Wizards of the Coast has announced a significant shake-up in the Magic: The Gathering Standard format, with a total of seven cards being banned in its mid-2025 banned and restricted update. This move is set to dramatically alter the landscape of the game. The leading cause for this shift is the overwhelming dominance of one particular card, with six others also banned to prevent them from filling the vacuum left behind.
The primary card being removed from Standard play is Cori-Steel Cutter. This card has been a pivotal element in the Izzet Prowess deck, which has had a substantial influence on the metagame since the debut of Tarkir: Dragonstorm in April. At the recent Pro Tour MTG–Final Fantasy tournament, this deck constituted 40% of all Standard play, showcasing the card’s dominance. Wizards of the Coast has noted that the card’s prevalence and impact are significant enough to warrant a ban even outside of their usual annual review.
In addition to Cori-Steel Cutter, there are six other cards being banned to maintain balance within the game. Abuelo’s Awakening is being banned due to its key role in the powerful Azorius Omniscience deck, which represented 20% of the decks at the Pro Tour. To address the overpowering nature of red aggressive decks, both Monstrous Rage and Heartfire Hero are also being banned. Initially, there was consideration to ban only one of these, but it was ultimately decided that removing both would better serve the balance of aggressive strategies.
Another card, Up The Beanstalk, already banned in Modern since 2023, is now also being banned in Standard. This card is particularly difficult to counteract, often sidelining various strategies for the duration of its presence in play. Hopeless Nightmare is being banned to limit the disruptive capabilities of self-bounce decks, considered one of the “least fun” elements by the community. Lastly, This Town Ain’t Big Enough, another card from the dominant Izzet Prowess deck, is also being banned.
These bans are part of what Wizards calls an “early rotation” for Standard, a significant adjustment as there have been no bans in this format for over two years. This action underscores Wizards’ commitment to ensuring the game remains enjoyable and diverse, moving away from overpowered cards that make gameplay predictable or monotonous.
Wizards of the Coast has also recently adapted to a three-year model for the Standard format, which includes a larger pool of cards. The format will experience two more early rotation banning phases before the next full Standard rotation in early 2027.
For other formats, changes are minimal, with the exceptions being in Magic: The Gathering Arena’s digital-only formats. Cori-Steel Cutter is suspended in Alchemy pending a rebalance. Tibault’s Trickery is now banned in Pioneer Best-of-One, and Counterspell has been unbanned in Historic.
Banned and Restricted Announcement – June 30, 2025
Standard
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Cori-Steel Cutter is banned.
Abuelo’s Awakening is banned.
Monstrous Rage is banned.
Heartfire Hero is banned.
Up the Beanstalk is banned.
Hopeless Nightmare is banned.
This Town Ain’t Big Enough is banned.
Pioneer
No changes
Modern
No changes
Legacy
No changes
Vintage
No changes
Pauper
No changes
Alchemy
Cori-Steel Cutter is suspended (pending rebalance).
Pioneer Best-of-One on MTG Arena
Tibalt’s Trickery is banned.
Historic
Counterspell is unbanned.
Timeless
No changes
Brawl
No changes
Effective Date: June 30, 2025
Next Announcement Date: November 24, 2025
In a related tidbit from the Magic: The Gathering realm, a card from the Final Fantasy crossover series, the Golden Traveling Chocobo, was recently sold for an impressive $40,000—surpassing the average annual salary in America.
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