Today, Wizards of the Coast announced the election of Reid Duke to the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame. He received 94.28% of the vote and is the only player to be elected from the 2019 ballot.
Duke made his debut on Magic’s Pro Tour at Pro Tour Amsterdam in September 2010. At the beginning of his career, he was mostly known as a strong Magic Online player, using the screen name ReiderRabbit and winning the Magic Online Championship in 2011.
Duke quickly duplicated his online success in tabletop Magic, winning the first of his six Grand Prix victories, Grand Prix Nashville, in March 2012. He has four Pro Tour Top 8s, at Pro Tour Journey into Nyx (2014), Pro Tour Eldritch Moon (2016), Pro Tour Rivals of Ixalan (2018), and Mythic Championship I Cleveland (2019), was the runner up at the 2013 World Championships, and ranks 13th in lifetime earnings with $373,875.
Of the 13 players added to the ballot in 2019, Duke had the most top finishes (six), the most Pro Points (530), the best three-year median Pro Tour finish (20th place), as well as the most Player of the Year Top 10 finishes (five). When you include the players that returned to the ballot, Duke was second in top finishes, Pro Points, and three-year median Pro Tour finish, while being first in Player of the Year Top 10 finishes.
The 2019 Hall of Fame ballots were sent out to the over 300-member Selection Committee and voting took place from August 20 through September 3. Players needed to be selected by 60% or more of the ballots cast in order to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
The 2019 Magic Hall of Fame vote totals.
No other player on the 2019 ballot broke 40% of the vote, with both Brad Nelson and Chris Pikula tied for second with 36.03% . Gerry Thompson and Carlos Romäo were close behind with 35.02% and 34.68% of the vote, respectively, with no other players receiving more than 18%.
Duke will be inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame before Mythic Championship VI Richmond, which takes place October 18-20, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia.