Wizards of the Coast banned eight Magic: The Gathering cards across the Legacy, Pauper, and Brawl formats on Monday, June 29, 2026.
The move aims to address problematic gameplay combinations and steer certain formats toward more casual environments.
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Legacy: Candelabra of Tawnos Removed
In Legacy, officials removed Candelabra of Tawnos due to the rising popularity and performance of Colorless Tron decks.
The card's secondary market price surged from about $1,000 in early 2025 to over $3,500 by mid-2026.
Wizards explained that the artifact was "...
the card most likely to cause problems for the format in the long term and is the least likely to be a fun part of a cyclical metagame."
The restriction prevents easy resource acceleration with Tron lands. Other formats like Vintage and Standard saw no changes despite community discussions.
Pauper: Hawkeye's Bow Combo Targeted
In Pauper, developers targeted a fast interaction from the recent Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release.
Hawkeye's Bow combined with Seeker of Skybreak allowed players to win as early as turn two.
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To protect upcoming tournaments in July, the company disrupted the infinite damage loop immediately.
Brawl: Six Cards Banned for Casual Balance
The introduction of Competitive Brawl on MTG Arena prompted a sweeping stabilization in traditional Brawl.
Six cards were banned: Force of Will, Subtlety, Wash Away, Ugin's Labyrinth, Time Warp, and Temporal Manipulation.
Wizards noted that traditional Brawl should remain a space where "...
all players can find a fun match with decks ranging from silly Squirrel typal to powerful streamlined strategies."
The removal of high-power tools targets negative play patterns from free spells and extra turns, redirecting the digital format to a casual ecosystem while competitive players use the dedicated ladder.
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The next scheduled Banned and Restricted announcement is set for August 10, 2026.
