Wizards of the Coast announces Magic: The Gathering card bans

Wizards of the Coast has implemented several significant card bans to adjust the Magic: The Gathering metagame. In the Standard format, Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser’s Talent, and Gran-Gran have been banned to address the dominance of specific top-tier decks. The decision was made during an off-season period for Standard, with developers noting that data from MTG Arena provided the necessary clarity despite a lack of recent in-person competitive pressure.

Additionally, the card The Fantasticar has been banned in the Legacy format and restricted in Vintage due to balance issues in Eternal formats.

Wizards of the Coast continues to follow a largely fixed ban schedule for 2026 to provide players with more predictability. Following the August 10th announcement, the next scheduled ban date is set for October 12th, 2026.