3/5 Games per Set starting in Top 32 of the tournament
Winner of prior game is allowed 2 Stage Bans prior to counterpicks
“Character-first” counterpick procedure (characters are decided before stage counterpicks for games after the first)
DSR applies (players may not counterpick to any stage they won on earlier in the set)
Mutual Agreement is not permitted. Players may not agree to play on a stage that would otherwise violate the existing stage rules. A player who repeatedly attempts to coerce their opponent into such an agreement may be penalized with a game or set loss, depending on the severity and frequency of the infraction.
Stage List
Starter Stages
Aetherian Forest
Julesvale
Merchant Port
Godai Delta
Hodojo
Counterpick Stages
Hyperborean Harbor
Rock Wall
Air Armada
Tempest Peak
Fire Capital
Set Procedure
Prior to Game 1:
Competitors select their characters for Game 1, either competitor may request a Double-Blind character selection
If a player wishes to choose a random character, that character may remain unknown to both players until the game starts only if the random character pool includes ALL characters
Competitors play a best-of-1 in Rock-Paper-Scissors (RPS) to determine the order for stage striking
Competitors take turns removing stages from the list of 5 starter stages (see above) in a P1-P2-P2-P1 order with the winner of RPS striking first, the stage that remains is the stage for Game 1
Between Games in the Set (“Character-first” procedure):
Winner of prior game selects their character for the next game, they are allowed to switch characters
Loser of prior game selects their character for the next game, they are allowed to switch characters
Winner of prior game bans 2 stages from the full list of legal stages, including both starters and counterpicks; the ban is effective for the next game only and does not persist throughout the set
Loser of the prior game selects the stage for the next game from the remaining unbanned stages, they cannot select a stage they won on earlier in the set (DSR)
