This post helps Commander players understand the hybrid mana rule change by explaining what was proposed, what the rules actually say today, and how to handle it at your table, so you can build decks (or house-rule confidently) without guesswork.
TLDR
The “hybrid mana rule change” people were talking about was a Commander deckbuilding proposal: treat hybrid mana like an OR (either color) instead of an AND (both colors) for color identity.
As of February 9, 2026, nothing changed. Hybrid still counts as both colors for Commander color identity, so your mono-white deck still cannot run Kitchen Finks.
The Commander team said feedback and survey results were basically split down the middle, so they shelved it for now.
If your group wants to try “hybrid as OR” anyway, do it as a house rule and proxy a small test package first.
The hybrid mana rule change, explained without the smoke machine
Commander players love two things:
Building decks
Arguing about the rules that define deckbuilding
So when the phrase “hybrid mana rule change” started making the rounds, it was never going to be a calm, quiet moment of personal growth.
Here’s the actual situation: hybrid mana itself works the same in Magic as it always has. The controversy is about Commander deck construction and color identity, not about how you pay costs during gameplay.
Quick refresher: what hybrid mana is (and what it isn’t)
A hybrid mana symbol like {W/U} means you can pay that cost with either white mana or blue mana. Same idea for two-color hybrid pairs.
There’s also “twobrid” hybrid like {2/B}. That can be paid with one black or two generic. Mechanically, it’s flexible by design.
Important point: hybrid mana is still both colors. A {W/U} symbol is a hybrid cost you can pay either way, but the symbol represents both component colors in rules terms. That matters later when we talk color identity.
The real issue: Commander color identity turns “either/or” into “both”
Commander deckbuilding uses color identity to decide which cards you can include.
Color identity looks at:
Mana symbols in the mana cost
Mana symbols in the rules text
Color indicators and characteristic-defining abilities
Then Commander says: every color in a card’s color identity must be within your commander’s color identity.
That’s why Kitchen Finks is a problem under current rules. Its hybrid mana symbols mean its color identity is green and white, so it only fits in decks whose commander identity includes both green and white.
This is also why the debate never dies. Hybrid was designed to be castable by either color, but Commander deckbuilding treats it as “you must be both colors.”
So what was the proposed hybrid mana rule change?
On October 21, 2025, the Commander team floated a proposal: for deckbuilding purposes, treat hybrid mana symbols as either of their colors instead of both. The classic example:
Kitchen Finks could go into a mono-white deck or a mono-green deck, not only Selesnya.
They also acknowledged the spicy edge case: twobrid cards like Beseech the Queen. They suggested their “inclination” would be to let twobrid work the same way (meaning any deck could potentially run it if it can pay generic costs), though they noted it would need discussion.
Then on February 9, 2026, they followed up with the part everyone skips when they’re trying to win an argument:
No change is being made today.
Community sentiment and their survey results were extremely split.
The group shifted toward “don’t change it right now,” and they shelved the topic for at least a while.
So if you were waiting for the hybrid mana rule change to unlock a pile of cards for mono-color Commander decks, the current answer is: not yet.
Why this is so polarizing (aka everyone is technically right and also mad)
Here’s the clean way to understand the fight.
If you want the change
You’re usually in this camp:
“Hybrid was designed as either/or. Commander is the odd one out.”
“Mono-color decks get more tools and more variety.”
“Some hybrid cards are intentionally weaker than a dedicated mono-color version, so letting mono-color decks run them is fine.”
You’re imagining a world where hybrid cards behave like “bonus options,” not “multicolor commitments.”
If you hate the idea
You’re usually worried about one (or more) of these:
Color pie leakage: Hybrid can sneak effects into colors that “shouldn’t” get them as easily, especially when the card was balanced around multicolor deck constraints.
Deck homogenization: More legal staples means more decks start looking the same, just with different commanders and the same 30 “obvious includes.”
The twobrid problem: If {2/B} becomes “colorless enough,” you get some very silly deckbuilding outcomes fast.
And if you’re thinking “both sides sound reasonable,” congrats, you are now qualified to be yelled at on the internet.
What this means for you, right now
Let’s make this practical.
1) If you build decks to current official Commander rules
Nothing changes.
Hybrid symbols still count as all their colors for color identity.
You still need your commander to include both colors to run two-color hybrid cards.
So don’t rebuild your list based on the rumor mill. Your deckbuilder app might let you do illegal things. Deckbuilder apps have also tried to suggest 97-card Commander decks. They are doing their best.
2) If your group likes experimenting
Treat the hybrid mana rule change as a house rule test, not as “the rules now.”
Here’s the clean, low-drama way to do it:
Pick one session and announce: “Tonight we’re testing hybrid-as-OR for deckbuilding.”
Keep it contained to two-color hybrid at first.
Decide up front what you’re doing with twobrid ({2/B}) and hybrid Phyrexian, because that’s where the arguments go to breed.
3) If you run Cube or a kitchen-table meta
You already live in the land of “play what makes the game better.”
If hybrid-as-OR creates more interesting drafts or more variety in decks, great. If it turns every mono-color deck into the same pile of “technically legal now” cards, undo it.
A simple framework: three ways to handle hybrid at your table
Option A: Strict official rules (default)
Hybrid is both colors for deckbuilding.
Cleanest for expectations, lowest debate cost.
Option B: Hybrid-as-OR, but only two-color hybrid
{W/U}, {B/R}, etc can be treated as either color for deckbuilding.
Twobrid stays restricted (still counts as its color).
This is the most common “compromise” house rule because it avoids the Beseech-the-Queen-in-anything nightmare.
Option C: Full send
Two-color hybrid is OR.
Twobrid is also effectively OR.
Your meta will learn something very quickly. Possibly about itself. Possibly about regret.
FAQs
Did the hybrid mana rule change happen in Commander?
No. As of February 9, 2026, the Commander team said they are not changing how hybrid works in Commander deckbuilding.
Can my mono-color Commander deck play Kitchen Finks now?
Not under current official Commander rules. Kitchen Finks has hybrid symbols, so its color identity includes both green and white, and your commander would need to include both.
Does hybrid mana work differently during gameplay?
No. Hybrid costs are still payable with either of the two colors. The debate is about Commander deck construction rules (color identity), not about paying mana costs in-game.
What about twobrid cards like Beseech the Queen?
Under current rules, twobrid hybrid symbols still contribute to color identity. In the 2025 discussion, the Commander team acknowledged twobrid as a tricky edge case if any change happened.
If my group house-rules hybrid-as-OR, do we have to allow twobrid too?
No. You can house-rule whatever you want, but the cleanest test is usually “two-color hybrid only” first, with twobrid staying restricted.