#ptsoi

On Sunday, the announcement along with the removal of Modern from the Pro Tour circuit (which is really an inconsequential thing) that the appearance fees paid to Platinum Pros was going to be cut by about $11000 annually, even more if they participated in the World Magic Cup and it’s qualifying events. This was done with no warning, no discussion,  and it was to be in effect starting with the 2016-2017, so at the Pro Tour after PT Eldritch Moon.

Now, before we get in to that, I’m going to talk into about what Platinum is. Platinum is the most elite of players. These are the players who have put in the time, the effort to achieve the highest degree of recognition and reward they can without being inducted into the Hall of Fame. These are the players that are often at the front of discussions of professional magic. These are the people who players strive to be as good as. This is the magic equivalent of trying to be as good as Michael Jordan. And when you reach that level, there was also that promise of being paid to go to events.

And that’s where the problem comes in. People worked and worked to achieve this glory, the pinnacle of achievement, only to receive the news that they would not be receiving the benefits of this honor they received. This sparked the #paythepros. Because the money they had been promised was being cut before they could reap the benefits. Immediately, there was an outcry. Tweets began flying. Posts began circling. I myself wrote things, and @sarkhan-volkswagen recieved many asks regarding this.

And regardless of a person’s view on how much Pro Players should be paid just for attaining that level of success, this event has great moral implications. Wizards runs one of the largest card games in the world. This game is far more than that. It is a community. A culture. A family to some. And for them to make this decision with no discussion with those it effects most, they sent the message that they can do what they want to their players.