Last checked: September 2, 2026 · Latest B&R update: August 10, 2026
⚡ In short
The most recent Banned & Restricted update was released on August 10, 2026. Standard received three bans: Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, and Gran-Gran. In Legacy, The Fantasticar was banned, and the same card was restricted in Vintage. Pioneer, Modern, Pauper, and the Arena formats received no new changes. The next regular B&R announcement is scheduled for October 12, 2026.
The Magic: The Gathering ban list changes regularly. Wizards steps in when a card or strategy dominates a format too heavily, but they can also remove cards from the ban list if the landscape changes.
On this page, I keep track of the latest MTG Banned & Restricted updates for you. You will not only find which cards have been banned, restricted, or unbanned, but also why Wizards is intervening and what that means in practice. The latest information is always at the top.
Latest MTG banlist update: August 10, 2026
The August update was significantly more impactful than the one in June. Standard, in particular, was addressed: Wizards decided to ban three cards at once to slow down the format and create room for a wider variety of decks.
Also, exactly what Wizards had warned about in June came to pass: The Fantasticar proved too strong in the Eternal formats and was addressed six weeks later.
| Format | Card | New status |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Badgermole Cub | ⛔ Banned |
| Stormchaser's Talent | ⛔ Banned | |
| Gran-Gran | ⛔ Banned | |
| Legacy | The Fantasticar | ⛔ Banned |
| Vintage | The Fantasticar | ⚠️ Restricted — maximum 1 copy |
| Pioneer, Modern & Pauper | — | No changes |
| Alchemy, Historic, Timeless, Brawl & Competitive Brawl | — | No changes |
Standard: three bans to slow down the format
Standard had been revolving largely around two families of decks for a long time: green Badgermole Cub strategies and blue-red decks centered on cheap noncreature spells. In the preceding months, Wizards saw enough movement in the metagame not to intervene, but as August approached, the gap between these and the rest of the format became too large.
The core of several strong green decks. The newest Selesnya Offense variant combined a high win rate with a lot of play and could get off to an exceptionally fast start. Wizards also saw the Cub as a cheap threat that put too much pressure on how early other decks had to be able to respond.
A key card for Izzet Prowess. For just one mana, the card helped with both explosive starts and longer games. Wizards found this combination of early tempo and late-game value too strong for a one-mana card.
An important mana engine for Jeskai Lessons. Wizards wanted to prevent this deck from simply taking the place of the other banned strategies. According to Wizards, Gran-Gran also provided too much long-term value for a one-mana card.
The combined goal of the three bans is clear: to slow down Standard and reduce the pressure to have perfect answers in the very first few turns. Wizards noted that some of the strongest strategies were too often able to decide the outcome of a game by turns three to five.
The Fantasticar: from watchlist to ban in six weeks
This is perhaps the most interesting story of this update. In the June 29 announcement, Wizards explicitly mentioned The Fantasticar as a card they were monitoring closely in Legacy and Vintage. Six weeks later, that warning proved well-founded.
June 29 → 👁️ on the radar
Wizards warned that The Fantasticar worked particularly well with the fast mana and artifact tools of Eternal formats.
August 10 → ⛔ Legacy / ⚠️ Vintage
In Legacy, the card was banned entirely. In Vintage, it was restricted, allowing decks to play a maximum of one copy.
In Legacy, the problem was primarily its enormous versatility. The Fantasticar appeared not just in one problematic combo deck, but in a variety of different strategies — from Doomsday to fairer blue-black shells and colorless artifact decks. Wizards reported that the card was showing up in over a dozen archetypes.
In Vintage, The Fantasticar primarily bolstered existing artifact strategies around cards like Mishra's Workshop and Glaring Fleshraker. There, Wizards opted not for a full ban, but for a restriction.
💡 Omèr's Tip: If a card is on the official watchlist, it does not automatically mean you should sell it or that a ban is definitely coming. The Fantasticar does, however, illustrate well why it is wise to check the latest B&R announcement before making a major purchase for a competitive deck.
What is currently on the radar?
Wizards regularly names cards or strategies in B&R articles that are being monitored more closely. This is not a prediction of a future ban, but it does give a good idea of where potential problems might arise.
Wizards is monitoring Neoform extra closely because the deck can win very early and can heavily compress the gameplay. At the moment, they do not find the strategy dominant enough to intervene.
The card was banned in Standard but remains legal in Pioneer. According to Wizards, the various Cub decks there currently do not have problematic win or play rates. They will, however, continue to monitor the card as a potential outlier.
Historic received no changes, but Wizards is keeping an eye on Ruby Storm after the strategy gained a new card-advantage engine with Hex Magic.
Also good news for Pauper players: the trial period for Bonder's Ornament, which was unbanned in May, has gone well according to the Pauper Format Panel. The card remains legal.
The 2026 B&R Calendar
Wizards has scheduled seven regular Banned & Restricted moments for 2026. Five of these have now passed.
| # | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 9, 2026 | ✅ Completed |
| 2 | March 23, 2026 | ✅ Completed |
| 3 | May 18, 2026 | ✅ Completed — major Modern update |
| 4 | June 29, 2026 | ✅ Completed — Legacy, Pauper & Brawl |
| 5 | August 10, 2026 | ✅ Completed — Standard & The Fantasticar |
| 6 | October 12, 2026 | 📅 Next |
| 7 | Later in 2026 | Date not yet announced |
📅 Next announcement: Monday, October 12, 2026. As soon as Wizards announces new bans, restrictions, or unbans, I will update this page.
Ban, restriction, or unban — what is the difference?
