LOC: Clash of Titans - Official Rulebook

The information in this rule book is absolute and players agree to abide by and respect the rules listed below.

League Prize Pool

Starting amount: $800 USD

Distribution:

• Regional Leagues (30% of total prize pool):

  • 10% allocated per region (EU, SA, NA)
  • 1st place: 70% of regional pool
  • 2nd place: 30% of regional pool

• Championship (70% of total prize pool):

  • 1st place: 60% of Championship pool
  • 2nd place: 30% of Championship pool
  • 3rd place: 10% of Championship pool

Team Rules

Team Identity:

• Team and player names may not be profane and cannot contain political references, religion, curses, or slurs
• Team logos may not contain lewd, political, sexist, or racist imagery

Roster Composition:

• Team size is limited to 5 players: 1 Captain, 2 Contestants, and 2 Substitutions
• The roster you register is final when Qualifiers begin; you cannot change your roster afterwards
• Qualifying events like a team signing, illness, or major life event may allow for 1 member to be substituted for an outside member that has not played for another team, at Staff discretion
• In-game name changes are permitted and can be updated via ticket bot
• Teams may swap between their 3 starters and 2 substitutes within their registered roster at any time

Qualifiers

Participation:

• Up to 32 teams per region (EU, SA, NA)
• Initial batch of 8 teams per region admitted immediately
• Additional teams admitted in batches of 4
• Teams beyond the limit are placed on a reserve list
• If a team withdraws before Phase 2, the first team on the reserve list takes their spot with the lowest score possible at the time of joining

Phase 1

Format:

• 3 Bo1 Final Round matches using Swiss-system pairing

Match Pairing Rules:

• Round 1: Completely randomized opponents
• Round 2: Teams paired by Round 1 results:
  • 1-0 teams face other 1-0 teams
  • 0-1 teams face other 0-1 teams
  • Pairings within each bracket are randomized
• Round 3: Teams paired by cumulative record:
  • 2-0 teams face other 2-0 teams
  • 1-1 teams face other 1-1 teams
  • 0-2 teams face other 0-2 teams
  • Pairings within each bracket are randomized

Rematch Avoidance:

• The system attempts to avoid pairing teams that have already faced each other
• If all possible opponents in a bracket have been faced, a rematch may occur

Seeding & Tiebreakers:

• Teams sorted by match record (3-0 best, 0-3 worst)
• Primary tiebreaker: Total cash allowed to opponents across all matches (lower is better)
• Secondary tiebreaker: Total cash earned by your team across all matches (higher is better)
• Tertiary tiebreaker: Bo1 Final Round match between tied teams (map selected via ban process)

Map Selection:

• Each team bans 2 maps
• If both teams ban the same maps, those maps count as a single ban
• Remaining maps entered into random selection (bot-assisted)

Advancement:

• All teams proceed to Phase 2 (maximum 32 teams)

Phase 2

Format:

• Single elimination bracket seeded by Phase 1 results
• All matches Bo3 Final Round
• Continues until Top 8 teams remain

Map Selection:

• Each team bans 2 maps
• If both teams ban the same maps, those maps count as a single ban
• Remaining maps entered into random selection (bot-assisted)

Advancement:

• Top 8 teams qualify to Regional League

Stage 1 - Playdays (Regional League)

Structure:

• Mode: Ranked Cashout
• Groups: 2 groups of 4 teams per region
• Initial Seeding: Teams sorted by Qualifiers results for the 1st map
• Format: Each group plays all 4 maps, 2 times each (8 total map instances)
• Dynamic Reseeding: After all teams complete their 2 attempts on a given map, groups are reshuffled based on cumulative points for the next map

Scoring System:

• Per Round Placement:
  • 1st place: 160 points
  • 2nd place: 80 points
  • 3rd place: 40 points
  • 4th place: 20 points
  • Eliminations: 1 point each

Bonus Match:

• After each map cycle (2 attempts completed), the 1st and 2nd place teams play a Bo1 Final Round match
  • Winner: 250 points
  • Loser: 100 points

Tiebreaker Rules:

• Primary: Total cash earned across all Playday matches
• Secondary: Bo1 Final Round match between tied teams (map selected via ban process)
• Additional time will be allocated to calculate cash totals if needed

Advancement:

• Top 4 teams qualify to Upper Bracket (Playoffs)
• Bottom 4 teams qualify to Lower Bracket (Playoffs)

Stage 2 - Regional Playoffs

Structure:

• Mode: Final Round
• Format: Double Elimination (Upper + Lower Bracket)
• Match Format:
  • All matches Bo3
  • Exception: First round of Lower Bracket is Bo1

Map Selection:

• Each team bans 2 maps
• If both teams ban the same maps, those maps count as a single ban
• Remaining maps entered into random selection (bot-assisted)

Tiebreaker Rules:

• Primary: Total cash earned during Playdays
• Secondary: Bo1 Final Round match between tied teams (map selected via ban process)
• Additional time will be allocated to calculate cash totals if needed

Qualification:

• Top 4 teams from each region advance to Championship

Prize Distribution:

• 1st place: 70% of Regional Prize Pool
• 2nd place: 30% of Regional Prize Pool

Stage 3 - Championship

Structure:

• Mode: Final Round
• Teams: 12 qualified teams (top 4 from each of 3 regions)
• Seeding: Based on Regional League total points
  • Top 8 → Upper Bracket
  • Bottom 4 → Lower Bracket
• Format: Double Elimination
• Match Format:
  • Upper Bracket: Bo3
  • Lower Bracket: Bo3
  • Grand Final: Bo5

Map Selection:

• Each team bans 2 maps
• If both teams ban the same maps, those maps count as a single ban
• Remaining maps entered into random selection (bot-assisted)

Server Selection:

