The MTG Standard format has been going through a bit of a rough spot as of late. For a time, it looked like this once great format was well and truly back, with Wizards finally properly supporting it. As time has gone on, however, cracks have started to show rather quickly, as things have gone from bad to worse.
Between Universes Beyond being pushed into Standard, multiple ban-worthy cards, and rising costs, things really aren’t looking great right now. Thankfully, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, but even then, it may be too little too late. Recently, a Standard event that was one by a player just turning up has typified the shocking state of the format right now.
The Easiest Win
Earlier today, Nearby-Shock3473 took to Reddit to showcase their free win at their LGS’ “Final Battle” tournament. In theory, this one-time event should have been a major event as players compete for a promo comic book. While this promo won’t be for everyone, it’s still the last big MTG Spider-Man event before Avatar: The Last Airbender takes over.
Despite this, Nearby-Shock3473 stated they were the only competitor in this event at their LGS. As if this weren’t bad enough, Nearby-Shock3473 went on to say this has been happening “constantly” at their store. Considering that Standard is meant to be going through a renaissance right now, this definitely isn’t a good sign.
Notably, this isn’t the only place where Standard event attendance appears to be dropping. Recent competitive events using the format have seen less and less attendance, which coincides with the format’s gradual decline. With this in mind, the format completely falling off at a local level isn’t too surprising, even if it is worrying.
Thankfully, while Standard is definitely in a tough spot, Nearby-Shock3473’s one-player events are an anomaly. For better or worse, some formats just aren’t popular in certain areas, causing things like this to happen. It’s unlikely this one-player event is the beginning of the end for the entire format, like we saw with Standard Brawl.
That said, while Standard is flourishing in some areas, the overall state of the format isn’t great. Worryingly, while things were good for a time, the light at the end of the tunnel is fading fast.
Problem Problem Problems
Right now, it’s impossible to talk about Standard without addressing the Vivi Ornitier in the room. Currently, this iconic Wizards is ruining the format thanks to their oppressive dominance alongside Agatha’s Soul Cauldron. Things are so bad, in fact, that Wizards has promised bans, but that just makes the format a lame duck until then.
Worryingly, this ban-worthy problem isn’t an isolated incident within Standard’s recent history. Since Bloomburrow, the state of the format has been dubious at best, with multiple cards being problematic. As if that weren’t bad enough, Cori-Steel Cutter soon came along, warranting major format sculpting changes.
If anything, this trend is the real problem with Standard at the moment. Vivi is bad, of course, but there’s very little trust that things will be better once he’s banned. It feels like it’d only be a matter of time before another format-breaking menace comes along. Thanks to Universes Beyond, that may happen a lot sooner rather than later.
Now, since every 2026 MTG set is Standard legal, the format will be inundated with new cards every couple of months. Not only does this mean format-breaking cards could appear more often, but timely bans become more difficult. Wizards is likely understandably hesitant to ban newly-released Universes Beyond cards, especially if a new set could shake up the meta, after all
Beyond bannable cards causing problems, the cost of in-demand MTG cards has also skyrocketed. Currently, a Vivi Cauldron list will easily set you back $600, and even Mono-Red Aggro is now $250+. Considering Standard’s potential to shift with every new set, it’s no wonder players aren’t keen to invest.
A Temporary Setback
As mentioned, Wizards of the Coast should be fixing the Vivi problem soon enough. On November 10th, the next ban wave will happen, and it has already been confirmed that Vivi Cauldron will be hit. In fact, we’ve been told that multiple cards will be banned in this announcement, so Wizards could be soft-resetting the format.
Until this ban announcement happens, it’s natural that Standard event attendance will drop off. Building or updating a Standard deck to combat the current meta is pointless when it won’t exist in a few weeks. For better or worse, this always happens before a ban wave with likely targets, so it isn’t too concerning.
Potentially, this may mean that Standard will bounce back once the bans happen on the 10th. This is near-guaranteed to happen, in fact, as players rush to brew and test out the new format. While this will be a very exciting time, there’s no telling what the new meta will actually look like once established.
Unfortunately, even if the new Standard meta is a significant improvement, there’s no telling how long it might last. Judging by how powerful the set looks, even Avatar: The Last Airbender could disrupt things. After that, each of the seven Standard sets in 2026 threatens to upend the meta with a new bomb.
Hopefully, if this does happen, Wizards of the Coast will address the situation promptly and appropriately. Sadly, whether or not this will happen remains to be seen, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
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