2025 Combat Cup Official Rules
01.25.25
By eFuse
2025 Combat Cup Official Rules
1. Introduction and Acceptance
1.1 Introduction
These 2025 Combat Cup Official Rules (“Rules”) govern all stages of the 2025 Combat Cup (the “Event”), which is hosted by or on behalf of eFuse (“eFuse”) These Rules are a legal agreement between you and eFuse for your participation in the Event.
These Rules have been designed to ensure the integrity of competitive play of all involved game titles in connection with the Event, and are intended to promote vigorous competition and to help ensure that all competitive play of the Game is fun, fair, and free from Toxic Behavior (as defined below).
1.2 Acceptance
To participate in the Event, each Player must agree (or, if a Minor (as defined below), such Player’s parent or legal guardian must agree on such Player’s behalf) to follow these Rules at all times, including the Code of Conduct in Section 8. A Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian) may accept these Rules by participating in any game or match that is part of the Event, a Player is confirming that he or she (or, if a Minor, his or her parent or legal guardian) has accepted these Rules pursuant to this Section 1.2.
1.3 Enforcement
eFuse staff and Tournament Administration will have primary responsibility for enforcing these Rules for all Players at the Event and may, working with the Event Administrators (as defined below), impose sanctions on Players for violations of these Rules, as further described in Section 9.
1.4 Amendments
eFuse staff and Tournament Administration may update, revise, change, or modify these Rules from time to time. For each Player, his or her participation in the Event after any update, revision, change, or modification to these Rules will be deemed acceptance by such Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian) of these Rules as updated, revised, changed, or modified.
2. Event Structure
2.1 Definition of Terms
2.1.1 Event Administrator
Any eFuse employee or member of the admin Team, broadcast Team, production Team, event staff, or anyone else otherwise employed or contracted for the purpose of running the Event.
2.1.2 Game Mode
A specific ruleset, set of gameplay elements, or win conditions for a given match. Game modes can be very broad and may or may not differ from one match to the next. Event Administrators will explain the specific parameters for each game mode before the beginning of the Event.
2.1.3 Match
A single instance of competition within the Game that is played until a Player or Team either achieves certain victory conditions.
2.1.4 Placement
A Player’s or Team’s time spent in play in a match, relative to that of other Players or Teams in such match, prior to being eliminated.
2.1.5 Session
A set of matches that is played until a winner or multiple winners are determined.
2.1.6 Team
A group of two or more players competing together in an event.
2.1.7 Military Branch
One of the 6 U.S. military branches (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, or Space Force) or Regiment, a gaming community made of U.S. military veterans and service members.
2.1.8 Service Member
A competitor representing one of the Military Branches as a captain in an event.
2.1.9 Game
The competitive title in which an event is played
2.1.10 Round Robin
A stage of a tournament that consists of teams within a designated group playing one match against each opponent within their group.
2.1.11 Best-of-X
The maximum number of rounds within a match. A best-of-x match is complete when either team has won the majority of the maximum rounds. For example, in a best-of-5 match, a team must win 3 rounds to complete the match.
2.1.12 Event Discord
The official Discord server for the Event in which communication and match coordination occurs. The server is joinable with this link.
2.1.13 Winning Player
A member of a team that finishes an event in a position where it earns prizing as described in Section 2.5.
2.2 Schedule - Start Time and other timing information will be communicated in the official Event Discord Server. If you are ten (10) or more minutes late for matches starting, as announced in the Event Discord, you risk missing a game (or games) as communicated by Event Administrators.
2.2.1 Call of Duty Event 1
2.2.2 Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite
2.2.3 Call of Duty Event 2
2.2.4 Combat Cup Featuring Warzone
2.2.5 Call of Duty Event 3
2.2.6 Combat Cup Featuring Madden
2.2.7 Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League
2.2.8 Call of Duty Event 4
2.3 Rescheduling
eFuse staff may, in its sole discretion, reorder the schedule and/or change the date for any match or session of the Event (or change any game mode to be played in connection therewith). However, if the Event schedule is so modified, eFuse will inform all Players at its earliest convenience.
2.4 Event Formats
2.4.1 Formats
2.4.1.1 Call of Duty
The four (4) Call of Duty events will consist of sixteen (16) Teams of four (4). Teams will consist of a Service Member captain who will draft their three (3) Teammates from the available pool(s). Teams will be sorted into four (4) groups of four (4) Teams. Teams will play Round Robin, Best-of-One matches within their groups. The top two (2) Teams from each group will advance to a single elimination bracket. All matches in the single elimination bracket will be best-of-three except for the championship match which will be best-of-five. The losing Team from each semifinal Match will play an additional Best-of-Three Match to determine third and fourth place.
The game mode for Matches will be “Search and Destroy” unless otherwise indicated by Event Administrators in the Event Discord.