• Bo3 matches: Each team plays 1 round on their server; 3rd round (if needed) decided by coin flip
• Bo5 matches: Alternating servers each round; 5th round (if needed) decided by coin flip
• Exception: If both teams mutually agree to a specific server, that server may be used instead

Tiebreaker Rules:

• Primary: Total cash earned during Regional League play
• Secondary: Bo1 Final Round match between tied teams (map selected via ban process)
• Additional time will be allocated to calculate cash totals if needed

Prize Distribution:

• 1st place: 60% of Championship Prize Pool
• 2nd place: 30% of Championship Prize Pool
• 3rd place: 10% of Championship Prize Pool

Server Information

• League will be hosted on SA, EU, and NA servers separately during Regular Season and Playoffs
• Regions merge only at Championship, using the server selection rules specified in Stage 3
• All server selections follow the rules outlined in each respective stage unless both teams mutually agree to an alternative

Map Pool

Available Maps:

• Bernal (Any Variation)
• Fortune Stadium (Standard)
• Las Vegas Stadium (Standard)
• Monaco (Any Variation)
• NOZOMI/CITADEL (Standard)
• Seoul (Any Variation)
• Skyway Stadium (Any Variation)
• SYS$HORIZON (Standard)

Excluded Maps:

• Kyoto
• Vegas 2032

Cheating and Use of Exploits

Zero Tolerance Policy:

• No exploits or ANY form of cheating is permitted
• Teams found abusing exploits or cheats will be disqualified immediately

Official Guidelines:

• Refer to Embark’s Fair Play Guidelines: https://id.embark.games/support/faq/76-the-finals-fair-play-guidelines
• Anti-Cheat FAQ: https://id.embark.games/support/faq/44-anti-cheat-faq

Recording Requirements:

• Minimum requirement: At least one team member must record their POV and provide a VoD link on the Official Tournament Page
• Recommendation: All players should record their POV
• All recordings must be retained for a minimum of 7 days after the match
• VoD Format Requirements:
  • Accepted platforms: YouTube, Twitch, or any video hosting service
  • Minimum quality: 720p with appropriate bitrate (see table below)
  • Footage must be clearly legible for review purposes

Recommended Bitrate by Resolution:

Reporting Suspected Cheating:

• Contact a Tournament Organizer (TO) immediately if you suspect cheating
• Submit a ticket within 48 hours of the playday
• Allegations will be reviewed by staff on a per-date basis

Hardware Inspections:

• Inspections may be conducted by a panel of staff and team captains (per availability)
• Players will be notified and must comply immediately
• Failure to pass or comply with a hardware inspection will result in immediate ban from the League and CLX

Technical Issues

Player Disconnections:

Match Start Issues:

• If a player does not load into the match correctly, the match will be paused
• Maximum pause duration: 2 minutes
• If a player is completely unable to load or enter the match at match start, immediately inform a TO
• Match can be restarted once per round

Mid-Match Disconnections:

• Matches will only be remade if the first cashout has not been started
• During rounds in progress: 2-minute pause allowed for disconnections
• Exception: No pause is permitted while a steal is in progress
• Pause will be initiated after the steal concludes or is interrupted by in-game actions
• If the player has not reconnected after 2 minutes, the match will be unpaused and played through

Match Scheduling & No-Shows

Check-In Requirements:

• Qualifiers: Teams not checked in 30 minutes before their match will be replaced
• All Stages: Check-in window closes 30 minutes before the playday starts

Team Replacements:

During Regular Season:

• If a team no-shows or is disqualified, they will be replaced by the runner-up from Qualifiers
• Any points already accumulated by the leaving team will be granted to the substitute team

During Playoffs:

• If a team no-shows or is disqualified after the playoffs begins, they will be replaced by the runner-up from Qualifiers
• Teams that leave during the bracket stage will be replaced by the team they knocked out in their previous match

During Championship:

• If a team drops out before or during Championship, the runner-up of the same region will fill their spot
• For additional missing teams, selection continues down the runner-up standings
• Teams that leave during the bracket stage will be replaced by the team they knocked out in their previous match

Captain Information

Responsibilities:

• Team Captains are responsible for all communication between Tournament Organizers and their team
• Captains will be contacted by a TO via Discord following sign-up

Communication Channels:

• All teams will be provided with a voice channel with your team name
• Mandatory: All teams must use their assigned voice channels to allow quick communication if issues arise
• If you do not use Discord or experience technical issues with the voice channel, contact a TO for alternative arrangements

Check-In Process:

• Have your team checked in 30 minutes before the tournament starts
• Check-in is done via a private captain’s channel in the Discord
• Access to this channel will be provided after sign-up

Lobby Information:

• Lobby codes will be provided via private channels
• Teams will be verified by the host before the match begins
• All lobbies will be hosted by a staff member

Player Information

Updating Player Details:

• Any change to player information (in-game name, email, payment info, etc.) must be made via ticket bot on the CLX Discord

Additional Rules

Code of Conduct:

• Violations against the CLX Code of Conduct may result in a warning or disqualification from the League
• 2 warnings = loss of 20% of most recent Playday points

Minimum Player Requirements:

• Teams may play with 2 players
• If a team only has 1 player remaining, they will be disqualified from the playdays
• There are no non-roster substitutes allowed

Composition Changes:

• Teams are allowed to change compositions between rounds
• Teams are NOT allowed to change composition during the selection screen (no last-second bait & switch)

Governing Rules:

• For any instances not included in the scope of this rulebook, Embark’s Official Rules will take effect:

  https://id.embark.games/the-finals/support/faq/124-esports-global-rulebook

Tournament Organizer Authority:

• TOs reserve the right to disqualify teams at their discretion
• Administrative decisions on matters not explicitly covered in this rulebook are final