Does Viktor, Innovator trigger to create a recruit token when Retreat is played targeting him on the opponent's turn?

Ruling: Viktor, Innovator does not trigger when Retreat targets him because a card isn't considered "played" until it resolves, at which point Viktor is already in your hand and not on the battlefield to see the play event.

Sequence:

• Retreat is announced and placed on the chain targeting Viktor
• Before Retreat resolves, Viktor is still on the battlefield but the card has not been "played" yet
• Retreat resolves, returning Viktor to hand
• The card is now considered "played" but Viktor is no longer on the battlefield to trigger

Nuances:

• When a trigger condition involves a card being played, it refers specifically to the card resolving, not just being put on the chain
• This ruling applies even though reaction cards can be played "before spells and abilities resolve" - the distinction is that triggers checking for "when you play" only fire after resolution