If you spend any time in the Magic: The Gathering Cube space, you quickly learn that "Cube" is more than just a custom draft format, it's a community engine. Few people embody that better than Scott Mirtsopoulos, the organizer behind Upkeep NY and Cube for a Cause, a grassroots charity Cube tournament in Brooklyn, New York.

In a conversation that ranged from personal identity to game design philosophy, Scott outlined how a simple desire to find people to draft with evolved into a large-scale event that raises money and awareness for marginalized communities, all while celebrating some of the most interesting Cube design in Magic.

From "No Place to Cube" to a New York City Hub

When Scott started Upkeep NY, it wasn't to launch a movement; it was to solve a personal problem. He lived in New York City, one of the biggest and most visible cities in the world, and yet in Scott's words, "There was no place to Cube in New York City. I do not know how. I do not know why I could not find a playgroup, a Discord, or a resource. And I was like, you know what? I'll start it myself!"

The first night included a humble four people, but through consistency and effort, Upkeep NY grew into a weekly fixture. They started firing full pods. A real community formed. At the same time, Scott was watching the rise of larger Cube events like CubeCon and regional gatherings like Boston Cube Party.

Those events showed what a Cube could be at scale, and also highlighted an opportunity. New York needed its own grassroots Cube event. So, Scott decided to build it.

The Birth of Cube for a Cause

Scott's approach was bold by design. Before he knew exactly how it would work, he publicly committed.

"I'm gonna plant a stake, and I'm gonna say I'm doing this two times a year. I don't know how I'm gonna do it. I can barely fill eight seats every Wednesday. But you know what? I'm doing it."

That leap of faith became Cube for a Cause, a large-scale charity Cube tournament in Brooklyn that has grown to 128 players, held twice a year. But the key differentiator wasn't size, it was purpose. While many Cube events focus on gameplay, Scott wanted Cube for a Cause to explicitly center charity and advocacy.

Each iteration of Cube for a Cause has partnered with a different organization, with their upcoming February 21-22 event supporting "Make the Road New York", a migrant defense fund with local and national impact.

Failure, Learning, and Scaling Up

Not everything about Cube for a Cause was clean or easy. Scott is very open about the first event being, from an organizer's standpoint, "a disaster." The event didn't sell out. There were logistical challenges and a few mishaps but, instead of viewing that as a reason to stop, Scott treated it as a prototype, an imperfect version to learn from.

He learned, the event grew, and the next one sold out, and the size doubled. Scott might be the public face, but he's adamant that Cube for a Cause is a community project, and the credit for its success belongs to the community.

Kolosaio - A Gladiatorial Cube with Teeth

Beyond organizing, Scott is also a Cube designer, and his most thematically striking project is Kolosaio - a Cube inspired by the following.

• Theros-style Greek myth.
• The emotional brutality of gladiatorial combat.
• And Brett's renowned desert Cube, The Fire Swamp.

Where many themed Cubes aim for a flat, gentle power level, Kolosaio embraces swingy, high-emotion gameplay. Scott describes its elevator pitch this way: "This is an exploration within a Cube of no holds barred, fighting for your life."

Here's a summary of the Key characteristics of Kolosaio.

• A Mardu-leaning environment with extremely limited card draw.
• Tight, low-to-the-ground combat, where board states are often small but every creature matters.
• Mythological resonance: Cyclopes, Minotaurs, Cerberus-style creatures, Medusa-like cards, and subtle nods to Greek gods and legends.
• Equipment and heroic mechanics to mirror arming yourself for the arena.
• A deliberately wide power band, where a "bad" old card like a Infernal Medusa can still hang, and Cyclops Gladiator might be one of the best cards in the format.

It's an example of what Cube can do at its best - use card choices and mechanics to tell an emotional and thematic story, not just assemble a pile of "best cards."

Design Philosophy - The Fun Thing Should Be the Good Thing

Scott's broader design and community philosophy can be distilled into a few core ideas.

1. Prototype rapidly. Don't wait for your Cube to be perfect. Play it, find the flaws in real games, and iterate. That's how you discover, for example, that letting players load up on artifact lands in an environment full of "sacrifice an artifact" effects quietly creates a "Stone Rain Cube." You learn, you adjust, and it becomes a story you and your friends laugh about later.
2. Power isn't the goal. Scott's "hot take" is that the most powerful Cubes are not the best Cubes. Leaning only on the strongest cards can flatten the experience and erase what makes Cube special. There are 30,000+ game pieces in Magic. Why limit yourself to "Legacy Cube with pet cards"?
3. Make the good thing, the fun thing. Whether in game design or community work, Scott emphasizes aligning joy with impact. The best Cubes, and the best events, encourage players to do the fun thing that is also the right thing. They focus on interesting draft decisions, theme-resonant decks, and charitable giving embedded in a great weekend of Magic.

Using Your Hobby to Do Real-World Good

Perhaps the most important thread in Scott's story is you don't need to be "special" to make a difference. In Scott's words, "I'm just a guy from Brooklyn. You can just be some person, and you can still make a difference. Just Try."

Visit the Cube for a Cause website for more information about their upcoming and future events. Interested in seeing a Cube event but can't attend in person? Check out their event coverage live stream starting February 21st, 2026.