That will encompass competitions for both Magic: The Gathering Arena esports and tabletop Magic competitive play - with a $10 million prize pool. Called the Magic Pro League (MPL), it will feature 32 of the top Magic players from around the world for Arena play. In addition to this Mythic Championship events will also introduce classic tabletop play.

“Today is an extremely important day for Magic: The Gathering as we announce our commitment to esports and our Magic players by evolving our tournament structure to include a $10 Million prize pool.” said Chris Cocks, President of Wizards of the Coast. “We are fully embracing esports and affirming Magic as a leader in the collectible card game category while providing lucrative opportunities for pros, players, sponsors, and esports partners.”



Those opportunities include streaming contracts worth $75,000 for players. The MPL is set to kick off with its first $1 Million Mythic Invitational at PAX East 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.

“The past 25 years of Magic competition has led us to design this comprehensive esports program that would support Magic: The Gathering Arena, while increasing our investment in tabletop Magic,” said Elaine Chase, Vice President of Esports at Wizards of the Coast. “Our investment in esports will catapult the game to new heights while providing support to the players by giving them the platform to build their brand and bring Magic to a broader audience.”

For more info, head here. Another cool thing with this announcement comes word that Magic has 35 million players across 70 countries - so, it was only a matter of time.