With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic having an unprecedented effect on brick and mortar retail, Wizards of the Coast is playing its part to support local game stores through such prolonged closure periods.
While the company’s latest expansion, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, is scheduled to arrive on time for Magic: The Gathering Arena on April 16th, fans of the core tabletop game will have to wait until May to get their hands on the set due to delays caused by the virus. To combat the obvious loss of commerce that’ll befall LGSs, however, Wizards has spawned a new initiative dubbed Friday Night Magic @ Home.
Initially only intended to run for three weeks, the program has been extended by a further five, with folks who participate (more on that below) being richly rewarded for doing so. Among a bevy of cosmetic goodies up for grabs, players can look forward to scoring several promo packs (akin to those traditionally distributed at in-store events) for taking part.
As of writing, the current schedule is as follows:
- April 17: Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Lair (play any event to be eligible to receive a reward from your local game store)
- April 24: Singleton
- May 1: Artisan
- May 8: Pauper
- May 15: Historic Brawl
Entry into each limited-time FNM is free to all Magic: The Gathering Arena players and awards a rare or mythic card for your first and second wins respectively. Promotional packs are distributed only by connecting to participating Wizard Play Network (WPN) stores, which will send out codes following the conclusion of each event. For more details on how to get involved, as well as how to find your nearest eligible store, hit the link below.
