Pro Tour Hall of Famer, Kai Budde, aka “The German Juggernaut” has passed away. Wizards in a heartfelt tribute posted to Daily MTG announced the death of arguably the best competitive player in Magic: The Gathering history.
Budde is remembered for winning five Pro Tours, two Team Pro tours, seven Grand Prixs, the 1999 Magic World Championship, the 2002 Team World Championship, the 2001 Magic Invitational and multiple top 8 finishes in four different decades, most recently in 2024. The German Juggernaut also won Player of the Year four times.
In 2001, after winning the Magic Invitational, his win allowed him to design a future Magic card. That card was Voidmage Prodigy — A 2/1 Blue Wizard that costs to cast. The card text for Voidmage Prodigy reads “, Sacrifice a Wizard: Counter target spell. Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)”
Budde is remembered as being a gentle, humble player who was actively engaged in helping the next generation of competitive players reach new heights. Billy Jensen, in an emotional speech during Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 in June of 2024 announced that the Pro Tour Player of the Year Trophy would be renamed The Kai Budde Player of the Year Trophy. Budde leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment, grace, humility, and is fondly remembered by those whose lives he impacted.
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