2.4.1.2 Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite
The Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite event will consist of sixteen (16) Teams of three (3) Players. Teams will consist of a Service Member captain who will draft their two (2) Teammates from the available pool(s). Teams will be sorted into four (4) groups of four (4) Teams. Teams will play Round Robin, Best-of-Three Matches within their groups. The top two (2) Teams from each group will advance to a single elimination bracket. All matches in the single elimination bracket will be Best-of-Three except for the final match which will be Best-of-Five. The losing Team from each semifinal Match will play an additional Best-of-Three match to determine third and fourth place.
Matches in the Fortnite event will be “odd-man-out” elimination races. For odd-man-out matches, one (1) Player from each Team will join a lobby with two (2) Players from the other Team. For clarity, this means two (2) lobbies will exist, the first with one (1) Player from Team A and two (2) Players from Team B and the other with two (2) Players from Team A and one (1) Player from Team B. The eliminations from each of the three (3) Players on each Team (across the two (2) lobbies) are combined to calculate the Team’s score for each round. If Teams have an equal score in a round, that round will not count and will be replayed.
The Game Mode for Matches will be public (not Ranked) Battle Royale or Zero Build Battle Royale games. Opposing Teams can decide which mode they would like to play for each Match. If Teams cannot agree on a mode, odd-numbered matches will use the Zero Build Battle Royale Game Mode and even-numbered rounds will use the Battle Royale Game Mode.
Unless both Teams agree on a different server, all matches will be played on NA-Central servers.
2.4.1.3 Combat Cup Featuring Warzone
The Warzone event will consist of fourteen (14) Teams of three (3) Players in nine (9) Drops on Rebirth Island. Teams will consist of a Service Member who will draft their Teammates from the available pool. Teams will play in custom lobbies against all other participating teams. All nine (9) games will count towards the leaderboard.
The Game Mode for matches will be Resurgence Trios on Rebirth Island. The following scoring system will be used for all matches:
If teams are tied following the nine (9) matches, tiebreakers will be applied in the following order:
1.) Matches won (Warzone Victory, not most points) across all matches
2.) Total kills as a team across all matches
3.) Average placement as a team across all matches
4.) Highest scoring single match
5.) Unresolved Tie: If none of the tiebreakers can resolve the tie, the teams will finish in a tied position and will receive even shares of prizing and series points for the tied positions.
If any step resolves the tie for one or more Teams but not all Teams, a new tie will be declared between the remaining tied Teams. This tie will be resolved using the same tiebreaking mechanisms listed above, beginning from the top and preceding in order.
Infractions of the ban list in the event discord will be judged on a case-by-case basis based on the severity of the infraction/advantage gained from the situation(s) it was used in, ranging from a warning for situations like an item or attachment being equipped by never used, subtraction of specific points, individuals’ points, team points, or forfeits for larger, sustained infractions.
Due to the nature and scale of online competition, except as otherwise determined by eFuse in its sole discretion, matches will not be restarted or made null due to Bugs, Intentional Disconnections, Server Crashes, or Unintentional Disconnections. Except as otherwise determined by eFuse in its sole discretion, any technical issues or Bug encounters, whether defined in this Section 5 or not, must be played through and will not be cause for a remake.
Matches will be restarted if any disconnect is reported before players begin loading into the drop plane. Once the plane loads, 3+ teams must experience a D/C shortly after starting the lobby to warrant a reset. Once players begin dropping from the plane and combat begins, the game will be considered to have started and DCs will count as deaths.
D/Cs mid-match will be treated as a death for that game.
Disconnect rules may be adjusted mid-tournament if excessive disconnect issues occur. Tournament staff has final rulings over which lobbies may be restarted due to disconnects, and any updates to the rules regarding them.
A team who had one player disconnect from a match that was not remade is still eligible to score points from the player remaining in the match.
2.4.1.4 Combat Cup Featuring Madden
The Combat Cup Featuring Maddenl event will consist of sixteen (16) Teams of two (2) Players. Teams will consist of a Service Member captain who will draft their Teammate from the available pool. The sixteen (16) Service Members will compete in a single elimination bracket. The losing Team from the semifinal Match will play an additional Match to determine third and fourth place in their respective single elimination bracket. The sixteen (16) drafted Teammates will compete in a separate single elimination bracket. The losing Team from the semifinal Match will play an additional match to determine third and fourth place in their respective single elimination bracket.
2.4.1.5 Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League
The Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League event will consist of sixteen (16) Teams of three (3) Players. Teams will consist of a Service Member captain who will draft their two (2) Teammates from the available pool(s). Teams will be sorted into four (4) groups of four (4) Teams. Teams will play Round Robin, Best-of-Five Matches within their groups. The top two (2) Teams from each group will advance to a single elimination bracket. All Matches in the bracket will be Best-of-Seven. The losing Team from each semifinal Match will play an additional Best-of-Seven Match to determine third and fourth place.
2.4.2 Series Points Scoring
Military Branches will earn cumulative points across all events based on their Teams’ results. Series Points will be awarded as described in 2.4.2.
