Gavin Verhey
{{Short description|American game developer (born 1990)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gavin Verhey
| image = File:Gavin_Verhey_at_Magic_Grand_Prix_Shizuoka_2017.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Verhey at Grand Prix Shizuoka 2017
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|03|29|mf=}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation = Principal Magic Designer
}}
Gavin Verhey (born March 29, 1990) is an American game designer. He is the Principal Magic: The Gathering Designer at Wizards of the Coast.
He has been a member of numerous Magic set Design and Development teams since joining in 2011, including Aether Revolt,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/aether-revolt-information|title = Aether Revolt}} Conspiracy,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/arcana/announcing-conspiracy-2014-02-14|title=Announcing Conspiracy}} Conspiracy: Take the Crown,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-conspiracy-2|title = Announcing Conspiracy: Take the Crown}} Fate Reforged,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/announcingfrf-en|title=Announcing Fate Reforged|access-date=2017-08-07|archive-date=2014-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903221906/http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/announcingfrf-en|url-status=dead}} Gatecrash,{{Cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg%2Fdaily%2Farcana%2F1016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719222926/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1016|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 19, 2012|title = Articles}} From the Vault: Angels,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/from-the-vault-angels|title = From the Vault: Angels - Card Set Archive - Products - Game Info}} From the Vault: Annihilation,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/from-the-vault-annihilation|title = From the Vault: Annihilation - Card Set Archive - Products - Game Info}} From the Vault: Twenty,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/products/card-set-archive/from-the-vault-twenty|title = From the Vault: Twenty - Card Set Archive - Products - Game Info}} Ixalan,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/ixalan|title = IXALAN}} Kaladesh,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/content/kaladesh|title = Kaladesh}} Modern Masters 2017,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/modern-masters-2017|title = Modern Masters 2017 Edition}} Oath of the Gatewatch,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-oath-gatewatch-2015-09-01|title = Announcing Oath of the Gatewatch}} and Shadows Over Innistrad,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/arcana/announcing-shadows-over-innistrad-2015-11-02|title=Announcing Shadows over Innistrad}} in addition to being the lead designer of Archenemy: Nicol Bolas,{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/products/archenemy-nicol-bolas|title = Archenemy: Nicol Bolas}} Commander 2017,{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/card-set-archive|title=MTG Set Archive|website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING}} and Battlebond.{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-battlebond-2018-02-14|title = Announcing Battlebond}}{{Cite web|last=Fekete|first=Bob|date=May 25, 2018|title='Magic: The Gathering' puts Two-Headed Giant front and center in Battlebond|url=https://www.newsweek.com/two-headed-giant-takes-center-stage-battlebond-latest-magic-gathering-set-944407|access-date=2022-01-18|website=Newsweek|language=en}} He also currently writes the weekly column Beyond the Basics on the official Magic website.{{Cite web|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/117690|title=Article Archives}} Mark Rosewater considers him part of the fifth generation of Magic designers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/171|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130225515/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/171|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2011|title=Wizards of the Coast}}
Career
Verhey was formerly a professional Magic: The Gathering player.{{cite web | url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/activity/1082 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019191628/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/activity/1082 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 19, 2012 | title=Wizards of the Coast }} He wrote strategy articles weekly for Starcitygames.com from February 20, 2009, through October 24, 2011{{Cite web |url=http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/archive.php?Article=Gavin+Verhey |title=Gavin Verhey's Archives |access-date=2013-02-11 |archive-date=2012-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918121845/http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/archive.php?Article=Gavin+Verhey |url-status=dead }} and also did commentary for SCGLive.{{Cite web |url=http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/standard/22028-SCGLive-Season-Two-Announced.html |title=StarCityGames.com - SCGLive Season Two Announced! |access-date=2013-02-11 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924105723/http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/standard/22028-SCGLive-Season-Two-Announced.html |url-status=dead }} He was a host of the Monday Night Magic podcast from episode #9 on June 7, 2006,{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtgcast.com/mtgcast-podcast-shows/active-podcast-shows/monday-night-magic/where-are-you-rosewater |title=Monday Night Magic #9 – Where Are You Rosewater | MTGCast |access-date=2013-02-25 |archive-date=2013-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221043437/http://mtgcast.com/mtgcast-podcast-shows/active-podcast-shows/monday-night-magic/where-are-you-rosewater |url-status=dead }} through episode #281, on October 18, 2011.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtgcast.com/mtgcast-podcast-shows/active-podcast-shows/monday-night-magic/monday-night-magic-281-this-ones-for-rocket |title=Monday Night Magic #281 – This one's for Rocket! | MTGCast |access-date=2013-02-25 |archive-date=2013-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221042737/http://mtgcast.com/mtgcast-podcast-shows/active-podcast-shows/monday-night-magic/monday-night-magic-281-this-ones-for-rocket |url-status=dead }}
In 2010, Verhey created an entirely new Magic format called "Overextended".{{cite web| url=http://mtgoverextended.com/ | title=
Mission: Complete | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413025151/http://mtgoverextended.com/ | archive-date=2015-04-13}} After Magic R&D chose to adopt a similar format, Modern, for Pro Tour Philadelphia, the Magic R&D team noted that his work on Overextended was a factor in their decision and that they were "very happy to see the outpouring of support for [Verhey's] work and to have this data point of support for a nonrotating format."{{Cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg%2fdaily%2fld%2f155|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914184809/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/155|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 14, 2011|title=Articles}} Later that year, Verhey was hired by Wizards of the Coast to work on Magic.
