NRG Series 2021 Announcement
It’s been a long 500 days since the last tabletop NRG Series event but the wait won’t last too much longer! Today, we are excited to announce the return of the paper NRG Series with an abbreviated 2020-21 season. In this article, we will share the dates, locations, and formats for the 2021 Trials, detail our plans for incorporating the results from 2020 into the 2020-21 abbreviated season, and outline the paths to qualify for the 2021 Championship. Let’s get into it!
Schedule
Our 2021 schedule will include stops in Chicago and Milwaukee for $10k Trial Weekends and a special $15k Team Showdown Weekend in Chicago featuring the newest format to join the NRG Series rotation, Limited.
| Date | Location | Saturday Event | Sunday Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 23-24, 2021 | Chicagoland, IL | $5,000 Trial – Modern | $5,000 Trial – Legacy |
| November 27-28, 2021 | Chicagoland, IL | $10,000 Team Showdown – Limited/Modern/Legacy | $5,000 Trial – Modern |
| December 11-12, 2021 | Milwaukee, WI | $5,000 Trial – Legacy | $5,000 Trial – Modern |
In addition to cash prizes, the Top 4 players from each Trial event (and the Top 4 teams from the Showdown) will earn invites to upcoming Qualifier Weekends on MTG Arena thanks to Magic Esports.
The NRG Series has always been a mainstay for non-rotating formats such as Modern and Legacy, but we are especially thrilled to run our first limited event on the NRG Series during the $10k Team Showdown in November. On Saturday, teams will build an Innistrad: Crimson Vow sealed deck to kick off the morning. The rest of Day 1 will run similarly to traditional team events with a cut to the Top 8 teams. The Top 8 draft and deckbuilding portion of the elimination rounds will be done on Saturday night. The Top 8 matches will commence at 9AM on Sunday in a single-elimination bracket. Players who are playing in Top 4 matches may receive up to one (1) bye in Sunday’s Modern Trial to accommodate playing in both events. Finalists may receive up to two (2) byes to Sunday’s Modern Trial.
Previous Events
In our announcement that postponed the 2020 NRG Series indefinitely, we promised players who competed in our 2020 events that their hard work and dedication would be rewarded. Here’s how we’ll make good on our promise: The top two leaderboard players from the 2020 Season (Will Krueger & Jack Cummins) have earned invitations to the 2021 Championship. Leaderboard points earned during the postponed 2020 season will count towards the leaderboard at-large invitations. Additionally, Magic Esports has retroactively awarded invites to upcoming Arena Qualifier Weekends to the Top 4 of each our 2020 Trials.
2021 Championship
Due to the restructuring of the schedule to accommodate our abbreviated season structure, a few changes have been made to the 2021 Championship. The invite-only 2021 Championship will be held in January 2022 and feature 16 players competing for $10,000 in cash prizes and an invite to the first Set Championship in 2022 thanks to Magic Esports. More details about the 2021 Championship structure will be announced in due time.
Invitations to the 2021 Championship will be awarded as follows:
- (1) 2019 Champion: Grant Wozniak
- (2) 2020 Leaderboard: Will Krueger & Jack Cummins
- (3) 2021 Leaderboard (only counts points from Oct-Dec ’21)
- (3) November 27-28 $10k Team Showdown winners
- (7) 2020-21 Combined Leaderboard (counts points from Jan ’20-Dec ’21)
Should a player earn two invites to the Championship (for instance, winning the Showdown and finishing at the top of the 2020 or 2021 leaderboard), additional players from the respective yearly leaderboard will be invited to the Championship.
Safety
We make this announcement well aware that the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States is far from over. The NRG Series reserves the right to modify or cancel these plans as we see fit. In addition, we fully encourage players to take steps to protect themselves; please get vaccinated and do not attend events if you or a housemate feels ill.
To The Year Ahead!
There’s a lot to look forward to as the NRG Series returns this fall: the return of competitive tabletop magic, tens of thousands of dollars in prize money, invitations to the Arena Qualifier Weekends and the Set Championship on the line, and the first limited event on the NRG Series! We look forward to hearing your thoughts on what the 2021 NRG Series has in store on our Facebook or Twitter. More detailed inquires can be sent to NRG Series Manager Max Kahn at max@nerdragegaming.com. To the year ahead!
Note: Content found on this website may not yet be updated to reflect the information found in today’s announcement.
Max Kahn is the Event Manager for the NRG Series and the Judge Manager for all Nerd Rage Gaming events. When he’s not answering your judge calls or working behind the scenes at your local event, he splits his time between Chicago, Seattle, and Twitter.
Comments