2.4.2.1 Call of Duty Series Points
The following Series Points will be awarded to each Team’s Military Branch based on its placement at the conclusion of each Call of Duty event.
Final Placement | Series Points Awarded |
First Place | 64 |
Second Place | 48 |
Third Place | 36 |
Fourth Place | 24 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | 16 |
Ninth-Twelfth Place | 8 |
Thirteenth-Sixteenth Place | 4 |
2.4.2.2 Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite, Combat Cup Featuring Warzone, and Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League Series Points
The following Series Points will be awarded to each Team’s military branch based on its placement at the conclusion of the Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite, Combat Cup Featuring Warzone, and Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League events.
Final Placement | Series Points Awarded |
First Place | 32 |
Second Place | 24 |
Third Place | 18 |
Fourth Place | 12 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | 8 |
Ninth-Twelfth Place | 4 |
Thirteenth-Sixteenth Place | 2 |
2.4.2.3 Combat Cup Featuring Madden Series Points
The following Series Points will be awarded to each Team’s military branch based on its placement at the conclusion of the Combat Cup Featuring Madden event. These points are applied separately to each single elimination bracket in the Madden event.
Final Placement | Series Points Awarded |
First Place | 16 |
Second Place | 12 |
Third Place | 9 |
Fourth Place | 6 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | 4 |
Ninth-Sixteenth Place | 2 |
2.4.3 Group Stage Tiebreakers
In the Round Robin stage of the tournament, the top two (2) Teams will progress into the final eight Team single elimination bracket. Ties will be broken by the following tiebreakers:
1.) Head-to-head result vs tied Team(s)
2.) Cumulative game differential through the group stage
3.) Unresolved Tie: If none of the tiebreakers can resolve the tie, then the Teams will draw lots (method to be determined at the sole discretion of eFuse and the Event Administrators). If any step resolves the tie for one or more Teams but not all Teams, a new tie will be declared between the remaining tied Teams. This tie will be resolved using the same tiebreaking mechanisms listed above.
Tiebreakers may be adjusted between events depending on the Game. In such cases, Event Administrators will communicate the tiebreakers to Players in the Event Discord.
2.4.4 Captain Invitations and Draft Order
Each event will have sixteen (16) Service Member captains, with the exception of Warzone which will have fourteen (14). The Military Branches of each captain and the order in which they draft will be as described in Section 2.4.4.
2.4.4.1 Call of Duty Captains
For each Call of Duty event, each Military Branch will have two (2) captain spots designated to them. The remaining two (2) spots will be awarded to the branch that won the most recent event and the Military Branch that has the most Series Points (1 each). In the case that the same Military Branch would be awarded both additional spots, one (1) spot will instead be awarded to the branch with the second-most Series Points. If multiple Military Branches are tied for the additional spot (based on Series Points), the spot will be randomly drawn between relevant Military Branches.
For the first Call of Duty event, the two (2) additional spots will be randomly awarded to two (2) Military Branches.
2.4.4.2 Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite, Combat Cup Featuring Madden, and Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League Captains
For each Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite, Combat Cup Featuring Combat Cup Featuring Madden, and Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League event, each Military Branch will have two (2) captain spots designated to them. The remaining two (2) captains spots will be awarded to the two (2) branches with the least Series Points (one (1) spot each). If multiple Military Branches are tied for these additional spots, the spots will be randomly drawn between relevant Military Branches.
2.4.4.3 Draft Order
For all events, the draft order will be randomized. For events with multiple rounds, the draft will be “snake-style”, meaning the order of picks is reversed relative to the previous round for each round of the draft.
2.5 Prizes
Prizes (or shares of a Team’s prize) earned by Service Member captains are donated to a charity of USAA’s choice on behalf of the Service Member.
2.5.0.1 Call of Duty Prizes
The following prizes will be awarded to each Team (divided evenly among the 4 Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of each Call of Duty event.
Call of Duty Event Prizes - $10,000.00 USD total (per event).
Final Placement | Prize Award Amount (USD) |
First Place | $4,000.00 |
Second Place | $1,000.00 |
Third Place | $800.00 |
Fourth Place | $600.00 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | $400.00 |
Ninth-Twelfth Place | $300.00 |
Thirteenth-Sixteenth Place | $200.00 |
2.5.0.2 Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite Prizes
The following prizes will be awarded to each Team (divided evenly among the three (3) Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of the Fortnite event.
Combat Cup Featuring Fortnite Event Prizes - $5,000.00 USD total.
Final Placement | Prize Award Amount (USD) |
First Place | $1,500.00 |
Second Place | $1,000.00 |
Third Place | $700.00 |
Fourth Place | $600.00 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | $300.00 |
2.5.0.3 Combat Cup Featuring Warzone Prizes
The following prizes will be awarded to each Team (divided evenly among the three (3) Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of the Warzone event.
Combat Cup Featuring Warzone Event Prizes - $5,000.00 USD total.
