- Wizards of the Coast cards thrill for gamers. Photo by Dustin George.
Wizards of The Coast are preparing to turn the Charlotte Convention Center into the next best thing with one of the first sealed Magic the Gathering Grand Prix tournaments of 2013 this weekend.
A handful of Western Carolina University students will be attending to compete for a share in the over $60,000 in prizes for the weekend.
The Grand Prix will consist of three days of tournament events of the popular trading card game starting with preregistration on Friday, Feb. 24, at noon and the main event starting at resume at 8 a.m. Saturday with the main Grand Prix event starting at 10 a.m. and ending at midnight, with seven smaller side tournaments taking place throughout the day. Players in the sealed tournament will be playing for a combined $30,000 in prize money but also for the chance to skip rounds in the next Pro Tour event in May 2013. The opportunity for top players to skip early rounds is invaluable as they allow players to be better rested and prepared for later rounds of play during those events.
Sunday will feature six side events and one main event in the Limited format with $30,000 in cash prizes on the line, but no byes will be given to the winners.
“I like that this event is sealed. The fact that everyone is building a deck out of booster packs when they get there means the event is more about skillful play and deck building than who had the most money to buy the most expensive deck beforehand,” said Joshua Shuford, a veteran player of the game.
The weekend will also boast a wide selection of vendors, Q-and-A sessions with seasoned pro players and the artists behind some of the best cards in the game today.
