Return of the Pro Tour
The competitive scene in Magic has changed over the years. After almost two and a half years, the tabletop Pro Tour has finally made a comeback. At long last, the pinnacle of competitive Magic has returned once again!
Pro Tour Phyrexia Top 8
Image Copyright: Magic: the Gathering Play
At the first round of the Pro Tour Phyrexia, many players gathered to compete for the top spot, as if they were trying to release their feelings of exasperation. The excitement never cooled down, and the players spread the word amongst themselves, creating a tournament of the highest level. Magic fans who were watching in real time through their screens were mesmerized by the beauty of the games and the decks. The Pro Tour is back with a vengeance.
Even now, regional qualifiers are being held around the world, and players are gathering one after another to compete in the Pro Tour. Some are familiar with the Pro Tour, some dream of it, and some admire it. The Pro Tour is a gathering of the thoughts and feelings of many players.
Now that the season is about to start, we would like to introduce you to the Hareruya sponsorship program for the next season.
Newcomers
The Pro Tour was back in full swing last season, and the tabletop events were packed with excitement. After the in-store and premium qualifiers, the regional qualifiers awaited, where the top players in the Asian region played an intense series of heated matches.
With the road to the Pro Tour clearly laid out, the players were able to determine their own paths forward. As the competitive front has been established, you may have noticed that new players have joined the Hareruya Pros.
Takumi Matsuura
Takumi Matsuura is an indomitable aggro player whose main battlefield is online. He started his season coming in top 4 of the Pro Tour Phyrexia, and then went on a win streak at the Pro Tour, advancing consistently to the second day. He went from a store qualifier to a World Championship in just one season, and has become one of the top players in the world.
Image Copyright: Magic: the Gathering Play
His play style is pure aggro. He prefers creature-based beatdown decks and sends creatures into the red zone as if he were breathing. White mono-human and red aggro are his signature decks. Perhaps because he plays mostly online, he is familiar with all formats, not just Standard and Pioneer. He is expected to be active on both online and tabletop.
He continues to challenge using his style of play to the Pro Tour next year.
Rei Hirayama
Rei Hirayama is a brilliant and hardworking player with exceptional playing skills and a high Magic IQ. He has not been resting on his skills, but has been working hard and has achieved results, including second place at The Finals 2019 and Players Tour Online 3. However, one more win is too far away and he has been unable to win the title. However, the jinx was broken at the Champions Cup Finals Cycle 1, where he won the Pro Tour and the World Championship.
Image Copyright: Magic: the Gathering Play
While he prefers combo decks with explosiveness, he also excels at playing midrange, which is flexible enough to adapt to any game situation. Sharp blades and rounded blunt weapons. This proves that he is highly skilled at using the opposite strategies as though they were his hands and feet.
He also provides live commentary for the Battle of the Gods Tournament and his great sense of humor and accurate commentary have made him a popular commentator. The gap between the seriousness he shows during competitions and the laughter he elicits in the media is one of his charms.
Farewell
As is usual in the Magic tournament scene, with every encounter comes a farewell, and Keisuke Sato, a member of Hareruya Pros since October 2021, will be ending his contract at the end of this season.
Sato has been a very successful player in both domestic and international tournaments, as well as in online tournaments. We will now take a look back at Sato’s accomplishments.
The turning point in Sato’s career came at the Challenger Gauntlet in 2021. After winning the tiebreaker after the qualifying round, he went on a three-game winning streak to advance to the MPL. Counting from the end of the preliminary round, he has won four in a row.
🎉 CONGRATULATIONS to all four #ChallengerGauntlet competitors who are on their way to the World Championship! 🎉@Smdster, @kushiro_mtg, @Huschenmtg, and @nano3151 all secured spots in next season's MPL and seats at Magic's most prestigious tournament.
— PlayMTG (@PlayMTG) August 8, 2021
Congrats again! pic.twitter.com/DTXh73SCtt
However, this was a tight battle, as one loss would mean the end of the tournament immediately. It was the moment he opened the door to the Magic of competition with his own hands and grabbed a place in the MPL, the pinnacle of the sport, overnight.
Sato’s strength comes down to his practice methods.
He decides on one deck to use, inputs the deck’s movements in the metagame, develops a game plan, and then simply practices. Simple, yet time-consuming. This honest style of practice, which involved a great deal of input and endless repetition, was the source of Sato’s strength and led to the results he achieved.
He also generously shares his knowledge with many players in writing. He contributed to revitalizing the tournament scene by releasing early deck guides for Pioneer’s Rakdos Midrange and Standard’s Esper Midrange.
