Commander Format Panel Formed; cEDH Players Included
In the wake of some major shake-ups, Wizards of the Coast has taken the reins to bring about some reform in the Commander format. They've gained control of the format from the Commander Rules Committee to work on alleviating major pressures from players.
And now, they've assembled a group of 18 dedicated Commander players to form the Commander Format Panel. But what does this mean, and what does it mean for the future of Commander? Let's take a look.
Introducing the Commander Format Panel (CFP)
The Commander Format Panel, of CFP for short, is comprised of a great variety of Commander players from all over the world and representing all walks of format-specific play.
Yes, this includes Competitive Commander (cEDH); the CFP has three very dedicated cEDH players in its ranks. Besides Gavin Verhey, author of the article announcing the Format Panel, these are the players on the CFP:
Deco*
(*: Denotes known dedicated cEDH representation)
Many of the Commander Format Panel members are Wizards of the Coast employees, former members of the Commander RC, former CAG members, and other outspoken personalities pivotal in making Commander what it's been for the past few years. The majority of CFP members are from the United States but they span the globe on the whole.
There are CFP members from or residing in Australia, France, Canada, Finland, Brazil, The Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom. This representation is essential for these diverse player demographics.
But What Does the CFP Do?
The Commander Format Panel promises to implement positive change for the format in the coming days. Their primary priority is to oversee the creation of the Commander decklist bracket system.
This idea may seem like a boogeyman to some of the players reading this, but rest assured, Gavin Verhey has stated that bracketed Commander play will be an optional institution, much like Rule Zero conversations of times past.
However, with the announcement of the CFP, Gavin states that there will not be time to playtest the bracketing system for MagicCon: Las Vegas:
So, rather than rush anything out now to beta test at the MagicCon, I'd rather have time for the panel to dig in, provide feedback, and iterate. That could be as simple as some tiny tweaks or as large as a full overhaul based on their feedback. We'll have more to share when it's ready and will still aim to run a beta test at an upcoming event. But, when it does debut, you can know all these great minds of Commander have worked on it and discussed it together.
-Gavin Verhey
Nevertheless, they want this done right, for the good of the playerbase and for the game in general.
The next priority the CFP is to oversee is a re-evaluation of the Banned List for the format. With three cEDH players in their ranks, the CFP should be able to suss out what is and isn't good for all aspects of the format overall, with, ideally, minimal damage control needed for the good of all levels of play.
That Non-Disparagement Clause, Though?
Not long ago, it was revealed that there was a seemingly rigid Non-Disparagement Clause in the contracts of the Commander Format Panel. However, to alleviate concerns, Gavin has since gone on record in the article to say that it's effectively just to keep CFP members from saying things that were overtly out-of-line:
I've also told the members of the panel that they're not just welcome to express their own opinions publicly but are encouraged to. They're here because they're community members, and it's important they can be honest; they shouldn't feel beholden to back up whatever decisions the panel or Wizards of the Coast makes. I don't want them to have to act or speak inauthentically. Stating their own opinions in public is totally fine. Disagreeing loudly is totally fine. Loudly and publicly taking issue with our decisions is totally fine. Since Wizards makes the final calls, if there is any frustration, it should be placed on us at Wizards, not on members of this panel. And many of the members of the panel are content creators, and it's important to both us and them that they are free to disagree and offer different opinions on their own channels.
- Gavin Verhey
Change In Command
All in all, Gavin's article describes the formation process of the Commander Format Panel and its immediate goals for Commander. Are you excited to see certain names and power level/regional representation on this list? Sound off below!
