Header Image: Serra's GuardianSerra's Guardian | Magali Villeneuve

The mission of Women+ in Magic (WIM) is simple: it's all about making Magic: The Gathering spaces safer, and in the end, more inclusive.

Founded by Magic players Lize, Myrna, and Stéphanie in 2024, the organization has grown exponentially, with a measurable impact reaching worldwide.

To do this, it's been a grassroots effort. WIM organizes online and offline women+ only/centered events where beginners and experienced players can build confidence and community. But creating safe spaces is only part of the solution: WIM also encourages women+ to step back into mixed spaces together, stronger and more supported.

At the same time, the organization works with men to help them step up as allies and speak up when things do get weird. Day to day, the WIM Discord is very active with members across the globe. On Discord, WIM's currently in the middle of its "Alter Swap," where members create alters for one another and send them around the world. The WIM Discord has also been host to a Sealed tournament, and of course regularly host SpellTable nights for both EU and NA time zones.

We sat down with Lize and Myrna to learn about the past, present and future of Women+ in Magic.

EDHREC: Please share a bit of background on yourselves - who are you as the founders of WIM, what is you experience in Magic as well as life in general?

Lize: I’m Lize, a documentary filmmaker from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, who you may know as mtg.Lize. I first saw my friends play Magic: The Gathering in 2019, and the moment I saw Vampire and Zombie cards fly over that table I was HOOKED.

I wasn’t going to leave that cafe before I knew how to play this game. Jump to 2026: most days I’ll get a game in, watch Magic YouTube content and/or yap about it in our Women+ in Magic (WIM) Discord server. No hobby has ever grabbed me like this one: It’s brought me so many friends, distraction when I need it, and a ridiculous amount of joy.

Myrna: I’m Myrna, but you can find me on the internet as Arty Myr! Arty stands for my artistic side and Myr because it’s my first name and I love robots. I’m a Marketing & PR Team Lead and Manager from Arnhem, The Netherlands, with a focus on entertainment and toys.

One of my best friends introduced me to Magic at the end of 2022 and I fell in love with the game ever since. I discovered Magic when I was getting very lonely, and the game gave me new tools to get in contact with people all around the country (and now, the world).

Lize (left) and Myrna, co-founders of Women+ in Magic, enjoy a game of Commander.

What inspired you to create Women+ in Magic? Walk us through how the community initially came together.

Lize: MagicCon Amsterdam (in June 2024) was my first big Magic event, and I was SO excited to be surrounded by all these people from all over the world that I share the same hyperfocus with. It was so fun to play with all these strangers and have passionate talks about this game I love so much.

But it was mostly dudes I talked to. Most of them were very nice, some of them made inappropriate remarks about stuff that wasn’t game-related, and one even explained to me how my deck works even though I built it myself. I’ve run into similar things before at smaller events, that I don’t frequent as often because of it.

Anyway, at home I Googled and found a 2019 article that said according to Mark Rosewater, 38% of the player base is female. But I was pretty sure that no more than 10% of the people that visited MagicCon or any other event I ever visited was female. How come? Maybe because other women run into the same situations and decide to stick to the safety of their own pod. Which is of course fine, but also sad, because I feel that the "Gathering" part of Magic is what makes it so special.

So on that Amsterdam con floor is where I started dreaming of Women+ in Magic. A fun and welcoming space for women and gender diverse people to gather, online and offline, relax, let their guard down and indulge in the best game there is together.

Lize chats with a MagicCon: Atlanta attendee at the Women+ in Magic booth.

You mention challenging assumptions around women+ being active in Magic as a goal: Can you share some experiences you might have taken as inspiration to formulate that goal?

Myrna: For me, the greatest challenge in being part of the Magic community has been being taken seriously and treated as a worthy opponent, and choosing to do something about it rather than just accepting it. Growing up and playing Magic over the past years, I had countless experiences of feeling different, and as a woman, I’ve often had to undergo sexism and misogyny. It comes with the territory: proving yourself over and over again, brushing off inappropriate comments, and fighting to be respected.

It took time to feel truly comfortable going to my local game store or fully enjoying "The Gathering" without that constant weight. But these challenges also fueled my drive to create change. Through Women+ in Magic and building safe and inclusive spaces, I’ve learned that confronting these obstacles is not just about my own experience, it’s about ensuring that other women and marginalized players don’t have to face the same barriers I did.

Magic has given me the tools to transform frustration into empowerment, and to turn a community that once felt unwelcoming into a place where connection, creativity, and respect are the norm.

Lize: Walking into a male-dominated space to play a complicated game can be a lot.

I’ve felt the vibe change so many times walking into an LGS: the guys there often see you as a woman first, not a player. And then you suddenly feel like you have to prove yourself twice: once because people notice your appearance (in whatever way) before your skill, and again because you have to show you actually know what you’re doing. It adds this whole extra layer that makes the experience way more overwhelming than it needs to be.

What can men do to help?

Lize: First of all, if something feels off at the table, say something. Call out the guy who makes a weird comment. A lot of women have learned to laugh things off because speaking up can escalate things, so we deflect to keep the peace. That doesn’t mean it’s fine: sometimes it even keeps people from wanting to play at all or returning to an LGS. So if someone drops a non-game-related “joke” or says something inappropriate, let them know it’s not okay. That’s the biggest way you can help.

Myrna: And if you want to support us further: we do have a Patreon. We’ve been covering all costs ourselves from day one, but hosting events and building everything we’re planning has gotten expensive. If you’re able to chip in, it would mean a lot!

How has WIM evolved since the organization’s beginning?

Myrna: We started as a safe space, but pretty quickly we realized this wasn’t the solution. But it is a great starting point!

Separating women+ from men doesn’t change the wider world. But what did happen is that within the WIM safe spaces women+ started building skill, confidence and finding community. And that gave a lot of our members a boost to step back into mixed spaces together.

Then our next obvious step is to focus on getting men in those spaces on our side, and getting them to speak up for us. Because when men call out sexist jokes or tell a friend to quit the mana-splaining, it usually lands better than when a woman says it.

Lize: We’re also encouraging people around the world to run their own events. We share videos of our events online in the hopes to inspire others all over the world to also set up women+ events. To make things easier we put together a “Powered by WIM” package that anyone can download as a guide for setting up women+ gatherings.

With our growing online reach, we now want to really pursue two main goals in 2026: showcasing women as the competent players they are, and getting men on our side.

You mention the aim to create both safe spaces for women+ as well as empowering them to achieve reentry into mixed spaces. What impact have you seen from that dual strategy?

Myrna: One of the things that makes me really sad is hearing or reading stories from people who no longer feel safe going into their LGS because of horrible experiences and who end up quitting the hobby because of it. Feeling like you’re not alone and having someone on your side can make all the difference.

That’s why we encourage people who join our community not only to enjoy our safe space, but also to meet up and visit mixed spaces together. It’s all about the "Gathering" and having fun together! It’s also why gathering allies who stand up for others is so important.

And we’ve seen the impact around us! More and more people in our community feel safe going into mixed spaces and are encouraging others to do the same. Men reach out, asking how they can help, and local events are starting to see more women+. But while this is happening in the places where we’re active, there are still far too many places where it isn’t and that needs to change.

Lize: It’s happened a few times in our Discord that someone mentions a draft or prerelease they want to attend and asks if anyone wants to tag along. My favorite was the Tarkir: Dragonstorm Prerelease last spring, where ten of us ended up going together. A couple of my opponents told me they’d never seen that many women at an event before, and even the organizer mentioned in his thank-you speech how pleasantly surprised he was to see such a big group of women show up. It may seem small, but it really does help normalize sitting across from a woman as your opponent.

Myrna, co-founder of Women+ in Magic, contemplates a turn during a Commander game.

What moments or stories from WIM events have stuck with you as proof that this work is important?

Lize: One of my favorite stories is from a Discord member who was nervous about joining an event because she was early in her transition and had been excluded from women+ spaces before.

Within minutes, multiple people told her she was absolutely welcome and encouraged her to come. She’s been to several events since. The first time she was a little hesitant and cautious. We played a really fun game together. The next event she visited, she came in walking like a super model: confident, with beautiful make-up and clothing. Whipping out her amazing decks and just having a good time. It’s honestly the best feeling to see our community unwind, laugh, and play together.

Also a lot of our members are neurodivergent - ADHD, autism, all kinds - and some find making friends tough. Having Magic as an instant shared interest makes connecting so much easier. Watching friendships form, both online and offline, is just so heartwarming to see happen.

Myrna: So many! Every event is something I will never forget. The feeling of having nothing to worry about! It's truly special, and almost hard to describe how that feels. But I think I will never forget our first event ever: our WIM Beginners event in Amsterdam. We taught about twenty women+ how to play Magic, and a few of them are now helping us run WIM!

And also I really loved our first time at Magic Con Atlanta. Having people from the US who recognize who we are was so unreal.

How do you utilize tools like EDHREC, Archidekt, and other platforms to aid in your goal to help amplify your message?

Myrna: In our Discord, we discuss our decks and help each other with deckbuilding. I’ve been a dedicated Archidekt user from the beginning, and I personally use both Archidekt and EDHREC to support people with their decks. From sharing small deck tips to showing how the platforms can help with building a deck, we try to make the process fun and accessible for everyone.

One of the stigmas we’re fighting is the idea that women aren’t real, competent players and of course that’s not true! By encouraging each other, building decks, and showing off our skills, we can amplify that message and help break down those stereotypes.

Lize shows off some Archidekt gear.

What does inclusion look like to you at a gameplay table? What’s one misconception about women+ MTG players you wish you could permanently erase?

Lize: I think the common misconception starts in how women are perceived. I’ve had LGS employees be completely surprised that I even showed interest in this game. I guess the only way to change that is to have more women representation: in game stores, during cons and in competitive play. We want to contribute to this and won’t stop until having a women or gender diverse player across the table from you is as normal as having a man sit down for a game.

Myrna: A misconception I wish I could erase forever is the idea that our boyfriend built our deck.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked or outright told that at my LGS. And while it’s completely fine if someone’s partner did help build their deck, the assumption that women+ can’t build their own is the real problem.

Inclusion at the gameplay table looks like four people simply enjoying the game together, sharing the same passion, and having a great time without judgment, without stereotypes, and without anyone having to “prove” they belong. Just players, equal and welcome, having fun. That’s all it needs to be.

What opportunities do you see for partnerships to tell your story?

Lize: We’re eager to collaborate with initiatives, brands, and creators who share our mission and can help amplify it. We’ve seen how far our message can travel online, and partnering with people or companies whose values align with ours would help us reach even more players: both on- and offline.

Members of Women+ in Magic gather for a group photo from a recent Beginners Event in Berlin.

Lize and Myrna are starting 2026 with something special: Women+ in Magic's first (albeit belated) birthday party on February 22 in the organization's homebase in the Netherlands. The pair said to expect cake, party hats, and, of course, lots of Magic.

The party is WIM's way of celebrating the community it's fostered over the past few years as well as a way to give everyone the festive, joy-filled event they deserve for being part of the WIM community. All women+ and allies are welcome. Both Lize and Myrna said they're "so excited" to open the WIM space to allies and show just how fun and welcoming it is.

After that, as May rolls around, WIM's hoping to head to MagicCon: Vegas. There, WIM plans to launch a "special project" focused on allies - and there'll be more information on that one soon, they said. "And of course, we’re incredibly excited for MagicCon: Amsterdam in my own hometown," said Lize. "Just like in Atlanta, we’ll be hosting a Women+ in Magic booth at the Gathering Grounds, hosting play events and other activities."

That event over the summer will be a "real full-circle moment" for WIM. MagicCon: Amsterdam is where the idea for WIM first began, and Lize and Myrna said it "feels surreal" that WIM will now be hosting a booth there.

For more information on Women+ in Magic, including social media outlets and how to get involved, head to WIM's Linktree.