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