In the wake of controversial bannings in the Commander format, two members of the MTG Commander Advisory Group have resigned; here’s why and what’s in store next.
On September 23, 2024, there was a Banned and Restricted Announcement made for Magic: The Gathering’s biggest format, Commander. In this announcement, the Commander Rules Committee, or CRC, the body that determines the format’s curation decisions including bans, announced the banning of four cards: Nadu, Winged Wisdom, Mana Vault, Dockside Extortionist, and Jeweled Lotus.
The latter three bans in particular sparked massive controversy in the Magic: The Gathering community. In the fallout of the bans, two members of the Commander Advisory Group, the advisory group that the CRC consults around balancing decisions, have resigned.
Who resigned from MTG’s CAG?
Josh Lee Kwai, of the Command Zone podcast and Game Knights, and Kristen Gregory, of CardKingdom, have both resigned from the Commander Rules Committee. Their resignations follow the controversial September 23 bannings of Mana Vault, Dockside Extortionist, and Jeweled Lotus.
Lee Kwai was the first to hang up his hat. On September 25, he announced that he was resigning from the Commander Advisory Group. Lee Kwai had talked about feeling “blindsided” by the CRC’s bans previously. His resignation came two days after the Banned and Restricted Announcement.
Gregory, the Head Writer at Card Kingdom, followed Lee Kwai’s resignation with her own on September 27. Both resignations included thanks to the father of Commander, the late Judge Emeritus Sheldon Menery, and the CAG members’ positive reflections on their time with the CAG.
The exact reasons for their resignations are not stated. Players have theorized that a mix of community harassment in the wake of unpopular bans they had no agency in, and the potential lack of agency in the bans being implemented, are the likely contributing factors to the sudden loss of CAG members.
Following the most controversial Commander bans in history, the format is at a crossroads as the CAG loses popular voices. The other members of the Commander Advisory Group have not made any official comment on their future with the group.
Will MTG Commander still ban Mana Vault, Jeweled Lotus, Nadu, and Dockside Extortionist?
There is no sign that the planned bans will be reversed after the resignations of Lee Kwai and Gregory.
Despite the controversy surrounding the bans and upheaval in the CAG, players will still need to adjust their decks. As for the Commander Advisory Group, it’s unknown if more resignations may come. Either way, this is a time of change in MTG’s Commander format at all levels.
