The Magic: The Gathering world Thursday lost one of its greatest champions as Kai Budde passed away at age 46.
Born in 1979 in Cologne, Germany, Budde was a Magic champion many times over. Over his Magic career, he earned five Pro Tour titles, two Team Pro Tour titles, seven Grand Prix wins, an incredible string of top-eight appearances, a Magic World Championship win in 1999, a Team World Championship win in 2002, and a Team Masters Series title in 2002. He gained Player of the Year recognition four times and was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame in 2007. He also won the 2001 Magic Invitational and was featured on a Magic card, Voidmage Prodigy, as part of his prize:
In 2024, it was revealed that Budde had been diagnosed with cancer a few years prior. That year, at Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3, Wizards named the Player of the Year award after Budde.
Says Wizards of the Coast in remembrance of Budde: "The Magic: The Gathering world lost one of its greatest players with the passing of Kai Budde. Known as "The German Juggernaut," Kai lived up to the nickname through his stunning record as a competitive Magic player."
"Kai was known for his sportsmanship and as a humble and generous member of the community who was always willing to share his knowledge and strategic expertise with aspiring players," continued Wizards. "Kai's accomplishments came through focused dedication and lots of hard work. He seemed to possess an intuitive understanding of the tournament environment and what to expect from his competitors, and his innovative deck designs in an era preceding the explosion of online content and play still resonate in the metagame."
Most recently on the international stage, Budde finished eighth in the 2024 Magic: The Gathering World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.
