Tournament Formats

The format of how a tournament is run varies however there are several distinct categories most tournaments fall into.

Elimination Tournaments
The most traditional tournament

Single Elimination (Traditional Bracket)
The most traditional tournament format of OCTs. The loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, whose winner becomes the tournament champion.


 * Many tournaments have 32 competitors and 5 rounds.


 * Law of Talos OCT is an example of a Single Elimination Tournament.

Cauldron Format
Started in Goku Royale OCT. All competitors have 2 chances and only get cut once they lose these two matches. Regardless of your wins or losses you can face anyone else in the list of competitors. This is to remove the waiting time that a winners and losers bracket has.

Non-Elimination Tournaments
Non-Elimination Tournaments are a newer but prominant format of OCTs. Competitors are only eliminated if they fail to submit an entry or the criteria set out by Judges.


 * A ranking is applied in order to determine the winner in the final round.

Most Points
This format of Non-Elimination will give contestant points relating to aspects of their round such as story, art and implimentation of their opponent character. The person with the highest amount of points by the end of the final round wins.


 * Cascade Cabaret 2 OCT is an example of a Non-Elimination (Most Points) Tournament.

Most Wins
Sometimes combined with Side vs Side tournaments, the winner of the tournament is the person with the highest number of wins.


 * War For Rayuba is an example of a Non-Elimination Side Vs Side tournament (Most Wins). The winning team was the one with the most number of collective wins from the team.

Side vs Side Format
Side vs Side Format is a concept that can be applied to either Elimination or Non-Elimination tournaments. The winner is not a singular character, but a faction which characters either chose or were assigned to.


 * War For Rayuba is an example of a Non-Elimination Side Vs Side tournament (Most Wins). The teams were the Pyre and the Bastion. The winning team was the one with the most number of collective wins from the team.

Map Tournaments
Typically linked in Side vs Side Formats - Map Tournaments have the competitors fight over portions of a map as a major mechanic. This may impact future locations in the tournaments or provide benefits to the side which owns the area.


 * War For Rayuba and World Beast's Song OCT are examples of this.

Auditions
The Audition Period of a tournament is when the host and judges are looking for competitors. Most tournaments have one audition period at the very start, where competitors submit their characters and an audition to show how their character's story in the competition begins.

Sign-Ups
Some tournaments, particularly Side vs Side formats, allow for new competitors to join each round.

Rounds
Once the roster of competitors is decided, the hosts will pair contestants in matchups. The competitor's goal is to then make a story using both their own character and their opponents.

Some OCTs will provide an optional prompt each round.

Second Wind / Second Chances
In the case that more competitors forfeit than expected, the judges can bring back previously eliminated contestants to fill the roster.