アリーナ・チャンピオンシップ１ DAY2
— Keisuke Sato (@nano3151) September 26, 2022
スイス1-2 の6-3でTOP8へ。
QF エスパーコン 2-0
SF エスパーミッド 2-1
F ミラー (2マッチ先取) 2-1 1-2 1-2
決勝没で準優勝(´;ω;｀)
応援ありがとうございました！ 世界選手権の権利は獲得できましたのでまた頑張ります！！#HareruyaPros #MTGArena pic.twitter.com/wb9JTCXU31
Also worth mentioning is Sato’s strength in Digital Magic, especially his win rate in Alchemy, a format exclusive to MTG Arena. His impressive 78% win rate in Alchemy is reflected in his runner-up finish in the Arena Championship 1. He is truly the alchemist of the digital world, and has performed well in both tabletop and digital competitive events.
As the competitive scene continues to change, Sato has done a great job of spreading his knowledge and promoting Magic to many players. He adapted to the increasingly complex environment of competitive Magic and won his way into the top tier of the MPL, achieving results both at the tabletop and online.
Thank you, Sato, for your two years of dedication to the Hareruya Pros.
2023-2024 Season
Now, for the 2023-2024 season, Hareruya Pros will have a total of six members, including two newcomers. Please let us introduce you to the following Hareruya Pros.
Javier Dominguez
Javier Dominguez is the 2018 World Champion and still a top player at the forefront of the competitive scene. He is a Spanish professional who is currently dominating the scene.
In the 2022-2023 season, he made consecutive Top 8 finishes at Pro Tour Phyrexia and Pro Tour March of the Machine. He was also the fastest player to reach the Top 8, finishing first in the swiss round. Although he did not win the tournament, his consistent results have earned him seats to all of next season’s Pro Tours at this point. Next season, we can be sure to find Javier as a champion.
Despite his brilliant performance in the competitive scene, Javier plays not only in competitive formats, but also in Cube Draft, Legacy, and even Vintage. He pursues victory, but he also has a heart for the pure enjoyment of Magic. 《Fervent Champion》 is the card that epitomizes him.
Matti Kuisma
Matti Kuisma is the brains of the Magic world. He gives us perspectives we had never thought of before, such as how to overcome bad luck. His orderly, verbalized thoughts will make many readers gasp. It is a book that shows how to improve your Magic skills.
- 2020/07/13
- How to Beat Bad Luck
- Matti Kuisma
- 2023/10/27
- How to Draft Blue in Wilds of Eldraine
- Matti Kuisma
When he explains how to win with the weakest color in a limited format, you find yourself agreeing with his ideas and wanting to play in limited. Not only does he give readers a new perspective, but he also motivates them to play. Whenever I get confused about how to play, I am sure to find a clue in his articles.
Although Matti is more of a writer, he is also a top-notch Magic player, and in the 2022-2023 season, he had a consistent record of advancing to the second day of every Pro Tour event and earning prize money. He also made it to the World Championships for the second year in a row. Look for him to continue his success on paper and on the board next season.
Marcio Carvalho
Marcio Carvalho has a background as a Draft Master and excels at limited formats in general and draft in particular. He has a number of brilliant achievements, including five Pro Tour Top 8 finishes.
- 2023/09/19
- Wilds of Eldraine – Limited Set Review
- Marcio Carvalho
Whenever a new set is released, Marcio provides us with an analysis of the limited format. The articles clearly explain everything from keyword abilities to which colors and archetypes to choose, and serve as a foothold to compete in the new format. Be sure to check out the Draftmaster article to find out when the new sets will be released.
During the 2022-2023 season, he advanced to Day 2 of all Pro Tours and finished in the Top 4 at MOCS Season 2, an online event. The tournament is difficult to qualify for, and Marcio has shown his exceptional talent across the tabletop and online.
Image Copyright: Magic: the Gathering Play
Next season, we look forward to seeing him in the spotlight in the feature area, where we can expect to see him showcase his drafting prowess and combat prowess.
Piotr Głogowski
Piotr Głogowski, aka Kanister, is a genuine deckbuilder. When he posts his original deckbuilding creations on social media, they quickly gain traction in the community and attract a large number of viewers to his broadcasts. In his articles, Głogowski spotlights hot cards such as 《The One Ring》 and presents his views in a powerful and clear manner.
Image Copyright: Magic: the Gathering Play
He is a master of Modern and Pioneer, where he can fully demonstrate his unique ideas, and he has the playability to handle difficult decks such as Ironworks, Amulet Titan, and Jund Sacrifice. If you haven’t seen him play before, we invite you to take a peek at his streaming video and find him solving difficult puzzles with a nonchalant expression on his face.
He was back in the field after losing his Pro Tour seat for a while, but he won it at last month’s Regional Qualifier and is back on the scene soon after.
Going Forward
That is all for the sponsorship projects for the next season. Takumi Matsuura, Rei Hirayama, Hareruya Pros will be working with Javier Dominguez, Matti Quisma, Marcio Carvalho, and Piotr Głogowski. We hope you will keep an eye on their performances.
Next season, you will see more and more Hareruya Pros through all kinds of media, including tabletop and online tournaments, as well as streaming content. All of us at Hareruya will continue to make a dedication to the enhancement of the Magic world.
Finally, we ask for your continued support as the Hareruya Pros grow their presence in the 2023-2024 season.
