MTG Ban Announcement Unveils New Commander Card Status, Historic Shifts

NEW YORK (Azat TV) – Wizards of the Coast (WotC) delivered a comprehensive update to the banned and restricted lists across several Magic: The Gathering formats on February 9, 2026. This announcement, detailed across official MTG Arena channels and by the Commander Format Panel, introduces a novel restriction for Lutri, the Spellchaser, in Commander, alongside significant shifts in the competitive landscapes of Historic, Timeless, and Alchemy formats.

The changes, effective immediately, aim to address long-standing community concerns, rebalance problematic strategies, and inject fresh dynamics into both digital and tabletop play. They represent a notable departure from previous approaches, particularly in Commander, where the panel indicated a willingness to make more frequent adjustments throughout the year, as reported by Rolling Out.

Commander Format Sees Unique Unbans and New Designations

The Commander Format Panel, represented by Gavin Verhey, made its first banned and restricted update of 2026 with two significant unbans and the creation of an entirely new card designation. Biorhythm, an eight-mana spell that can dramatically alter game states, was unbanned and immediately added to the new “Game Changers” list. This list restricts cards from appearing in lower-powered brackets where their impact would be overly disruptive, acknowledging the card’s potential for memorable, high-impact plays while managing its risk.

Perhaps the most discussed change in Commander is the unbanning of Lutri, the Spellchaser. Previously banned due to concerns about providing a ‘free extra card’ for blue-red players and pressuring others to acquire it, Lutri now returns with a unique restriction: it can be included in decks or serve as a commander, but it cannot be used as a companion. This innovative ‘banned as a companion’ category addresses the panel’s concern about a free, consistent advantage without completely removing the card from play. The panel acknowledged the added complexity of new ban categories but deemed it a suitable solution for Lutri’s specific issues, according to Rolling Out. The card Farewell was also added to the ‘Game Changers’ list, indicating a desire to manage its presence in certain play environments rather than a full ban.

The panel also confirmed it had been monitoring Thassa’s Oracle and Rhystic Study, two powerful and often contentious cards. Despite ongoing player feedback, neither card received a ban, with the panel noting Thassa’s Oracle’s popularity among competitive players and Rhystic Study’s widespread appeal despite its frustrating aspects. The bar for banning cards in Commander remains high, with significant shifts in public opinion typically required for action.

Historic and Timeless Formats Undergo Substantial Shifts

The digital-only Historic format experienced a wave of bans and unbans designed to rebalance its competitive landscape. Eldrazi Temple, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Crop Rotation, and Scholar of the Lost Trove were all banned. These bans target powerful strategies that had become dominant or overly consistent. Conversely, a significant number of cards were unbanned in Historic, including Magus of the Moon, Harbinger of the Seas, Force of Vigor, Force of Negation, Endurance, Wilderness Reclamation, and Agent of Treachery. This influx of previously banned cards aims to diversify the meta and open up new competitive pathways, as detailed in the official MTG Arena Announcements.

In the Timeless format, Necropotence was restricted. This change means players can only include one copy of the powerful black enchantment in their decks, limiting its ability to fuel rapid card advantage and combination plays that have proven too strong for the format.

Alchemy Receives Extensive Card Rebalances

The digital-first Alchemy format, known for its dynamic card adjustments, received a series of rebalances aimed at weakening overpowered archetypes and bolstering underperforming ones. Key changes include:

• Kona: Its cost was increased from to , slowing down a dominant turn-three combo deck in Best-of-One Alchemy that boasted the highest win rate among popular archetypes.
• Val: Its cost was increased from to , and its damage/life gain effect was boosted from 1 to 2. This targets the popular Val Combo in Historic while also redefining its role in Brawl to encourage builds around repeated triggering.
• Dazzling Flameweaver and Marshland Hordemaster: Both cards saw their efficiency increased (cost reductions and power/toughness buffs) to make the ‘Lizards’ archetype more viable in Alchemy.
• Charged Conjuration and Tempest Trapper: These support cards for Storm archetypes received cost reductions and power/toughness buffs, aiming to distinguish Alchemy with a ‘fresh, somewhat transgressive’ new strategy.
• Polterheist: Received buffs to its power/toughness and a higher Ward cost, making it more playable following the decline of the ‘Heist’ deck it was designed to counter.
• Ethrimik: Its cost was reduced from to and its power/toughness increased from 5/5 to 4/4, addressing its reputation as one of Alchemy’s weakest mythic rares.
• Network Marauder: Received a significant buff, gaining an additional toughness on each trigger, to help it find a home as a unique build-around card.
• Prototype X-8 and Sliver Weftwinder: Both popular Brawl commanders with tepid win rates received buffs to their abilities and stats to make them more impactful.

These extensive updates across multiple formats underscore Wizards of the Coast’s ongoing efforts to maintain a balanced and engaging play experience, with a particular focus on addressing community feedback and fostering diverse strategies in both competitive and casual Magic: The Gathering environments.