In addition to designing Magic sets, since March 27, 2012{{Cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/MAGIC/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/rc/188|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330225320/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/rc/188|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 30, 2012|title=Articles}} Verhey has written for Dailymtg.com as a weekly columnist. He first wrote the column ReConstructed, where he critiqued and improved readers' decks on a weekly basis from March 2012 until January 2016,{{Cite web |url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/columns/reconstructed-archive |title=Archive Reconstructed |access-date=2017-08-07 |archive-date=2017-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807114321/http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/columns/reconstructed-archive |url-status=dead }} and then began a new weekly column, Beyond the Basics, where he teaches advanced Magic strategy.{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/most-important-question-magic-2016-06-02|title=The Most Important Question in Magic|website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING}}
In 2017, Gavin became part of the Product Architecture team, a small team inside Magic R&D that "touch[es] all aspects of the set or product, working with the designer, Brand, Packaging Design, and practically every other team inside Wizards to make sure every release is as fantastic as possible from every angle."{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/building-better-magic-set-2017-09-27|title=Building a Better Magic Set}} He was the Product Architect for the Challenger Decks.{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/challenger-decks-and-final-duel-decks-2017-12-18|title=Challenger Decks and the Final Duel Decks}}
In 2020, Verhey was the Lead Deck Architect for the Zendikar Rising expansion.{{Cite web|last=Nelson|first=Joshua|date=2020-09-09|title=Magic: The Gathering's Land's Wrath Commander Decklist Revealed|url=https://bleedingcool.com/games/magic-the-gatherings-lands-wrath-commander-decklist-revealed/|access-date=2022-01-18|website=Bleeding Cool News And Rumors|language=en}} Since 2020, Verhey has hosted the Good Morning Magic! web show on YouTube.{{Cite web|title=Good Morning Magic - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/c/GoodMorningMagic/about|access-date=2022-01-17|website=www.youtube.com}}{{Cite web|last=Forster|first=Danny|date=2021-02-18|title=Verhey reveals future of White in Magic formats|url=https://dotesports.com/mtg/news/verhey-reveals-future-of-white-in-magic-formats|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}
In January 2022, Wizards of the Coast announced additional support for the Pauper format via the newly formed Pauper Format Panel;{{Cite web|last=Forster|first=Danny|date=2022-01-10|title=MTG seeks to improve format via Pauper panel|url=https://dotesports.com/mtg/news/mtg-seeks-to-improve-format-via-pauper-panel|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2022-01-11|title=MTG: Pauper Format Panel Announced By Wizards of The Coast|url=https://screenrant.com/mtg-pauper-format-panel-announced/|access-date=2022-01-17|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}} the panel is led by Verhey along with "six Magic players and personalities from the Pauper community".{{Cite web|last=Partlow|first=Emma|date=2022-01-15|title=Magic: The Gathering's Pauper format is having its moment|url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/22880802/magic-the-gathering-pauper-format-wizards-coast|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Polygon|language=en-US}} This panel will provide play recommendations, such as removing or unbanning cards, and will focus on the "health of the format".
Personal life
Verhey grew up in Washington, where he attended the University of Washington.
References
External links
- [http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/117690 All Gavin Verhey articles on magicthegathering.com]
- [http://www.starcitygames.com/tags/GavinVerhey/2005-05-07/2017-08-07 All Gavin Verhey articles on StarCityGames.com]
- [https://twitter.com/gavinverhey Gavin Verhey's Twitter account]
- [http://gavinverhey.tumblr.com/ Gavin Verhey's Tumblr account]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verhey, Gavin}}