Worlds Qualifier FAQ
Monday, April 21, 2003
What is the Magic Online Worlds Qualifier?
When does it take place?
What is the format?
What is the tournament structure?
When are the tournaments scheduled to begin?
How long will these tournaments take to finish?
Where do I find the qualifier tournaments?
How do I sign up for a qualifier tournament?
What is the cost to enter the tournaments?
Who can enter?
How do I know these tournaments won't crash?
What are the prizes?
What happens if someone wins who is already invited to 2003 Worlds?
What if a player wins who is suspended from DCI-sanctioned tournaments?
Do the other prizes also pass down?
Is it legal to give a false name during the tournament?
How can I qualify for Worlds if I don't qualify through the Online Qualifier?
Can I still compete in my local Regional Championship even if I play in the Online Qualifier?
What is the Magic Online Worlds Qualifier?
This is a one-time event that gives
Magic Online players an opportunity to qualify for the
2003 Magic: The Gathering World Championships in Berlin.
When does it take place?
The event takes place over the weekend of April 25 - 27, 2003.
What is the format?
The format is Online Standard.
LegionsTM cards will be legal.
Click here for more information on Constructed formats.
What is the tournament structure?
On Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, there will be a series of 32 online tournaments. The Top 8 finishers from each of these tournaments will be allowed to play in a final online tournament at 10:00 A.M. (Pacific Daylight Time) on Sunday, April 27. The winner of the final tournament will receive the invitation to play at the
World Championships.
Note: Check the Premier Events room to see when the events begin in your local time zone.
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When are the tournaments scheduled to begin? The first of the 32 preliminary tournaments will begin on Friday, April 25 at 12:00 Midnight.
The first Saturday event will begin at 12:00 Midnight.
The final qualifying tournament begins at 10 A.M. on Sunday.
All times are in Pacific Daylight Time. Check the Premier Events room to see when the events begin in your local time zone.
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Friday
April 25
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Saturday
April 26
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12 Midnight
1 A.M.
3 A.M.
6 A.M.
8 A.M.
10 A.M.
12 Noon
1 P.M.
2 P.M.
3 P.M.
4 P.M.
5 P.M.
6 P.M.
7 P.M.
8 P.M.
9 P.M.
10 P.M. |
12 Midnight
3 A.M.
6 A.M.
8 A.M.
9 A.M.
10 A.M.
11 A.M.
12 Noon
1 P.M.
2 P.M.
3 P.M.
4 P.M.
5 P.M.
6 P.M.
7 P.M. |
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How long will these tournaments take to finish?
A 256-player tournament will have 8 rounds of Swiss, followed by a top 8 finals. For the final players, that's 11 rounds. The tournaments take about one hour per round.
Where do I find the qualifier tournaments?
You can find the qualifer tournaments listed in the
Premier Events room as soon as they're set up. You can also click on the
Worlds Qualifier button to get there.
How do I sign up for a qualifier tournament?
Go to the
Premier Events room and click "Starting Time" to sort the list of tournaments by starting time. Scroll down to the one you want to join, select it, and then click the
Go To button on the bottom right corner of the window. Once you're in the tournament room, click
Join.
Note: You'll be asked for your deck when you join the tournament, so make sure you have a deck ready.
What is the cost to enter the tournaments?
Each of the 32 preliminary tournaments will have an entry fee of ten event tickets. The final tournament on Sunday, April 27, will be free to all qualified participants.
Who can enter?
Anyone may enter the tournament, even if he or she is previously qualified for the
World Championships. Each player will be required to have a
Magic Online account and a legal deck.
How do I know these tournaments won't crash?
Based on the results of recent stress tests, we are capping the attendance for these tournaments at 256 players. We've been running 256 person tournaments for a year without ever having one crash.
Originally, we had planned to run 16 tournaments with unlimited space. Because we've capped the tournaments at 256 players, we've doubled the number of tournaments to 32, which means that we can only allow the top 8 from each tournament to qualify.
What are the prizes?
The winner of the final tournament receives an invitation to the
2003 World Championships in Berlin, including two round-trip economy-class tickets from the winner's location to Berlin, Germany and five nights hotel accommodation during Worlds.
In addition, there will be online booster pack prizes for the top finishing players. For the 32 preliminary tournaments, the booster pack prizes will be double what the prizes for a normal 256-person tournament would be. For Sunday's final tournament, the booster pack prizes will be six times what the prizes for a normal 256 tournament would be.
What happens if someone wins who is already invited to 2003 Worlds?
The invitation to
2003 Worlds will pass down to the player with the best finish who is not already invited to
Worlds. The final Swiss standings will determine the difference between third and fourth place and the difference between fifth through eighth place, should that be necessary.
What if a player wins who is suspended from DCI-sanctioned tournaments?
If a suspended player wins, then the
Worlds invitation and the travel and accommodation prizes will pass down to the player with the best finish who is not already invited to
Worlds. The final Swiss standings will determine the difference between third and fourth place and the difference between fifth through eighth place, should that be necessary.
Do the other prizes also pass down?
The booster pack prizes will not pass down.
Is it legal to give a false name during the tournament?
When asked, you must give your correct legal name. In order to remain eligible for the invitation, all qualified players must email
molworldsqt@wizards.com before the start of the final tournament with the following information: Full Legal Name, Address, Phone, and DCI number, with their player name as the subject. (Account passwords will not be requested--never give your password to anyone.) In addtion, during the tournament, Wizards of the Coast staff (marked with the Wizards logo beside their online name) may ask players for their names.
If you give a false name, you risk being caught and receiving significant penalties, including suspension from physical Magic tournaments. There is no way to ensure compliance in this area, but we'll take steps to minimize the risk of the winning player giving false information.
How can I qualify for Worlds if I don't qualify through the Online Qualifier?
You best bet is to qualify at a
Regional Championship somewhere in your local area. For more information, visit
www.wizards.com/regionals.
Can I still compete in my local Regional Championship even if I play in the Online Qualifier?
You sure can! Players can still compete in their local
Regional Championships even if they participate in this event.