
About Explorer
Explorer released on MTG Arena on April 28, 2022 with the promise to become Pioneer within “a few years”.
The format consists of all Standard-printed sets from Return to Ravnica onward that are available on Arena – with a banlist (maintained on this page). It differs from Historic in that none of the non-Standard sets (such as Modern Horizons 2) and Alchemy cards are not legal. It currently differs from Pioneer in that many cards from Return to Ravnica forward are not available on Arena.
Wizards has announced that the Pioneer and Explorer banlists will be maintained separately until Pioneer is available in full on Arena, at which point the banlists will converge. The two banlists differ already, as Tibalt's Trickery is banned in Explorer but legal in Pioneer, and, for a brief period, Winota, Joiner of Forces was banned in Explorer before being banned in Pioneer.
BANLIST
Balustrade Spy
Bloodstained Mire
Expressive Iteration
Felidar Guardian
Field of the Dead
Flooded Strand
Inverter of Truth
Kethis, the Hidden Hand
Leyline of Abundance
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
Nexus of Fate
Oko, Thief of Crowns
Once Upon a Time
Polluted Delta
Smuggler’s Copter
Teferi, Time Raveler
Tibalt’s Trickery
Undercity Informer
Underworld Breach
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
Veil of Summer
Walking Ballista
Wilderness Reclamation
Winota, Joiner of Forces
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills