Magic—and the world of fantasy as a whole—lost a great friend with the passing of Wayne England. His iconic artwork has set the tone and the aesthetic for several games, drawing players and fans in with rich textures and vibrant color. His artwork has appeared on many of the most powerful and popular Magic cards, and his legacy will live on whenever spells are countered, permanents are exiled, and damage is prevented in castles near and far.

It is a very sad day for Wizards of the Coast. We’ve collected some stories and memories of Wayne and his contributions to the game, click here if you would like to contribute to the Wayne England GoFundMe Memorial Fund​.

I had the opportunity to meet Wayne during Worlds 2003 in Berlin. This was a very long and difficult show—Worlds back in the days was a five-day event and we were suffering from a massive heatwave hitting the whole of Europe. However, what I recall about this tournament was Wayne and his incredible personality. We would go to dinner after a long and hot day and Wayne would lighten our spirits with his sense of entertainment. I don't think I had laughed that much in my whole life.

—Hélène Bergeot, Director of Global Organized Play

[On Feb. 9, 2016], the world lost my friend and business partner, Wayne England. I have been crying all day and I am still right now. Very hard to type and see to do this. I am still so very numb and in shock. Wayne, his wife Victoria, my wife Veronica, and I were three weeks short of going to Italy together. Up till now, I have never lost a friend. I have lost plenty of family and relatives, but never a buddy. My heart is breaking for Wayne's [...] family and friends and fans, but right this second, for me. I would speak to Wayne every day. Sometimes four or five times a day. He was my brother from an English mother. We had such grand plans for the future....Thank you, Wayne, for being my friend.

—Mark Aronowitz

In honor of Wayne England, I animated @wizards_magic full-art Cryptic Command. Amazing artist RIP #magicthegathering pic.twitter.com/FSwwDE24Ic — Geoffrey Palmer (@livingcardsmtg) February 9, 2016