Final Placement | Prize Award Amount (USD) |
First Place | $1,500.00 |
Second Place | $1,000.00 |
Third Place | $700.00 |
Fourth Place | $600.00 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | $300.00 |
2.5.0.4 Combat Cup Featuring Madden Prizes
The following prizes will be awarded to each Player based on their placement at the conclusion of the Madden event. Prizing will be applied separately to each bracket.
Combat Cup Featuring Madden Event Prizes - $5,000.00 USD total ($2,500.00 each).
Final Placement | Prize Award Amount (USD) |
First Place | $1,000.00 |
Second Place | $600.00 |
Third Place | $300.00 |
Fourth Place | $200.00 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | $100.00 |
2.5.0.5 Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League Prizes
The following prizes will be awarded to each Team (divided evenly among the three (3) Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of the Rocket League event.
Combat Cup Featuring Rocket League Event Prizes - $5,000 USD total.
Final Placement | Prize Award Amount (USD) |
First Place | $1,500.00 |
Second Place | $1,000.00 |
Third Place | $700.00 |
Fourth Place | $600.00 |
Fifth-Eighth Place | $300.00 |
2.5.1 Series Points Prizing
$5,000.00 USD will be awarded to the first placed Military Branch on the Series Points leaderboard following the conclusion of all events. The $5,000.00 USD will be awarded via a donation made on behalf of the Military Branch to a charity of USAA’s choice.
2.5.2 Prizing Information
Only the Players who qualify for prizing during the Event based on the format described above (as determined by eFuse pursuant to this Section 2.5.2) will be eligible to receive the applicable prizes set forth in Section 2.5. No other Player other than the “Winning Players” shall be, at any time or under any circumstances, entitled to win any prizes in connection with the Event.
For clarity, prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. Prizes are not transferable or assignable and cannot be transferred by Winning Players. Non-cash prizes (if any) cannot be redeemed for cash. All prize details are at the sole discretion of eFuse. Winning Players are not entitled to any surplus between actual retail value of prize and approximate retail value and any difference between approximate and actual value of the prize will not be awarded. Winning Players are responsible for any costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided. Winning Players may not substitute a prize, but eFuse reserves the right, at its sole discretion, in case of justified reasons, to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. Additional terms and conditions may apply to acceptance and use of a prize.
The Winning Players will be notified by eFuse of their status as a potential Winning Player in the Event Discord within one (1) day of completion of the Event, or such other time as reasonably required by eFuse for such notification, and will be subject to verification of eligibility pursuant to Section 3 and compliance with these Rules.
With respect to the Event, upon formal notification from eFuse, a potential Winning Player shall have two (2) days from the date such notice was sent to respond and provide any information or materials requested by eFuse, including the Release (as defined below) for purposes of verification of eligibility pursuant to Section 3. The date of receipt by eFuse shall be decisive for a potential Winning Player’s compliance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 2.5.2.
In the event of (a) the failure by any such Player to (i) keep the relevant game or Discord account that he or she used to compete in the Event active throughout the verification of eligibility process or (ii) timely respond to any notification or request for materials or information; or (b) any such Player being unable to accept or receive the prize for any reason (including, without limitation, for failure to provide the necessary tax and payment information, if needed), then in either case (items (a) or (b)), such Player shall be disqualified as a potential Winning Player, and such Player shall not be entitled to win any prizes in connection with the applicable Event. In such cases, no alternate Winning Player will be named, and eFuse shall have the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to (y) award any prize amounts that would have otherwise been awarded to such disqualified Player as part of a future Game competitive event or (z) award any such prize amounts to non-profit causes and efforts. A Winning Player will only be announced once the verification of eligibility process has been completed by eFuse pursuant to these Rules.
Winning Players may also be required to provide certain payment information to eFuse, including any required tax information forms, in order to receive the prizes. eFuse may withhold payment of the prizes if the Winning Player fails to provide the applicable payment forms to eFuse in a timely manner.
PRIZES ARE SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE INTERNATIONAL, FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INCOME AND WITHHOLDING TAXES) AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH WINNING PLAYER TO (I) CHECK WITH HIS OR HER LOCAL TAX ADVISOR TO DETERMINE WHICH TAXES APPLY TO HIM OR HER AND (II) PAY SUCH TAXES TO THE APPROPRIATE TAX AUTHORITY. . Prize income and tax withholding may be reported on forms (y) 1099-MISC for US residents and 1042-S for non-US residents, and (z) any other relevant tax forms as may be required by applicable law.
eFuse will determine the payment method for the prizes in its sole discretion and, except as otherwise required by applicable law, all payments will be made directly to the Winning Player in his or her capacity as an individual (or, if a Minor, to the Winning Player’s parent or legal guardian). For the avoidance of doubt, no prize payments will be made by eFuse to any organization, company, or other entity.
3. Player Eligibility
3.1.1 For all events, Service Member captains will be invited by their Military Branches, in collaboration with eFuse.
3.1.2 For all events, draftable Players will be invited by eFuse. Various unique criteria may constrain Player eligibility for each event. In such cases, the criteria will be communicated to invited Players.
