The Japanese Magic: The Gathering pro Yuuya Watanabe was disqualified at Mythic Championship 2 for playing with marked cards.
Who is Yuuya Watanabe? Yuuya Watanabe is a Japanese Magic: The Gathering player (of the real card game, not the successful computer game variant) and former world champion. He gained recognition through his five “Pro Tour” and “27 Grand Prix” victories as well as for his “Rookie of the Year” title, which he received in 2007. Furthermore, he won the “Player of the Year” award in 2009 and 2012.
Disqualification due to Card Marking
Why was he disqualified? During Mythic Championship 2 last weekend in London, the judges discovered during a review of the card decks in round 15 that some sleeves of his land cards were marked. There were eight cards involved:
- 3x Urza’s Mine and 1x Urza’s Tower had special markings
- 1x Urza’s Mine 3x Urza’s Tower also had special markings
The judges determined it was highly unlikely that these marks were due to natural wear. None of the other cards showed these signs. Therefore, a disqualification followed.
That’s why Watanabe was still noted: During a previous match, Yuuya Watanabe consulted the judges because there was some uncertainty regarding the card Sarhan that his opponent Andrew Watts played. Eventually, Yuuya used his card Snaresnipper and defeated Watts’ Sarhan.
However, a discussion among the judges followed, which ultimately declared the move invalid. The board was reset, and the game went into overtime, in which only five moves were allowed before the match ended in a draw.
Ultimately, Watanabe won, as he was lucky enough to draw a larger amount of land (the mana in the game) and thus play a powerful card.
Intentionally Marked or Natural Wear?
What about the markings on the cards? First of all, it is strictly prohibited to mark cards in Magic: The Gathering. However, cards and their sleeves wear out over time. This “natural” wear is generally not a problem.
Only when it is evident that there is an obvious marking that differentiates certain cards from others do the judges intervene.
Marked cards often lead to disqualifications in Magic: The Gathering tournaments.
What does Yuuya Watanabe say about the situation? The player has apologized to his fans. He explained that he does not know why these cards were marked. He only noticed it when the judges looked at the cards.
A Bitter Disappointment
What happens next? There will be further investigations. These could impact Watanabe’s participation in the Magic Pro League.
What do the fans think? There is great disappointment in the community. Yuuya Watanabe is considered one of the greatest players of Magic: The Gathering. That he is now alleged to have cheated is unimaginable for the fans.
bWoofles mentions on Reddit: “This is crazy! He has such a big name and is such a great player. This now raises doubts about his past achievements.”
