Scheduling: evergreen, available all season and beyond; use the Magic Academy: Learn to Play or Deck Building templates
Format: New Player Event
Rules Enforcement Level: Casual
Pairing method: Player List Only
Promotional material support:

• Evergreen Welcome Decks

Players must enroll using a Wizards Account to qualify to keep promotional materials; guest account entries are not eligible.

Promotional materials are available while supplies last. For complete details, refer to the WPN Promo Usage & Policies hub.

What Is Magic Academy?

Magic Academy is a beginner-friendly event series that teaches new players how to play Magic: The Gathering. Through guided sessions, participants get hands-on experience with support from staff or mentors in a fun, low-pressure environment.

How to Run Magic Academy Events

These instructions combine the best practices for running both Learn to Play and Deck Building events in the Magic Academy series.

For Learn to Play events, you have the option of using other beginner-friendly products to demonstrate and teach besides Welcome Decks. Follow the appropriate steps below based on the demo product you use.

1. Register Players

• Direct players to create a Wizards Account at https://myaccounts.wizards.com/ if they don't already have one. Only players registered with a Wizards Account qualify to keep physical event materials.
• Encourage players to download the Magic Companion app, which helps with event sign-up and tracking life totals.

2. Show the Introductory Video

Set the stage by showing the relevant Magic Academy video on a screen in your play space, or provide players with the link to watch on their mobile devices:

• Learn to Play Introductory Video (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish)
• Deck Building Introductory Video (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish)

These videos provide context and easy instructions that help simplify teaching and give players confidence to jump in.

3. Identify Staff or Mentor Support

Ensure knowledgeable store staff or seasoned players who are happy to help new players are available to:

• Answer rules questions
• Provide encouragement
• Assist with deck building (for Deck Building events) and gameplay

4. Set Up and Distribute Event Materials

Give out appropriate materials to players depending on the event.

For Learn to Play:

If using a Beginner Box for the demo:

• Set up the guided Beginner Box learn-to-play experience with the included printed guides for the new player.

If using Welcome Decks for the demo, distribute to the new player:

• 1 Welcome Deck
• Learn-to-play brochure
• Pocket reference card

For Deck Building

Distribute to the new player:

• 6 Booster Packs
• Learn-to-play brochure
• Pocket reference card

5. Guide the Activity

For Learn to Play

If using a Beginner Box for the demo:

• Run the guided learn-to-play experience according to the Beginner Box instructions.
• Then, continue play with decks from the Beginner Box.
• Give the player a Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last).

If using Welcome Decks for the demo:

• Have players open their Welcome Deck.
• Pair players up for their first casual match.
• Give players their Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last).

For Deck Building

• Instruct players to open their Booster Packs and review their cards.
• Guide them through building their 40-card deck.
• Pair players up for their first casual match. Encourage them to share their decks with each other before playing to keep the conversation going—this experience is about learning and having fun more than winning.

6. Encourage Continued Play

At the end of the Magic Academy event:

• Help players find additional opponents if they want to keep playing.
• Share your event calendar and invite them back for their next event, such as Friday Night Magic or the next Prerelease.

Next Steps for Your New Magic Players

This is just the beginning of your players' Magic journey. Beyond letting them know about events they might enjoy, consider introducing players to the Foundations Commander Decks. With five decks designed to introduce new players to Magic's popular Commander format, they offer everything a player needs to play their first game of Commander right out of the box.

Schedule and Promote Your Events

You can schedule Magic Academy events in Wizards EventLink. We recommend scheduling at least one Learn to Play and one Deck Building event ahead of each season, but they may also be scheduled as needed for walk-in demos.

Boost your event visibility with available marketing resources, including Nauctis: The Sunken Realm digital marketing assets.