3.1.3 Ineligible Players who mislead or attempt to mislead Event Administrators by providing false eligibility information will be subject to disciplinary actions as further described in Section 9.2.
3.1.4 Event Administrators, in their sole discretion, reserve the right to deny or disqualify any Player for any reason.
3.2 EULA
Each Player must follow the End User License Agreement (“EULA”) of the game title being used in any event they are participating in. These Rules add to, and do not replace, EULAs. Players are responsible for finding and understanding relevant EULAs.
3.3 eFuse Affiliation
Employees, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of eFuse (including the legal, promotion, and advertising agencies of eFuse) and their immediate family members (defined as spouse, mother, father, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, grandparents, and in-laws, regardless of where they live) and those living in their household (whether or not related), and each person or entity connected with the production or administration of the Event, and each parent company, affiliate, subsidiary, agent and representative of eFuse are not eligible to participate or win.
3.4 Player Names
3.4.1 All Team and individual Player names must follow the Code of Conduct in Section 8. eFuse and the Event Administrators each may restrict or change Team and individual Player tags or screen names for any reason.
3.4.2 The name used by a Team or Player cannot be an impersonation of another Team, Player, streamer, celebrity, government official, eFuse employee, eFuse Employee or any other person or entity.
3.6 Good Standing
3.6.1 Players must be in good standing with respect to the game accounts used by such Players in connection with the Event, with no undisclosed violations. This means that, without limitation, a Player’s account must be registered in such Player’s name, and cannot have been previously purchased, gifted, or otherwise transferred from another Player.
3.6.2. Players must be free of or served fully any suspensions or other sanctions imposed in connection with a previous violation of any official rules of relevant game titles. Additionally, Players who receive a competitive ban during the Event may be ineligible to (i) participate further in the Event.
3.7 Additional Restrictions
3.7.1 The Event in all parts is open to Players from across the world, except as otherwise provided in this Section. The Event is not open to individuals wherever restricted or prohibited by applicable law or in any country where participation is prohibited by U.S. law.
3.7.2 For the duration of the Event, only a single Player may play on a given game machine (i.e., multiple Players cannot participate on the same machine at any point during any Event match).
3.7.4 Players may only have one (1) entry (using one (1) account) into the Event for a given session. Players are expressly prohibited from having additional Event entries using additional or secondary account(s).
4. Player/Team Formation Rules
4.1 Teams
4.1.1 Each Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian) must acknowledge and accept these Rules before participating in the Event. By accepting your invitation to participate as either a captain or Teammate and joining the Event Discord, you acknowledge and agree to these rules.
4.1.2 During the Event, all Players on a Team must be present and partied up together in order to participate. Teams may play matches as a solo or or a smaller-than-standard Team if unforeseen circumstances, such as disconnects, arise preventing a Player, or Players, from joining specific matches in a timely fashion.
4.1.3 All members of a Team that fall within the applicable prizing thresholds set forth in Section 2.5 must successfully pass the verification of eligibility process described in Section 3 in order to be eligible to receive such prizes. If one member of a Team fails the verification of eligibility process, all members of that Team will be disqualified as potential Winning Players, and that Team shall not be entitled to win any prizes nor Series Points in connection with the Event. eFuse, in its sole discretion, may rule that prizes and/or Series Points are to be partially or fully rewarded to Team members where one Team member fails the verification of eligibility process.
4.1.4 Each member of a Team shall be deemed to have jointly and severally made and entered into all of the representations, warranties, and agreements contained herein and shall be jointly and severally obligated and bound thereby. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, all of the Event Administrators’ rights pursuant to these Rules relate to and are exercisable against the Team as a whole and each individual member of the Team. If any right of disqualification arises as to any individual member of the Team, then the right of disqualification may be exercised against the Team as a whole, as the Event Administrators may elect in their sole discretion.
4.1.5 Substitutions are allowed, provided the Player substituting has filled out the event intake form, and the Team has received approval to do so from Event Administrators. Prizing distribution must be agreed upon by the original Team unanimously if a Team is to receive prizing at the end of the event. Unapproved substitutions may incur penalties or forfeiture of points or entire matches at the discretion of Event Administrators.
5. Issues
5.1 Definition of Terms
5.1.1 Bug
An error, flaw, failure, or fault that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or otherwise causes the Game and/or a hardware device to behave in unintended ways.
5.1.2 Intentional Disconnection
A Player losing connection to the Game due to the Player’s actions. Any actions of a Player which lead to a disconnection shall be deemed intentional, regardless of the actual intent of the Player. Intentional disconnection is not considered a valid technical issue for the purposes of a remake.
5.1.3 Server Crash
All Players losing connection to the Game due to an issue with the Game server.
5.1.4 Unintentional Disconnection
A Player losing connection to the Game due to problems or issues with the game client, platform, network, or PC.
