Magic: The Gathering announced significant bans affecting Standard and other formats, notably removing Vivi Ornitier. This move aims to balance the game and shake up the current metagame.
Vivi Ornitier banned in Standard
Proft's Eidetic Memory banned in Standard
Heartfire Hero banned in Pioneer
Entomb banned in Legacy
Strip Mine banned in Brawl
High Tide re-banned in Pauper
On November 10 2025, Wizards of the Coast issued a comprehensive Magic the Gathering banned and restricted announcement November 2025 affecting multiple formats. This announcement November targeted persistent format imbalances, particularly in Magic the Gathering Standard banned, aiming to restore competitive diversity. The Standard banned cards and their impacts are detailed below, reflecting ongoing efforts to maintain healthy metagames. These format updates November ensure that Standard banned strategies are balanced and competitive fairness is preserved.
Major Standard Format Bans and Their Implications
Three cards were banned in Standard for their significant negative influence on format balance:
Vivi Ornitier
Central to the dominant “Izzet Cauldron” archetype, Vivi Ornitier enabled efficient mana generation and recurring ping damage, causing the Standard metagame to stagnate. This ban opens the format to a broader range of viable strategies.[1][3]
Proft’s Eidetic Memory
This card’s scalable card draw powered combo consistency within the Izzet Cauldron deck, amplifying its dominance and reducing metagame variety.[3][1]
Screaming Nemesis
Integral to aggressive Mono-Red (Red Deck Wins) strategies, Screaming Nemesis complicated interaction by making blocking difficult and the archetype disproportionately powerful.[1][3]
While related cards like Omniscience remain legal, the banned cards formed essential combo engines, making this announcement a critical rebalancing move.
Banned Cards in Other Formats and Their Effects
Wizards also banned cards across several other formats to maintain competitive integrity and format health:
Legacy: Entomb and Nadu, Winged Wisdom banned for enabling powerful combos that have long challenged balance.
Pauper: High Tide was rebanned after a trial unbanning, as its combo potential remained problematic in this budget-focused format.
Brawl: Cards such as Strip Mine, Mana Drain, Chrome Mox, and Ancient Tomb banned to keep this casual format fun and accessible by limiting fast mana and land-denial effects.[2][3][1]
Expectations for Metagame and Player Experience
This announcement signals a commitment to more frequent and responsive banned and restricted updates, with the next scheduled for February 9, 2026. This cadence aims to prevent meta stagnation and preserve competitive health.
Additionally, the imminent Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release (November 14, 2025) is expected to introduce fresh Standard-legal cards, likely influencing the evolving metagame.[11][3]
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