Commander Unban Update: Biorhythm and Lutri Unbanned, Arena Formats Also Got Few Changes
Wizards of the Coast has released a new update for Magic: The Gathering. The biggest news is in the Commander format, where Biorhythm and Lutri, the Spellchaser have been removed from the banlist. Players can now use these cards again, but there are some limits. The update also brings changes to Arena formats like Historic and Timeless, while Standard and Pioneer remain the same.
In Commander, Lutri, the Spellchaser can only be used inside the deck as one of the 99 cards. It is still banned as a Companion. This rule is meant to stop every red and blue deck from getting an extra free card. Biorhythm is now allowed but has been added to the “Game Changers” list. Cards on this list are very powerful and can end games quickly, but they are allowed because they cost a lot of mana and players can still respond to them.
Another card, Farewell, is not banned but has also been added to the “Game Changers” list. This helps players talk about strong cards before a game starts, so everyone knows what kind of match to expect.
There are also changes in Magic: The Gathering Arena. In Historic, some cards were banned, including Eldrazi Temple, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, and Crop Rotation. At the same time, cards like Force of Vigor and Magus of the Moon were unbanned to keep the format balanced. In Timeless, Necropotence is now limited to one copy per deck. Wizards said Standard and Pioneer are healthy right now, so no changes were made there.
Wizards explained that cards like Biorhythm are being allowed again because modern Commander games have more answers and interaction than before. For Lutri, the change also answers a long-time request from players who wanted to use the card fairly in their decks without the Companion advantage.
People on X (Twitter) had different reactions to the announcement. Some players were happy that the game didn’t switch to a hybrid change, because they felt that even if it was optional, it would end up being used all the time and change how the format normally works.
Very glad they didn’t do the hybrid change. They might argue that it’s an *or* but they clearly mean for it to be played as an *and* with how it works in any environment outside of limited.
— Bryan Prillaman (@BryanPrillaman) February 9, 2026
Others said they would rather see the return of the “banned as commander” rule and mentioned cards like Yuriko and Golos, showing they prefer clear and simple rules.
I wish they bring banned as commander back and just say Yuriko and Golos.
— Rodrigo de Paula (@DePaula61915) February 9, 2026
Some players also talked about specific cards, saying that even if there wasn’t a full ban, changes affecting cards like Farewell could still make a big difference in games. People even felt that certain powerful cards should never have been printed.
Well it's not a ban but I'll take farewell being a game changer, card should have never been printed
— Jay (@JiriyaKlaar) February 9, 2026
So far, many players have called this update small and manageable, especially compared to the large ban changes seen in late 2025. Most expect the changes to add new deck ideas without changing the format too much.