5.2 Technical Issues
5.2.1 Due to the nature and scale of online competition, except as otherwise determined by eFuse in its sole discretion, matches will not be restarted or made null due to Bugs, Intentional Disconnections, Server Crashes, or Unintentional Disconnections. Except as otherwise determined by eFuse in its sole discretion, any technical issues or Bug encounters, whether defined in this Section 5 or not, must be played through and will not be cause for a remake.
If a Player fails to connect to a lobby before a game starts, the Team should immediately communicate to their opponent and reset the match.
If a Player disconnects during a match, Teams should note the status of the game when the disconnect occurs (time, score, etc.) and continue playing the match without the disconnected Player. When the match concludes (or earlier), the Team that experienced the disconnect should alert Event Administrators and wait for a ruling before continuing further matches.
Disconnect rules may be adjusted between each event as game titles change or mid-tournament if excessive disconnect issues occur. Event Administrators have final rulings over which lobbies may be restarted due to disconnects, and any updates to the rules regarding them.
5.2.2 In addition, Players acknowledge and agree that in participating in a Game competitive event the individual Player solely determines which platform to use (i.e., PC, console, or mobile (as applicable)) and understands that he/she may face Players competing on a different platform. Additionally, Players acknowledge that the different platforms may offer features, such as controllers, Player interface, and/or ability to individualize certain game settings/sensitivities, etc., which may arguably provide a competitive advantage to one platform over another. Players acknowledge their sole competitive platform choice and agree and waive any responsibility or liability of eFuse or the relevant game publisher relating to such Player’s involvement in a multiplatform competition, including any alleged competitive advantage of any other platform.
6. Communication
6.1.1 Event Administrators will be available to answer Player-specific questions and provide additional assistance throughout the Event via the Event Discord. Rules expressly communicated in the Event Discord are an extension of this rules document that you agree to by participating in the Event.
6.1.2 Event Administrators or moderators will be available to respond to questions in the Event Discord sent in your Team’s respective Team text channels. All Players must be in their Team Discord voice channels for the duration of the event in the instance administrators or moderators must communicate with them directly in a time efficient manner, and communications from eFuse staff will primarily take place in the Event Discord.
7. Post-Match Process
7.1 Scoring
7.1.1 All invited Players are required to stream their gameplay with VOD saving enabled. Players should ensure any facecams do not cover scores. This requirement does not apply to service member captains, but must be cleared with Event Administrators before being made official.
Players must submit scores for your Team as instructed in the Event Discord. Players are encouraged to screenshot or clip all scores in case of disputes.
7.1.2 At times, unforeseen issues may arise that result in score reporting delays and/or inaccuracies. For the duration of the Event, the score displayed within the Leaderboard will be the official score, regardless of accuracy.
7.1.3 Without limitation of the foregoing, it may be necessary to adjust the Leaderboard standings (typically due to Players or Teams being disqualified and removed from the Leaderboard for breaking these Rules). For advancement purposes, at the end of the applicable round, the Leaderboard standings will be snapshotted, and those advancements will be immediately awarded and considered “final” for purposes of Player or Team advancement only, subject in all cases to final adjustment and confirmation by eFuse.
8. Code of Conduct
8.1 Personal Conduct; No Toxic Behavior
8.1.1 All Players must conduct themselves in a way that is at all times consistent with (a) the Code of Conduct in this Section 8 (“Code of Conduct”) and (b) the general principles of personal integrity, honesty, and good sportsmanship.
8.1.2 Players must be respectful of other Players, Event Administrators, spectators, and sponsors (as applicable).
8.1.3 Players shall not behave in a manner (a) which violates these Rules, (b) which is disruptive, unsafe or destructive, or (c) which is otherwise harmful to the enjoyment of the Game by other users as intended by eFuse (as decided by eFuse). In particular, Players shall not engage in harassing or disrespectful conduct, use of abusive or offensive language, game sabotage, spamming, social engineering, scamming, or any unlawful activity (“Toxic Behavior”).
8.1.4 Players shall not (a) proclaim to be, or represent themselves as, a banned Player or a cheater/rule breaker, or (b) glorify or otherwise endorse the breaking or violation of these Rules.
8.1.5 Any violation of these Rules may expose a Player to disciplinary action as further described in Section 9.2, whether or not that violation was committed intentionally.
8.2 Competitive Integrity
8.2.1 Each Player is expected to play within the spirit of the Game and these Rules at all times during any Event match. Any form of unfair play is prohibited by these Rules, and may result in disciplinary action. Examples of unfair play include the following:
Collusion (as defined below), match fixing or throwing, bribing a referee or match official, or any other unfair or illegal action or agreement to intentionally influence (or attempt to influence) the outcome of any match or Event.
Hacking or otherwise modifying the intended behavior of the Game client.
Playing or allowing another Player to play on an account registered in another person’s name (or soliciting, encouraging, or directing someone else to do so).
Using any kind of cheating device, program, or similar cheating method to gain a competitive advantage.
Intentionally exploiting any game function (e.g., an in-game bug or glitch) in a manner not intended by the relevant game publisher or eFuse in order to gain a competitive advantage.
