Wizards of the Coast banned The One Ring and unbanned Splinter Twin in Modern on December 16, 2024. As of October 8, 2026, The One Ring remains on Modern’s official banned list. The paired decisions were part of a broader update, not the only changes to the format.
What changed in Modern
| Card | December 16, 2024 change | Wizards’ stated reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| The One Ring | Banned in Modern | Wizards said it had become part of dominant Boros Energy while also appearing across archetypes, offering protection and card advantage at low deck-building cost. |
| Splinter Twin | Unbanned in Modern | Wizards said newer interaction might answer its combo and that the card supports a focused strategy while recalling an earlier era of Modern. |
Both changes took effect immediately on December 16, 2024. They accompanied bans for Amped Raptor and Jegantha, the Wellspring, and unbans for Mox Opal, Green Sun’s Zenith, and Faithless Looting. Wizards’ announcement said Jegantha appeared in around 40% of Modern decks; that figure referred to Jegantha, not The One Ring or Splinter Twin. Wizards’ December 16, 2024 announcement gives the full list and rationale.
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Why Wizards banned The One Ring
Wizards said The One Ring had become a part of Boros Energy, which it described as Modern’s most dominant strategy at the time, while also showing up in a variety of other decks. The company’s concern was not just its presence in one archetype: the colorless card could fit into many strategies without demanding much from their deck construction.
Wizards pointed to a combination of self-preservation and card advantage. The Ring could help protect its controller and generate cards, making its broad availability especially valuable. The announcement also cited player fatigue with seeing the card across events. Wizards said its goal was to reduce Boros Energy’s strength without removing the archetype; it selected Amped Raptor as a direct hit to Energy. The Raptor ban was a separate part of the broader update, not the ban of The One Ring itself.
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Why Splinter Twin returned
Splinter Twin had been banned in 2016 after regularly reaching the top of the metagame and winning Pro Tours, according to Wizards. The familiar combo pairs Splinter Twin with Pestermite: enchanting the creature lets it create a copy of itself, and the copies can be used to produce a lethal attack. Wizards described the feared setup as an opponent tapping out while the Twin player still has three mana available.
Wizards argued that the Modern card pool had changed since the ban and that newer or available interaction could give opponents ways to disrupt the sequence. Its examples were Solitude, Force of Negation, Force of Vigor, and Flare of Denial. That was Wizards’ case for testing the card’s return, not a claim that every combo attempt is easy to stop.
The announcement also presented the unban as part of a broader effort to reduce the banned list and see whether older cards could return in a changed format. It called the card a focused strategy and a callback to a recognizable period of Modern, asking: “It’s a question for the ages: would Splinter Twin be strong in today’s Modern?”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is The One Ring banned in Modern now?
Yes. The One Ring remains listed among Modern’s banned cards on Wizards’ current Banned & Restricted page. Its August 10, 2026 announcement reported no Modern changes, the latest subsequent Modern update covered here. This status is specific to Modern; a Modern ban alone does not determine legality in another format. Check the official list for the format you plan to play, since legality can change after this date.
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What the change means for players
- For Modern deck builders: The One Ring cannot be included in a Modern deck while it remains banned there. Splinter Twin returned to the format as of December 16, 2024.
- For players tracking the metagame: Wizards said it would monitor competitive Modern through the Regional Championship season and reassess by March 31, 2025. Those were plans announced in 2024, not a current schedule or a claim about later results.
- For players of other formats: Confirm the card’s legality for that specific format rather than inferring it from Modern’s list.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
