Announcing KARDS Open XV!

Get ready for some more KARDS Open action as it returns in February with the KARDS Open XV!

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The last KARDS Open had a diverse player pool, with plenty of excitement both in the Swiss rounds and Top Cuts weekend. The top 4 broadcast featured some incredibly intense games, with all but one matchup going all five games. Ultimately, tournament titan Noein5 beat World Championship second place title holder Head in the finals 3-1, securing the win in the OpenXIV. You can catch up on all the action from the top 4 in the last Open tournament on the KARDS YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/T2PsRwEsiUc

The KARDS Open tournament format is one that we will be making some adjustments to throughout 2023. The KARDS Open tournament will now be held every 3 months, instead of every 2 months. Additionally, the first Open tournament of the year will include the following alterations:

• The KARDS Open now has closed deck lists up to the top 4. In the top 16, players can bring any deck they want, but they must win with decks from different main nations. That is - once you’ve won with a deck, you cannot bring that deck, or another from the same main nation, again. Deck submission is required for the top 4 and deck lists there are open. The Swiss rounds continue to be a free-for-all with no restrictions or requirements.
  
• The number of participants getting various prizes has increased. The top 4 players still battle for a $1500 prize pool, with some altered and increased diamond and/or gold prizes for players in 5th to 32nd place, as per the table below.

[h3]KARDS Open Prizes[/h3]



You can read more about the changes to eSports in 2023 in our dev blog: KARDS eSports in 2023

In this upcoming Open tournament, players will have two chances to make it into the top 16 through one of two Swiss Qualifiers held on February 4th and March 4th.

Read on for a detailed breakdown of the different tournament stages.

[h3]STAGE ONE[/h3]

Starting Saturday, February 4th, with the Swiss Qualifiers, you will compete in a best of 3 free-for-all deck format. This means that you can bring any deck you want and play it as many times as you’d like. No deck submissions and no deck restrictions! If you make the Top 8 in this stage, you will advance to stage two.

The second chance Qualifier will be held on Saturday, March 4th. This Swiss bracket is open to any player who has not already made the Top 8 cuts. You can maximize your chances of making the top 16 by playing in both qualifiers.

[h3]STAGE TWO[/h3]

If you finish in the Top 8 from either of the stage one weekends, you will be qualified for the next stage. On Saturday, March 18th, you will compete in the single elimination best of 5 series. This stage does not require deck submission and deck lists remain closed. However, you must win with decks from different main nations. For example, if you win with a Japan deck, you cannot bring that deck again or any Japan main deck - you’ll have to switch to a different main nation for the next match. If you lose with a Japan deck, you can bring Japan again, even a different Japan deck.

[h3]STAGE THREE[/h3]

If you’ve made it to the Top 4 on March 18th, you’ve made it to stage three! These final games are played and broadcast LIVE on the KARDS Twitch Channel on March 19th. For this stage of the tournament, you will be required to submit four decks. Deck lists for this stage of the tournament are open. Games are best of 5 series with one ban in conquest format.

For all questions about participating in the Open and all things related to KARDS tournaments, please join the KARDS eSports Discord: https://discord.gg/288DQexmng

[h3]FORMAT & SCHEDULE[/h3]

Swiss Qualifiers

• Compete in one or both qualifier Swiss bracket weekends.
  
• Top 8 from each weekend bracket moves on to Top Cuts weekend
  
• Closed deck lists with no deck restrictions! Play whatever you want, whenever you want!

Best of Three Matchups

• Swiss Bracket with 212 player maximum (8 Swiss rounds)
  
• Swiss Qualifier Bracket A February 4th @ 13:00 GMT
  
• Swiss Qualifier Bracket B March 4th @ 16:00 GMT

Top Cuts Weekend

• Top 16
  
  • Deck lists are closed
    
  • Best of 5 series
    
  • Must win with different decks from different main nations
    
  • Top 16 Bracket March 18th @ 13:00 GMT
• Top 4
  
  • Deck lists are open
    
  • Best of 5 series with 1 ban in Conquest format
    
  • DECK LIST SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 18th @ 23:59 GMT
    
  • Top 4 Bracket & Live Stream: March 19th @ 13:00 GMT

Prizes
The KARDS Open has a prize pool of 1500 USD that is split the following way:

• 1st: 600 USD
  
• 2nd: 450 USD
  
• 3rd: 250 USD
  
• 4th: 200 USD
  
• 5th - 8th: 500 Diamonds and 2000 Gold
  
• 9th - 16th: 200 Diamonds and 1000 Gold
  
• 17th - 32nd: 1000 Gold

Sign ups are open now!

Qualifier A Qualifier B