The format decides how many matches everyone plays, how a loss is punished, and how long the event runs. Choose it when you create a tournament; players can read it on the tournament page under How it works.
Which format should I pick?
| Format | Best for | Each entrant plays | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | Quick cups, 1v1 games like EA Sports FC | As few as 1 match, as many as log₂ of the field | Shortest |
| Double elimination | Competitive team games like Valorant, CS2 and Mobile Legends | At least 2 matches, every entrant gets a second life | Roughly twice single |
| Groups + knockout | Leagues, big fields, tournaments where nobody should go home after one match | A full round-robin in a group, then a knockout for qualifiers | Longest, most games |
| Points series | Battle royale: Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, Free Fire | Every game in the series | Fixed number of games |
Single elimination
Single elimination: win and advance, lose and you are out. The top seeds receive byes when the field does not fill the bracket.
One loss and you are out. The bracket size is the next power of two above the field: 5–8 entrants use an 8-slot bracket, 9–16 use 16, and so on. When the field is smaller than the bracket, the top seeds receive byes and skip round one automatically.
You can add a third-place match between the two semi-final losers. It is only offered for single elimination.
Good for: fast formats, solo games, small clubs.
Double elimination
Double elimination: lose once and you drop to the losers bracket. The grand final may need a reset.
Every entrant gets a second life. Losers from the winners bracket fall into the losers bracket; a second loss eliminates you. The winners-bracket champion meets the losers-bracket champion in the grand final.
Grand final reset. Because the winners champion has not lost yet, a losers champion who wins the grand final has beaten them only once. With Grand finals reset on, a decider match follows. It is on by default and recommended.
Good for: team games where one bad map should not end a run.
Groups + knockout
Groups feed a knockout: the top two from each group advance, and group winners meet the other group's runner-up.
Teams are split into groups. Everyone plays everyone in their group once. The best teams from each table qualify for a single-elimination knockout.
You set three numbers when creating it:
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Groups | How many groups (for example 2). |
| Teams per group | The size of each group (for example 4). |
| Advance per group | How many go through (for example 2). It is always fewer than the group size. |
Scoring in the group stage: a win is 3 points, a draw 1 and a loss 0. Draws are allowed in groups. Tables are ranked by points, then goal (or score) difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head, and finally the organizer if the tie decides a qualifying place.
Draw. The organizer can place teams into groups by hand; unplaced teams are dealt at random into equal groups. The knockout is drawn automatically once every group match has a result, seeded so group winners meet the other group's runner-up.
Players see live group tables with a Qualified badge for teams that have made the cut.
Organizers enter group results on the Groups tab of the desk — see The tournament desk.
Good for: leagues, large fields, formats where players expect several games.
Points series
Points series: every game scores each entrant, and the table adds it all up.
There is no bracket. Everyone plays every game in a shared lobby, finishes somewhere, and earns points for their placement and eliminations. After the last game the highest total wins. The organizer sets:
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Games | How many games in the series, from 1 to 30 (6 by default). |
| Placement points | Points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. |
| Points below the table | Points for anyone placing below the last listed place. |
| Points per elimination | Points for each elimination. |
Full guide: Battle royale and points series.
Series length and seeding
Best-of
Bracket matches can be Best of 1, 3, 5 or 7. You set a default and can override it per round — for example best-of-one early on and best-of-five for the final.
Seeding
| Method | What it does |
|---|---|
| Registration order | First to register is seed 1. Predictable and easy to defend. |
| Random draw | The order is shuffled and recorded, so the draw can be replayed afterwards. |
| Manual | The organizer places every entrant. |
Byes are never handed out by hand: they fall to the top seeds automatically.
Entry type
Whether one player enters or a team does is chosen separately from the format. A solo double elimination and a team double elimination use the same bracket. Entry type locks at the first registration, but roster sizes stay editable until Start.
Next: Create a tournament.