With the release of Magic Strixhaven coming up fast, mixed with Colorado’s various statements of restrictions becoming a bit more lax, we’re getting a lot of questions on what is the status of Magic and other events.
The honest answer is “we don’t know.” Wizards of the Coast has maintained a clear message that no in-store events are allowed for North America (regardless of state status), just like it was for the previous prerelease Kaldheim. However, a quick call to the WotC retail support has given me the information that things may be changing on the 14th of April.
Similarly, Pokemon has maintained a strict no event status for more than a year, however, they started allowing it in other countries like Australia and New Zealand. Other companies have refrained from putting down any hard rules, with a few stating that it is up to the store owner to regulate safety and follow the guidance of their individual state and county.
Petrie’s is still holding fast to the guidelines give by our county’s “yellow” status. We require masks on when moving about the store, for customers and employees. We encourage 6-foot distances. We also are adhering to the 50% occupancy based on the retail and indoor events guidelines in the yello-status updates.
However, we are also planning ahead. With the potential of changes coming, we have put Strixhaven events on the calendar with the understanding that they may be cancelled. If Wizards does not change the North America status by April 14, Strixhaven will be a take-home only prerelease event.
We encourage you to watch our calendar as it gets repopulated with events, but we also encourage you to call in before events to ensure that nothing has changed. If you do not feel safe playing games with strangers, cannot wear a face mask for long periods of time, or are showing symptoms of any kind, we are still encouraging you to stay home — that has not changed.
Petrie’s is still committed to staying safe, but we also want to be there for you as things progress toward a rough sense of normalcy. If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to us and let us know.
We hope to be able to see you all soon.
