The One Ring Banned In Modern, While Four Old Favorites Are Welcomed Back To The Format

As expected, Wizards Of The Coast made its final ban list announcement of 2024 earlier today, and as expected, a Modern menace has officially been cast into the fire…and in its wake comes a fellowship of cards no longer banned in the format.

The One Ring is officially banned in Modern, after warping the format around it since its release in 2023. Recent figures put The One Ring's usage at over 60 percent of decks in Modern tournaments, and Wizards Of The Coast decided it was time to go.

"The opportunity cost of including The One Ring in nearly any deck is too low, and its presence in events has become tiresome for many players," the official announcement said. "Acting as a tool for self-preservation and a source of card advantage, it requires no commitment to any particular color. We believe it is clear, as it has been for many of you, that Modern would be a more enjoyable format without its inclusion. And thus, The One Ring is banned in Modern."

The One Ring isn't the one banned card in Modern for this announcement either; Amped Raptor, an uncommon energy producer from Modern Horizons 3, was also crushed by the banhammer, in a bid to weak the overpowering Boros Energy decks now dominating the format.

However, these were not the only changes to Modern, as four cards will not be reintroduced into the format after being banned in previous years. Splinter Twin, Green Sun's Zenith, Faithless Looting, and Mox Opal are all now back in Modern, which should further spice up the format now that The One Ring is done for.

Elsewhere, Jegantha, The Wellspring is now banned in Pioneer, Modern, and Explorer, while Psychic Frog and Vexing Bauble were both sent packing from Legacy.

A bullet-point list of each card banned in today's announcement is below. For the full reasoning behind each decision, check out the official DailyMTG blog.