COLOGNE / STOCKHOLM / NEW YORK — DreamHack, an ESL Gaming brand, and Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro, Inc. subsidiary, just announced a new agreement that brings together the immensely popular card game, Magic: The Gathering, and global gaming lifestyle festival, DreamHack. With this partnership, DreamHack will become the Official Partner of all Magic: The GatheringRegional Championship Qualifiers and Regional Championships in the United States — which will lead up to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic: The Gathering World Championship.
“We feel our lifestyle approach to gaming experiences will allow us to build a strong foundation on which the ‘Magic: The Gathering’ community will successfully grow and expand,” said Aaron Linde, Tabletop Product Manager at ESL Gaming. “Whether you are gaming in the Bring-Your-Own-Computer Lan Party at DreamHack, or competing in the festival’s cosplay championship, this partnership will help bring Magic to a larger audience by creating a safe, inclusive environment where everyone has a chance to be great.”
As part of the new partnership, Wizards Play Network stores all across the U.S. will have an exclusive opportunity to get back to the roots of the game by participating in an extensive, nationwide program built to entice players back to stores and events — in-store qualifiers. These qualifying events will lead into the DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdown Regional Championship, featuring a prize pool of up to $150,000. From there, the top 48 players at the Regional Championships will earn an invitation to the Magic Pro Tour, with the top two players also earning automatic invitations to the Magic World Championship. The DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdowns are taking place at DreamHack’s U.S. festivals alongside everything gaming under one roof.
“Developing the tabletop gaming ecosystem is very important to us,” said Ian Atkinson, SVP Publisher Relations at ESL Gaming. “We are building a strong Magic community through DreamHack and by working with local retailers and businesses, we are now able to extend players’ experience and engagement to stores all over the country. This ecosystem will enrich the community and level-up the competitive experience for those players to compete at DreamHack festivals.”
EVENTS
- JUNE 3-5: DreamHack Dallas
- Experience Magic: The Gathering ahead of the first season while attending DreamHack Dallas, the first full-scale DreamHack festival in nearly 2.5 years.
- JULY 2–SEP 24: In-Store Qualifiers
- Stores all across the U.S. will host in-store qualifiers, which will lead into the DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdown Regional Championship in November.
- NOV 18-20: DreamHack Atlanta
- The first DreamHack Magic Showdown Regional Championship will take place at DreamHack Atlanta with a prize pool totaling $150K USD.
- This Championship leads up to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic: The Gathering World Championship.
Additional DreamHack dates and locations for future Magic: The Gathering events will be announced.
“DreamHack has been an excellent partner and leader in creating memorable Magic events for players around the world,” said William Jensen, Director of Play Programs for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. “We’re excited for players in the United States to see what experiences DreamHack has planned in and around the Regional Championships.”
In 2021 Wizards of the Coast generated $1.3 billion as a company for Hasbro Games. In addition, Wizards has demonstrated a proven the strongest track record for consistency, quality and competitive play out of all Hasbro’s business units.
“Magic: The Gathering Pro Shop and Ultra PRO are both excited to be involved with DreamHack’s efforts to bring organized play back! We look forward to sharing more details as we go forward,” said Elizabeth Peotter, Global Marketing Director at Ultra PRO.