Not every change to the B&R list works the same way. In short:
The card may no longer be played in decks for that format.
You may play a maximum of one copy of the card. This is primarily used in Vintage.
A previous ban is lifted and the card can once again be played under normal deck-building rules.
What does a ban or unban mean for you?
An announcement can have immediate consequences, even if you don't play in a competitive tournament every week:
- Your deck might suddenly be illegal. If you play a banned card in the format in question, it must be removed before you can participate in a sanctioned event with that deck again.
- A restriction is different from a ban. In Vintage, restricted typically means you can still play one copy instead of four.
- The secondary market may react. Playable cards may see a decrease in competitive demand following a ban, while an unban can generate new interest. This effect varies greatly by card.
- The metagame changes. When a dominant strategy is addressed, decks that were previously weak against it may suddenly become much more attractive.
- An unban creates new deck-building space. Old strategies can return or entirely new combinations can be explored.
When in doubt, always check the official list before participating in an event. A card can be banned in one format while remaining perfectly legal in another.
And Commander?
Commander does not automatically follow the regular B&R announcements mentioned above. The format has its own update process via Wizards of the Coast and the Commander Format Panel. Commander also uses the Game Changers system and Commander Brackets to help players align on the desired power level of a game beforehand.
🛡️ Latest Commander B&R update: February 9, 2026
- Biorhythm was unbanned and added to the Game Changers list.
- Lutri, the Spellchaser was unbanned as a regular card and can also be your commander.
- However, Lutri remains banned as a companion.
- Farewell was also added to the Game Changers list.
- Lutri was not added to the Game Changers list, as its original ban was specifically related to the companion mechanic.
Want to know exactly how the five Commander Brackets and Game Changers work? Read my Commander guide for beginners.
Previous B&R updates in 2026
For readability, the latest update is always at the top. You can expand older changes below.
June 29, 2026 — Legacy, Pauper & six Brawl bans
The June update left Standard, Pioneer, Modern, and Vintage untouched but did intervene in Legacy, Pauper, and Brawl.
```| Format | Card | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Candelabra of Tawnos | ⛔ Banned |
| Pauper | Seeker of Skybreak | ⛔ Banned |
| Brawl | Force of Will | ⛔ Banned |
| Subtlety | ⛔ Banned | |
| Wash Away | ⛔ Banned | |
| Ugin's Labyrinth | ⛔ Banned | |
| Time Warp | ⛔ Banned | |
| Temporal Manipulation | ⛔ Banned |
Legacy: Candelabra returns to the ban list after decades
Candelabra of Tawnos has a remarkable history. The card was already on the original ban list of the format that would later become Legacy, was unbanned in 1999, and ended up back on the ban list in 2026.
The card played a central role in powerful decks that could use lands multiple times. Wizards chose to target Candelabra itself because they believe it primarily surfaces when such mana engines become problematically strong.
Pauper: Seeker of Skybreak and Hawkeye's Bow
Seeker of Skybreak was banned due to its interaction with Hawkeye's Bow. An equipped Seeker could untap itself repeatedly, creating a loop that could generate infinite damage. Wizards decided to intervene early before the combo could begin to dominate larger Pauper events.
Brawl: clearer focus on casual
Following the introduction of Competitive Brawl, regular Brawl could be positioned more clearly as a casual format. Wizards therefore addressed three types of play patterns:
- Fast mana: Ugin's Labyrinth.
- Highly efficient or free countermagic: Force of Will, Subtlety and Wash Away.
- Repeatable extra turns: Time Warp and Temporal Manipulation.
No further Brawl changes followed in the August 10 update. At that time, Wizards indicated they were positive about the impact of the June bans.
```May 18, 2026 — major Modern update
In May, several formats were addressed simultaneously, with the biggest changes in Modern.
```| Format | Card | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Modern | Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury | ⛔ Banned |
| Lotus Field | ⛔ Banned | |
| Violent Outburst | ✅ Unbanned | |
| Umezawa's Jitte | ✅ Unbanned | |
| Pioneer | Cori-Steel Cutter | ⛔ Banned |
| Legacy | Undercity Informer | ⛔ Banned |
| Pauper | Bonder's Ornament | ✅ Unbanned |
| Alchemy | Sewer-veillance Cam | ⛔ Banned |
Modern received both bans and unbans. Phlage was addressed due to its role in the highly dominant red midrange and Energy strategies, while Lotus Field was removed from Amulet Titan to reduce both the power level and highly complex combo lines.
In contrast, two cards were allowed to return: Violent Outburst and Umezawa's Jitte. In the months that followed, Wizards concluded that Violent Outburst had breathed new life into Living End without immediately dominating the format.
The unban of Bonder's Ornament in Pauper began as a trial. In August, the Pauper Format Panel confirmed that the trial had been successful and the card remains legal.
```Where can you find the complete current ban list?
This page is intended as a readable tracker of recent changes and the reasons behind them. For a deck check right before an event, I always recommend also checking the official list.
- Official Banned & Restricted list from Wizards of the Coast
- Banned & Restricted Announcement — August 10, 2026
- Banned & Restricted Announcement — June 29, 2026
- Commander Banned & Restricted Announcement — February 9, 2026
This page is kept up to date. The current information was checked on September 2, 2026. The next regular B&R announcement is scheduled for October 12, 2026.
Questions about a specific card, or want to know if your deck is still legal? Feel free to send me a message.
Written by Omèr Cremers
Owner of SpellArmory, social worker, and full-time dad. Avid MTG player and collector from Maastricht — Commander is my favorite format. Questions about which product suits you? Feel free to send me a message.