The Gathering World Champion has died

Wizards of the Coast has revealed the former pro Magic: the Gathering player Kai Budde has passed away, considered among the greatest to ever play the game. The beloved card game from Wizards of the Coast has had a rich and storied history since its debut in 1993, with more than 200 sets and tens of thousands of cards. Magic: the Gathering has welcomed plenty of developments to the game since its early days, both through new card types like Planeswalkers and Battles and changes to the game's meta. Magic has also fostered a vibrant and robust competitive scene.

Magic: the Gathering boasts one of the largest professional tournament scenes of all the major trading card games. Wizards of the Coast regularly hosts tournaments around the world, bringing together the game's best players to win the title of champion. Magics frequent Pro Tour events, now known as Players Tours, serve as one of the pinnacle of the Magic: the Gatherings schedule, with only a select few players invited to the top tier competitive tournaments. Now, Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that one of the game's biggest pro players has tragically passed away.

Magic: The Gathering Pro Kai Budde has died

In an official post on Wizards of the Coast's website, the card game developer reveals that former pro player Kai Budde has sadly passed away. The post reflects on the German-born's life and professional career Magic players, who made some impressive achievements in the TCG. Budde won an astounding five individual Pro Tour tournaments, claimed two more Team Pro Tour titles, and Budde even won in 1999 Magic: the Gathering WC in Tokyo. Kai Budde was 46 when he passed away, and the German player was confirmed elsewhere to have died after more than a year of battling terminal cancer.

Kai Budde leaves behind a legacy that will not soon be matched within Magic: the Gathering fan base. Budde's five Pro Tour victories currently stand as the record for most won by a single player, while also holding the honor for most “Player of the Year” honors. Budde got one off Magic: the Gatherings most prestigious awards in 2007, inducted into TCG's Hall of Fame. Kai Budde's impact on Magic: the Gathering was felt not only by the astonishing nature of his achievements, but also the impact he left on his fellow professionals.

Wizards of the Coast's official announcement is filled with announcements from other notables Magic pro. Pro player William Jensen referred to Budde as a “juggernaut”, stating that Magic: the Gathering the community was “better for having Kai as a part of it.” Wizards of the Coast shared a quote from former Worlds finalist Reid Duke about Budde in the post, citing his “superhuman ability to know what it takes to win.” Magic: the Gathering also featured a commemorative video on the Play MTG channel, documenting various moments and highlights of Kai Budde's illustrious career.

Wizards of the Coast has sought to immortalize Kai Budde's impact on the competitive scene Magic: the Gathering on several occasions in the past. The Player of the Year performance was renamed the 2024 Kai Budde Player of the Year, following Budde's public announcement of his declining health. Budde also had the opportunity to design his very own Magic: the Gathering shortly after winning the 2001 Magic Invitational, which helped create Voidmage Prodigy, which was first released in the 2002 Onslaught expansion. Kai Budde leaves behind an undeniable legacy as one of the greatest players in history Magic: the Gathering.