EDHREC Profile: Women+ in Magic Builds Safer Play Spaces and Allyship

EDHREC recently ran an in-depth profile of Women+ in Magic, a player-run organization founded in 2024 that focuses on making Magic: The Gathering play spaces safer and more welcoming for women and gender-minority players. The piece outlines WIM’s approach and the practical resources it shares with stores, pod leaders, and community organizers who want to improve turnout and retention.

WIM’s programming centers on women+-centered events, mentoring programs, active online communities, and an "Alter Swap" project. Those activities create dedicated environments where new and returning players can learn rules, table etiquette, and social expectations without the pressure of an unfamiliar meta. The group also emphasizes mentorship to help players build skills and confidence at the table, which contributes to longer-term retention.

Alongside event work, WIM publishes a downloadable "Powered by WIM" package that organizers can use to run women+-focused events. The package bundles practical components a local game store or event organizer needs - from sample event descriptions and code-of-conduct language to format suggestions and sign-up flows - making it easier to launch an inclusive night without reinventing the wheel. That toolkit is part of a dual strategy: create supportive separate spaces where women+ players can play comfortably, and equip allies to build more inclusive mixed events.

Organizers who have run WIM-style nights report measurable improvement in turnout and retention after adopting clear allyship expectations and small, local events that reduce barriers to entry. Those results reinforce the idea that incremental, consistent community work - like offering predictable event structure, visible expectations about behavior, and mentorship - has concrete effects on both numbers and community health.

WIM’s stated priorities for 2026 are to showcase skilled women+ players and to expand allyship work so that more mixed events meet clear inclusion standards. The Alter Swap project remains an accessible creative outlet for players and artists to connect around custom art and card alters, helping strengthen social bonds within the scene.

For store owners, pod captains, and event organizers, WIM’s resources lower the startup cost for inclusive nights and provide language and structure to set expectations. For players, especially those who have sat out of competitive social spaces, the group’s combined approach means more entry points and clearer paths to becoming regulars.

As WIM moves into 2026, expect more spotlight events highlighting women+ pilots and wider adoption of allyship practices at local Commander tables. That shift will matter at the level where Commander lives most—your LGS and your regular table—by making it easier to find an open seat and a fair game.