Banned cards are cards that cannot be played in certain formats. Magic: The Gathering Arena follows the ban list of paper Magic since the patch on June 7, 2018 (Kaladesh block update).[1] With the half-ban of Nexus of Fate on February 14, 2019 there are cards in Magic Arena which are banned in certain formats but not in tabletop Magic.[2]
Banned cards can still be crafted after a ban, but are only playable in the permitted formats. Players are compensated with Wildcards after a ban.[2]
Banned and Restricted List[]
These cards are currently banned:
Name | Rarity | Set | Format |
---|---|---|---|
Oko, Thief of Crowns | Mythic | Throne of Eldraine | Brawl, Standard and Traditional Standard[3] |
Once Upon a Time | Rare | Throne of Eldraine | Standard and Traditional Standard[3] |
Veil of Summer | Uncommon | Core Set 2020 | Standard and Traditional Standard[3] |
Field of the Dead | Rare | Core Set 2020 | Standard and Traditional Standard |
Angelic Reward Confront the Assault Feral Roar Inspiring Commander Raging Goblin River's Favor Sanctuary Cat Shrine Keeper Spiritual Guardian Tactical Advantage Treetop Warden Zephyr Gull |
Common Uncommon |
Arena Only | Traditional Standard and Traditional Historic |
Serra Angel | Uncommon | Arena Only/Dominaria | Traditional Standard Note: Serra Angel is technically a reprint from Dominaria changing it into a playable card in Traditional Historic although Arena Only are usually not playable in Traditional formats. |
Note: The cards from the Arena Only set were never announced as banned (citation needed). They can simply not be selected in the Deck Builder if the deck is marked for a Traditional format.
Historic Suspension[]
On December 10, 2019 Wizards of the Coast announced a suspension list for Historic formats. Suspended cards work the same way as bans. However, cards on the suspension list are only temporary unplayable and can be removed from the list more quickly granting Wizards more flexibilty. Cards which prove to be too impactful can receive a permanent ban. Since suspension is only temporary, players won't get Wildcards as compensation for suspended cards in their collection.[4]
Currently (December 2019) suspended cards are: