Magic’s Best Players Voice Their Appreciation For Beloved Pro

Last updated on December 23, 2025

Light of Hope | Illustration by Kimonas Theodossiou

A wave of tributes has been rolling across Magic social media after MTG Hall of Famer Martin Jůza posted last week that he and fellow MTG pro Arne Huschenbeth visited Kai Budde. The community has come together to share memories.

If you’ve been around competitive Magic: The Gathering for any length of time, you already know why this hit so hard: Budde isn’t just “a legend.” He's Magic's Messi: The undisputed GOAT, and it's not particularly close.

But, as Martin notes, Kai's currently battling the only opponent he cannot defeat. As WotC’s Director of Play Programs William “Billy” Jensen shared last year, Budde has been diagnosed with cancer, and things have taken a turn for the worse.

Now Magic pros and Wizards staff have been focusing on the positives, and sharing stories that highlight one common theme: Kai Budde is an extraordinary person, in every sense of the word.

Any Given Sunday

Sigarda, Champion of Light | Illustration by Howard Lyon

Kai Budde, aka “The German Juggernaut,” has won more Pro Tours than any other person, and was awarded a record four Player of the Year titles: 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

He was so dominant in his prime that it was said of him that he couldn't lose on a Sunday.

Patrick Sullivan described meeting Kai during testing for a team Pro Tour around 2004, saying that even with everyone starstruck, Kai “always acted like one of the homies,” and was “gracious and approachable in any other setting. Magic got lucky that he was the headliner for so long.”

Even stories about losing to him are told like fond memories. “He graciously demolished me in draft and then kept chatting smilingly about his deck and what happened during the draft,” remembers Jonathan Lobo Melamed. “What a great guy!”

“The one trait that stands out to me about Kai the most is his humility,” wrote Michael Sigrist. “Despite being a god to most of us who ever cast a spell, I’ve never seen Kai act that way.”

A lot of the affection in these posts highlight Kai's sense of humor, either when being funny on purpose, or Kai being funny because he’s just… Kai.

“Kai’s sense of humor is one of a kind,” Magic's most recent World Champion Seth Manfield. “Sometimes it’s unclear if he means to be funny, but it’s amazing to hear his perspective on literally anything.”

And Seth is another of the many Magic pros who see Kai as a formative figure. “He is humble despite his incredible skill. Truly a 1 of 1 human being, and someone who will always be a role model for me.”

Wizards of the Coast had already recognized Kai's massive influence in their game in 2024, when they awarded the Kai Budde Player of the Year Trophy, noting:

Magic Hall of Fame member Kai Budde has a competitive career unlike any other. With seven Pro Tour victories—more than any other player in history—and a dominating record of success across more events, Budde earned the moniker “The German Juggernaut” since “Kai doesn't lose on Sundays.”

A 100 Points Player

Avacyn, Angel of Hope | Illustration by Jason Chan

“I remember another great story,” shared Pro Tour Avacyn Restored Champion Alexander Hayne. “There was a year where there was an official Pro Tour fantasy game. You could pick up to 5 players with a combined 100 pro points the previous year. They had to add a rule that you could pick Kai because he had over 100 just by himself!”

And by all accounts, Kai Budde is a walking MTG encyclopedia.

“Loved hearing old school pros try to talk about some 1998 Grand Prix at a post-PT hotel bar,” says Ari Lax, “only for Kai to overhear from 2 tables away and fact check them with specific matches, sideboard slots, etc like it was last week.”

But, also by most accounts, there was nothing magical about Kai's Magic prowess. “Everyone always [says] that the reason he won was he consistently outworked everybody,” says Ryan Condon. “Combine that with apparently being one of the kindest competitors out there and that's my GOAT.”

“Everyone is happy making a Top 8,” shared Richard Hagon. “But Kai in Barcelona 2023 seemed to me more than that. Complete, perhaps. I'd never seen him that way, and told him so. That's when he shared that there were bigger battles going on, and now it's the End Step. Safe travels to the best ever.”