Competition rules
These rules govern the 2026 Winter Major. Where a situation is not covered, the tournament administration decides, and its ruling is final for the event in progress.
Competition format
The circuit runs an open season. The eight teams holding the most circuit points when the season closes are invited to the Winter Major. There is no entry fee at any stage and no buy-in to compete.
At the Major the eight teams play a five round Swiss stage in best of three. No team is eliminated during Swiss; pairings match teams on similar records each round. The four best records advance to a single elimination cut, where both semifinals and the grand final are best of five.
Eligibility
- A team must have competed under the same organisation name for the final six weeks of the season.
- A player may appear on only one roster for the season. A player removed from a roster after the invitation date may not join another invited team for the Major.
- Players must attend Exchange Hall in person for the playoff block. A team unable to field a legal four on site forfeits its matches for that day.
- Members of the tournament administration and the broadcast crew may not compete.
Rosters
- A roster is four starters and up to two substitutes, locked at the invitation date.
- A substitute may enter between matches, never between maps inside a match.
- Role labels (Lead, Breach, Ghost, Carrier) are declarative and may change freely. They exist for the broadcast, not as a restriction.
- An emergency replacement from outside the locked roster requires administration approval before the match begins.
Match rules
- Map selection alternates bans then picks, with the higher seed choosing whether to ban first.
- A match starts within ten minutes of its scheduled time. A team not ready after fifteen minutes forfeits the first map.
- A pause may be called for a technical fault only. The administration may extend or end any pause.
- A map compromised by a confirmed fault is replayed from the start unless both captains and the administration agree otherwise.
- Results are provisional until the administration confirms them at the end of each block.
Swiss pairing and tiebreaks
Each round pairs teams on equal or adjacent records, avoiding rematches wherever the bracket allows. Teams finishing on the same record are separated by map differential, then by head to head result, then by the earlier round in which they recorded their first victory.
Conduct
Players, coaches and staff are expected to treat opponents, officials and the audience with respect. Cheating, unauthorised software, deliberate disconnects, match manipulation of any kind, harassment and discriminatory language are grounds for map forfeiture, match forfeiture, or removal from the event and the circuit. The administration may act on conduct away from the stage where it affects the competition.
| Placement | Share |
|---|---|
| Champion | 85,000 |
| Runner up | 42,000 |
| Semifinalists (2) | 18,000 each |
| Swiss places 5 to 8 (4) | 4,250 each |
Prizes are awarded to the qualified team on final placement. This is a prize for placing in a competition of skill. It is not a wager, and there is no buy-in to compete. Nothing on this website can be purchased and no entry is sold.
Shares are paid to the registered organisation, which is responsible for distribution among its players and staff and for any taxes applying where it is based. Payment is issued within sixty days of the grand final once placement is confirmed.
Administration and disputes
A captain may raise a dispute with the administration up to thirty minutes after the match in question ends. Disputes are heard before the next block begins where possible, and the administration's ruling is final for the event in progress. These rules may be amended between seasons; any amendment applying mid season is published on this page before it takes effect.