Magic: The Gathering Pro Mike Sigrist Skips Zendikar Rising Championship Due to COVID-19

The Zendikar Rising Championship is scheduled to begin today, but one of the invited Magic: The Gathering pro players decided to not join the tournament due to COVID-19.

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Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Rivals League member and 2014-2015 Player of the Year, Mike Sigrist was qualified for the Zendikar Rising Championship this weekend, but he recently took it to Twitter to say that he will not be participating in this major MTG event because his wife and both daughters have caught COVID-19.

"Because of what's going on, I've decided I won't play in the Zendikar Rising Championship. I look forward to watching the event and cheering on my team. It was a difficult decision, but I just don't think I'm up for competing while worrying about my family and myself," Sigrist wrote on Twitter.

Sigrist is currently ranked fifth in the Rivals League, just one point away from the Top 4, which guarantees MPL participation next season.

That's a tough decision for the American pro, but I respect that Sigrist is prioritizing his family over the competiion. I hope they all recover without any issues.

Zendikar Rising Championship takes place on December 4-6. You can watch it live on Twitch.tv/magic.

Related: Zendikar Rising Championship Standard & Historic Metagame Breakdown Revealed