Major Changes To Standard: Rotation Moved To Every THREE Years

We have some major news coming just a few hours ago - Wizards of the Coast is changing Standard rotation in an effort to revitalize the format and ensure that it doesn't fall any further behind Pioneer, Modern, and Commander as they continue to grow. They've changed Standard rotation from every two years to three to do this. This change is effective immediately, which means that nothing currently in Standard will rotate out until 2024. And WOTC says more changes are on the horizon.

Obviously, this is massive news that will have many implications for the format as a whole. Let's take a look at some pieces of the official announcement, go over the thought process behind the change, and what it means for Standard players moving forward.

"Revitalizing Standard"

This was the headline under which Wizards announced the changes and spoke to their motives and what they hoped to achieve. As mentioned, they said that the goal was to ensure that Standard didn't continue to fall behind formats like Modern, Pioneer, and Commander as they continue to experience growth. They had this to say:

They go on to discuss how paper Standard is the lifeblood of many brick & mortar stores and that when the format suffered, those stores suffered too. Considering that Arena is how most players play the format, I don't doubt this a bit. And I'm delighted that the company is addressing this issue even though it's not necessarily in the best interest of their bank accounts. That said, let's move on to exactly how they hope to achieve this goal by extending rotation.

Overall, I think this makes a lot of sense. I think it will help in the way they are hoping and help relieve the general feeling of product fatigue I wrote about before. I'm glad that WOTC meant what they said when they claimed they'd make changes to relieve the issues players are voicing.

While some people online have said they're not excited to have a longer Standard and that the change will make the meta "stale." Or even those who are saying there are "cash grab" reasons behind the change. However, if you understand how rotation works and what it does to the market, it's pretty clear there isn't a financial gain here. On the contrary, Wizards make more money from more frequent rotations than by spreading them out.

What Does This Change Mean For The Format?

Well, first and foremost, it means there won't be a rotation this year. Everything currently in Standard that would rotate with the release of Wilds of Eldraine (Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and Streets of New Capenna) will stay in Standard until 2024. Beyond that, I think it will be a step in the right direction and will help drive players to play the format in paper.

As they said, you'll have more time with new cards, mechanics, themes, and decks. The added benefit is playing the cards you buy for another year. This makes the sting of buying cards that won't retain their value post-rotation a little less. I think it will be a good thing, and I look forward to seeing what other efforts they make moving forward. Speaking of future changes, here's what they mentioned about them:

Conclusion

There you have it, my friends, the changes coming to Standard rotation, why it's being implemented, and what I think of it. It's not often we get this big of a change to a format, so comment and let me know what you think. As someone who hasn't played Standard in paper since War of the Spark, maybe now is a good time to jump back in.