How tournaments work
From registering to getting paid, in six steps. Read this once and you will know exactly what to expect from your first bracket.
- 1Find a bracket and register
- 2Registration closes and the bracket is seeded
- 3Your match room opens
- 4Play your match
- 5Results confirmed, next round seeded
- 6Prize pool pays out
Find a bracket and register
Open Tournaments, pick one showing Registration open, and hit register. You will see the game, mode, map, weapon restriction, slot count and both registration deadlines before you commit.
Free brackets cost nothing. Paid brackets deduct the entry fee from your points balance the moment you register — not real money, points you earned by playing.
Registration closes and the bracket is seeded
Once the registration window shuts, the bracket is generated. playnex runs single elimination: you play, you win, you advance. Lose once and your run is over.
Seeding is by points, by registration order or random, chosen by the organiser. If the entrant count is not a power of two, the top seeds receive a first-round bye — a free pass to round two, not a match anyone plays.
Your match room opens
Before each match a handler creates the in-game room and sends you the room ID and password by push notification and email.
Be there. A player who does not appear within 10 minutes of the room opening forfeits that match and their opponent advances. Turn on match notifications in Settings so credentials reach you.
Play your match
Matches are best-of-1, best-of-3 or best-of-5 depending on the bracket — the tournament page states which. Win the majority of games and you take the match.
Take screenshots of your results. Disputes must be raised before the next round begins; once the following round is seeded a result is final.
Results confirmed, next round seeded
The handler records the winner and the bracket advances automatically. Repeat until one player is left standing.
A bracket of N players always runs exactly N-1 matches. Eight players is seven matches across three rounds; sixteen players is fifteen matches across four.
Prize pool pays out
The champion receives the full prize pool in points, credited automatically once the final result is confirmed.
Points land in your balance with a transaction record you can see in your tournament history. Spend them in the Marketplace or on entry to paid brackets.
How the prize pool is paid
Every playnex prize pool is denominated in points, not rupees. Points are earned by playing, and spent on paid entries or Marketplace gear.
| Finish | Share of prize pool |
|---|---|
| Champion | 100% of the advertised pool |
| Runner-up | No points share — placement is recorded on your profile |
| Everyone else | No points share from the pool |
Entry fees on paid brackets are deducted at registration and are not refunded if you are eliminated. Points have no cash value and cannot be bought.
Common questions
- How is the prize pool split between players?
- The champion receives 100% of the advertised prize pool in points. There is currently no runner-up or semi-finalist share — a tournament advertising 5,000 points pays 5,000 points to one player.
- How many matches will a tournament have?
- A single-elimination bracket with N players runs exactly N-1 matches, because every match eliminates one player and everyone except the champion must be eliminated. 8 players = 7 matches, 16 players = 15 matches, 32 players = 31 matches.
- How long does a tournament take?
- Matches are run one at a time by a handler, with roughly 90 minutes per match plus a short turnaround. An 8-player bracket therefore spans about 13 hours of scheduled time, which is why larger tournaments run across several days. Each tournament page shows its own start and end times.
- What happens if I miss my match?
- You forfeit. A player who has not joined the room within 10 minutes of it opening is eliminated and the opponent advances. Credentials arrive by notification and email before the match, so keep notifications enabled.
- Are entry fees and prizes real money?
- No. Both are playnex points, earned by playing matches and completing milestones. Points are not purchasable with cash and have no cash value.
- Can I use an emulator?
- Not in mobile brackets. Emulators, third-party software and account sharing all result in disqualification, and that decision rests with the handler.
Ready to enter one?
Open brackets are listed with their slots, prize pool and deadlines.