Using distributed denial of service attacks, swatting, or similar methods to interfere with another Player’s connection to the Game’s game client.
Using macro keys or similar methods to automate in-game actions.
Accepting any gift, reward, bribe, or compensation for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in connection with unfair play of the Game (e.g., services designed to throw or fix a match or session).
Utilizing outside assistance regarding other Players or any other information not otherwise known to the Player by the information on his or her own screen (e.g., watching an opponent’s stream). For clarity, a Player’s use of the in-game replay tool does not fall within this prohibition.
Intentionally disconnecting from the Game after you or a member of your Team takes damage. For clarity, this only applies to Players who intentionally disconnect with a member of their Team receiving damage within 60 seconds prior to the intentional disconnection.
8.2.2 Players and Teams may not work together to deceive or otherwise cheat other Players or Teams during any match (“Collusion”). Collusion is determined in the sole discretion of Event Administrators. If Players or Teams are uncertain if an action would be considered collusion, they should ask Event Administrators before performing such action.
8.3 Wagering
Players shall not (a) conduct or promote betting, wagering, or gambling on the Event or any portion thereof, or (b) benefit, either directly or indirectly, from betting, wagering, or gambling on the Event or any portion thereof.
8.4 Harassment
8.4.1 Players are prohibited from engaging in any form of harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.
8.4.2 Any Player who witnesses or is subjected to harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct should notify an eFuse Admin or Event Administrator. All complaints reported pursuant to this Section 8.4.2 will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken. Retaliation against any Player who brings forward a complaint or cooperates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited.
8.5 Confidentiality
A Player may not disclose to any third party any confidential information provided by the Event Administrators, eFuse, or its affiliates concerning the Game, the Event, eFuse, or its affiliates, by any method of communication, including by posting on social media channels.
8.6 Illegal Conduct
Players are required to comply with all applicable laws at all times.
9. Rules and Conduct Violations
9.1 Investigation and Compliance
Players agree to fully cooperate with eFuse and/or an Event Administrator (as applicable) in the investigation of any violation of these Rules. If eFuse and/or an Event Administrator contacts a Player to discuss the investigation, the Player must be truthful in the information that he or she provides to eFuse and/or an Event Administrator. Any Player found to have withheld, destroyed, or tampered with any related information, or otherwise found to have misled eFuse and/or an Event Administrator during an investigation, will be subject to disciplinary action as further described in Section 9.2.
9.2 Disciplinary Action
9.2.1 If eFuse decides that a Player has violated the Code, eFuse may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable):
Issue a private or public warning (verbal or written) to the Player;
Loss of points for the current or future match(es);
Loss of all or any part of the prizes and/or Series Points previously awarded to the Player;
Disqualify the Player from participating in one or more matches and/or sessions at the Event; or
Prevent the Player from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by eFuse.
9.2.2 For clarity, the nature and extent of the disciplinary action taken by eFuse pursuant to this Section 9.2 will be in the sole and absolute discretion of eFuse. eFuse reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from such Player to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
The enforcement of any applicable sanction by eFuse staff shall not provide such Player with grounds for claims against eFuse under any theory of law, or otherwise be considered a liability on the part of eFuse to such Player.
9.2.3 If eFuse decides that there have been repeated breaches of these Rules by a Player, it may hand out increasing disciplinary action, up to and including permanent disqualification from all future competitive play of the Game. eFuse may also enforce any applicable sanction specified in the Terms of Service and/or the EULA of the relevant game publisher.
9.2.4 In case of rule violation, disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with eFuse staff’s event administrator decisions. Severity of action can be increased if repeated violations occur of the same, or different, rules by a Player or Team.
9.3 Rule Disputes
eFuse has final, binding authority to decide all disputes with respect to any portion of these Rules, including the breach, enforcement, or interpretation thereof.
10. Conditions
The Event is subject to these Rules. By participating, each Player agrees (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian agrees on such Player’s behalf): (a) to be bound by these complete Rules (including the Code of Conduct) and the decisions of eFuse which shall be final and binding; and (b) to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Event or these Rules, except where prohibited by applicable law. By accepting a prize, the Winning Player agrees (or, if a Minor, such Winning Player’s parent or legal guardian agrees on such Winning Player’s behalf) to release eFuse from any and all liability, loss, or damage arising from or in connection with awarding, receipt, and/or use or misuse of prize or participation in any prize-related activities. eFuse shall not be liable for: (i) telephone system, telephone, or computer hardware, software, or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays, or transmission errors; (ii) data corruption, theft, destruction, and unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iii) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind, including death caused by the prize or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of a prize, or from participation in the Event; or (iv) any printing, typographical, administrative, or technological errors in any materials associated with the Event. eFuse reserves the right to cancel or suspend the Event in its sole discretion or due to circumstances beyond its control, including natural disasters. eFuse may disqualify any Player from participating in the Event or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines such Player is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Event by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices intending to annoy, abuse, threaten, undermine, or harass any other Players or eFuse’s representatives. eFuse may, in its sole discretion, cancel, modify, or suspend the Event should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention, force majeure, or other cause beyond eFuse’s control corrupt the administration, security, or proper play of the Event. Any attempt to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of the Event may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification from participation in the Event. Should such an attempt be made, eFuse reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorneys’ fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution. The Event is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
11. Publicity
11.1 eFuse reserves the right to use the name, tag, likeness, audio, video, game play statistics, and/or eFuse account ID of any Player, for publicity purposes prior to, during, or after the Event end date, in any media, throughout the world, in perpetuity, but only in connection with publicizing the Event or other Game events and programing, without any compensation or prior review unless specifically prohibited by law.
