MTG Arena Update Bans Key Cards in Commander-Style Brawl Mode
Magic: The Gathering’s latest banlist update has landed, and it hits Brawl in a big way. Six cards are now banned in the format, removing some of the most recognizable power staples from Arena’s Commander-style mode— including Force of Will and Time Warp.
On paper, Magic: The Gathering’s official client doesn’t include the formally defined Commander rules. Instead, Arena offers its own Commander-inspired format: Brawl. In this mode, you pick a Legendary Creature as your commander and build a 100-card deck where you can include no more than one copy of any non-basic card (Basic Lands are the exception). There are also a few key rule differences from tabletop Commander: starting life totals are 25, and Planeswalkers are allowed to serve as commanders in Brawl. Now, Wizards of the Coast is making notable adjustments to how Brawl plays.
Wizards of the Coast has also shared additional details about its development work with Marvel as it prepares the upcoming Marvel Super Heroes set.
June 2026 Brawl Banlist: The Six Cards Removed
- Candelabra of Tawnos is banned.
- Seeker of Skybreak is banned.
- Force of Will is banned.
- Subtlety is banned.
- Wash Away is banned.
- Ugin’s Labyrinth is banned.
- Time Warp is banned.
- Temporal Manipulation is banned.
Wizards of the Coast announced this newest change to the Banned and Restricted list on June 29. While the update affects multiple constructed formats, Brawl takes the largest hit: the update bans six cards from the format. The banned list targets several of the strongest free counterspell options available in Brawl, including Force of Will and Subtlety, with the stated reasoning focused on removing some of the most powerful options in the mode. Wizards also concentrated on extra-turn effects, banning both Time Warp and Temporal Manipulation.
The update continues Wizards’ ongoing attempts to limit free mana acceleration in Brawl. This includes removing Ugin’s Labyrinth, following earlier bans of Ancient Tomb and Chrome Mox.
While Brawl is where the biggest shake-up happened, it wasn’t the only place to see changes—just the only one with major impact. Magic’s Legacy format received one ban with the June 2026 update: Candelabra of Tawnos is removed from the format, as it was identified as a powerful mana ramp card. The budget-focused Pauper format also saw a change tied to the Marvel Super Heroes crossover: Seeker of Skybreak is banned after an interaction involving Hawkeye’s Bow enabled players to repeatedly trigger its burn damage.
Wizards’ next banlist update is scheduled for August 10.
These latest adjustments follow the recent arrival of the newest crossover set for the card game. Magic: The Gathering officially launched Marvel Super Heroes on June 26, and the expansion introduces more unique cards than any previous Magic set. The Marvel-themed release brings several superhero-inspired mechanics, including Teamwork, which lets creatures coordinate for stronger effects, and Power-Up abilities that provide a one-time boost to Marvel’s Hero and Villain creatures.
Magic: The Gathering also has more major releases planned for the rest of 2026. After Marvel Super Heroes, Wizards will bring another crossover in August, this time with card content based on The Hobbit. Later in the year, the game will debut one additional in-universe set called Reality Fracture, and Wizards plans to close out 2026 with a Star Trek collaboration. For MTG players, that means the remainder of the year is expected to be packed with fresh cards, more crossovers, and additional updates.
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Source: Wizards of the Coast
