around for decades. In the eyes of some players, changing this is simply out of the question, even if the format’s ownership has changed.
Beyond this, there are also concerns about this decision increasing complexity, especially for new players. Not only is the messaging around this change difficult to parse at times, but there are plenty of confusing edge cases. As if that wasn’t concerning enough, there are also fears about format homogeneity, should hybrid mana cards become more usable.
While the majority of hybrid mana cards are fairly reasonable, there’s also a potential power level risk here. With 518 Commander playable hybrid mana cards, there’s a non-zero chance that something could disrupt the format. While this problem could be solved with bans, that’s far from an ideal scenario.
Not Long Left?
Ultimately, while nothing in MTG is guaranteed, the hybrid mana rules change does feel inevitable. The positive gameplay opportunities this change facilitates, for players and Wizards both, are very difficult to ignore. Whether or not this will actually be enough to overcome the potential controversy, however, remains to be seen.
Thankfully, we might not be waiting for an answer about this ongoing conversation for too long. Back in December, when announcing the updated Commander Format Panel, Wizards stated we’d hear from them in “the first quarter of next year.” Specifically, it’ll be “sometime after the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed,” so it could happen sooner rather than later.
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