11.2 eFuse may, from time to time, reach out to Players for an opportunity to voluntarily participate in an interview or other filmed content in connection with the Event (each, an “Interview”). Such Players recognize that eFuse is not required to feature such Players and their game play or make them famous, but to the extent any such Player wants eFuse to have the rights to do that, such Player (and if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian) declares and affirms the following:
You understand that to the extent you agree (and if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian agrees) that you will participate in an Interview, (a) your participation in such Interview will be on a voluntary basis; and (b) eFuse will collect a verbal or written confirmation from you (or if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian) prior to conducting such Interview.
In connection with your participation in the Interview, you hereby grant (or, if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian hereby grants) to eFuse a royalty-free, worldwide right and license (with the right to grant sublicenses) to copy, display, distribute, edit, host, store and otherwise use and display your name, likeness, image, voice, video, game play statistics, and biographical information (collectively, “Interview Materials”), and create derivative works of the Interview Materials, in any and all present and future media, on or in connection with (i) the streaming of the Interview Materials; and (ii) eFuse’s marketing and promotion of the Event (if any), in each case (items (i) and (ii)), without any compensation or prior review unless specifically prohibited by law. You understand that you (and if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian) can withdraw the aforementioned license at any time by contacting an Event Administrator at erena@efuse.io; provided, however, that this shall not affect the lawfulness of the use eFuse has made of such license before its withdrawal.
You acknowledge and agree (and if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian acknowledges and agrees) that eFuse is under no obligation to select you to participate in an Interview or to include the Interview Materials in the Event or in any such other production, or to broadcast, exhibit, transmit, distribute or otherwise exploit the Interview Materials in any manner or media.
You represent and warrant (and if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian represents and warrants) the following: (A) you are not under any obligation to any other party which would in any way prohibit or restrict you from participating in the Interview as contemplated hereby or performing any of my obligations herein; (B) you have (and if a Minor, your parent or legal guardian has) the right to grant the rights granted to eFuse, and you neither have nor will make any commitments that would conflict or interfere with the rights granted to eFuse; and (C) your participation in the Interview and the use of the Interview Materials by eFuse or anyone else will not violate or infringe upon any rights of any third party and will not cause you to be in breach or violation of any agreements to which you are a party.
11.3 All Players must stream their perspectives publicly online on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Kick, or another publicly viewable streaming platform if deemed appropriate by Event Administrators, with VOD saving. Players must stream all matches for the duration of the event with this setup, unless expressly communicated otherwise.
11.4 All Players must remain in their assigned Discord voice channel in the Event Discord for the duration of the event.
11.6 If a Player's stream is interrupted or ends for any reason during the event, they must let a moderator or administrator know, and may be subject to a task manager check, if requested.
11.7 Stream delay is encouraged but is not required for this event. Players may use a delay if they choose, provided this is communicated to tournament staff.
11.8 Player’s stream channels must have VOD saving enabled publicly during, and for 7 days after the event, minimum, and penalties can occur if these are requested by an admin and have been made unavailable. These settings should allow anyone logged in with a stream platform account to publicly view your stream recording without further steps such as subscribing, etc.
11.9 No coaches will be allowed during matches in this event, or you may risk forfeiture of points, games, or removal from the event, as ruled by tournament staff
12. Waiver of Jury Trial
EXCEPT AS PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW AND AS A CONDITION OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT, EACH PARTICIPANT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND PERPETUALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT S/HE MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS EVENT, ANY DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO IN CONNECTION HEREWITH, ANY PRIZE AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION HEREWITH, AND ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
13. Privacy
Please refer to eFuse’s privacy policy located at https://efuse.gg/privacy for important information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by eFuse.
14. Non Association
THIS EVENT IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR OTHERWISE ASSOCIATED WITH, EPIC GAMES, INC. THE INFORMATION PLAYERS PROVIDE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS EVENT IS BEING PROVIDED TO EVENT ORGANIZER AND NOT TO EPIC GAMES, INC.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PLAYERS AGREE TO RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS EPIC GAMES, INC., ITS LICENSORS, ITS AND THEIR AFFILIATES, AND ITS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, ACTIONS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES, AND EXPENSES RELATED TO THE EVENT.