the world champion in collecting has died

Wizards of the Coast revealed that former pro Magic: The Gathering Kai Budde, considered one of the best to ever play the game, has died. The popular collectible card game from Wizards of the Coast has had a rich and storied history since its debut in 1993, with over 200 sets and tens of thousands of cards. Magic: The Gathering has welcomed a lot of evolution in the game since its early days, both through new card types like Planeswalkers and Battles and changes to the meta game. Magic it has also fostered a vibrant and robust competitive scene.

Magic: The Gathering boasts one of the largest professional tournament scenes of any major trading card game. Wizards of the Coast regularly hosts tournaments around the world where the best players of the game meet to fight for the title of champion. MagicFrequent Pro Tour events, now known as Players Tours, serve as one of the highlights Magic: The Gathering's schedule, with only a select few players invited to top-level tournaments. Now, Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that one of the game's greatest professional players has tragically passed away.

Magic: The Gathering Pro Kai Budde has died

In an official post on the Wizards of the Coast website, the card game developer reveals that former professional player Kai Budde has sadly passed away. The post reflects on the life and professional career of a German native Magic a player who has achieved impressive feats within the TCG. Budde won an astounding five individual Pro Tour events, claimed two more Team Pro Tour titles, and Budde even won in 1999 Magic: The Gathering World Championship in Tokyo. Kai Budde was 46 at the time of his death, with the German player confirming elsewhere that he had died after more than a year of battling cancer.

Kai Budde leaves behind a legacy that will soon be unmatched in the world Magic: The Gathering fan base. Budde's five Pro Tour victories are currently the record for most victories by an individual player, and he also holds the honor of most “Player of the Year” honors. Budde got one of the Magic: The Gatheringthe most prestigious award in 2007, induction into the TCG Hall of Fame. Kai Budd's influence on Magic: The Gathering he was felt not only for the staggering nature of his achievements, but also for the impact he left on his professional players.

The official Wizards of the Coast announcement is full of news from other celebrities Magic pros. Pro player William Jensen called Budd a “juggernaut” and stated that Magic: The Gathering the community was “better when Kai was a part of it.” In the post, Wizards of the Coast shared a quote from former Worlds finalist Reid Duke about Budde, referring to his “superhuman ability to know what it takes to win.” Magic: The Gathering also released a commemorative video on the Play MTG channel, documenting various moments and highlights from Kai Budde's illustrious career.

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