Competition Rules

01Scope

These Competition Rules apply to all Arena Battles users who:

• join a ladder;
• create or accept a challenge;
• participate in a match;
• join or manage a team;
• submit a match result;
• submit match evidence;
• participate in a dispute;
• or otherwise use Arena Battles competitive features.

Additional game-specific rules may apply to individual games, ladders, formats, seasons, or events.

If a game-specific rule conflicts with a general Competition Rule, the game-specific rule controls for that competition.

02Player Responsibility

Players are responsible for understanding the rules applicable to a match before competing.

By participating in a match, each player confirms that they:

• meet the eligibility requirements for the applicable ladder;
• are using their own Arena Battles account;
• are using the correct gaming account associated with their profile where required;
• understand the applicable match format;
• understand the applicable game settings and restrictions;
• and are prepared to play at the scheduled time.

Failure to read the rules does not excuse a rules violation.

03Competitive Integrity

All Arena Battles competition must be played honestly and in good faith.

Players may not manipulate, falsify, interfere with, or improperly influence the outcome of a match.

Prohibited competitive conduct includes:

• cheating;
• match fixing;
• intentionally losing;
• collusion;
• boosting;
• account sharing;
• playing on behalf of another user;
• allowing another person to play on your behalf;
• falsifying results;
• falsifying evidence;
• manipulating ladder standings;
• intentionally exploiting Arena Battles systems;
• or otherwise attempting to obtain an unfair competitive advantage.

Arena Battles may investigate suspicious competitive activity and take action when necessary to protect the integrity of the platform.

04Cheating

Cheating is strictly prohibited.

Players may not use any unauthorized software, hardware, modification, exploit, device, configuration, or other method that provides an unfair competitive advantage.

This includes, where applicable:

• aimbots;
• wallhacks;
• radar hacks;
• recoil scripts;
• macros that automate gameplay;
• unauthorized scripting;
• modified game clients;
• manipulated game files;
• unauthorized input automation;
• hardware or software designed to circumvent competitive restrictions;
• or any comparable cheating technology.

The use of a device or feature that is normally available to players does not automatically make its use permissible if it is used to circumvent a specific competitive restriction.

05Exploits and Glitches

Players may not knowingly abuse bugs, glitches, unintended mechanics, map exploits, out-of-bounds locations, or other unintended game behavior to gain a competitive advantage.

If an exploit becomes known during a season, Arena Battles may prohibit it immediately, even if the written rules have not yet been updated.

Players who discover a potentially serious exploit are encouraged to report it rather than abuse it.

Arena Battles may determine whether use of a particular mechanic constitutes an exploit based on the circumstances.

06Game-Specific Restrictions

Players must comply with any game-specific competitive settings displayed by Arena Battles.

These may include restrictions relating to:

• weapons;
• attachments;
• equipment;
• perks;
• streaks;
• abilities;
• characters;
• maps;
• game modes;
• settings;
• loadouts;
• or other gameplay mechanics.

Arena Battles may update game-specific rules when publishers, professional leagues, tournament organizers, or competitive communities change accepted competitive settings.

Unless otherwise stated, updated rules apply to future matches and do not retroactively alter completed matches.

07Challenges

A challenge is an invitation to compete under the rules displayed when the challenge is created.

Challenges may specify information including:

• opponent;
• ladder;
• scheduled time;
• series format;
• and optional message.

A challenge does not become a scheduled match until it has been accepted where acceptance is required.

Players may not use challenges to harass, spam, manipulate, or repeatedly target another player or team in bad faith.

08Series Formats

Arena Battles may support different series formats depending on the applicable game and ladder.

For Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Arena Battles currently supports new challenges using:

• Best of 3
• Best of 5
• Best of 7

A team or player wins the series by winning the required majority of maps.

For example:

• Bo3: first to 2 map wins
• Bo5: first to 3 map wins
• Bo7: first to 4 map wins

Arena Battles may change available formats in the future.

09Map and Game Mode Assignment

Arena Battles may automatically determine the map and game mode sequence for a match.

Where Arena Battles generates the series, the generated series is authoritative.

Players may not replace, reorder, substitute, or renegotiate maps or game modes outside the Arena Battles system unless explicitly authorized by Arena Battles staff.

For applicable Call of Duty matches, Arena Battles may generate maps using the active map pool for each applicable game mode.

Map pools may be updated as official or widely accepted competitive rules become available.

10Map Vetoes

Where map vetoes are enabled, each side receives one optional map veto per series.

A veto:

• applies to one map slot;
• affects the map only;
• does not change the assigned game mode;
• may be used only during the designated veto period;
• and may not be used again after the series has locked.

Players may also choose to keep the generated maps without using their veto.

Veto selections remain private from the opposing side until the veto process resolves.

If both sides veto different map slots, both affected maps are replaced.

If both sides veto the same map slot:

• both vetoes are consumed;
• that map is replaced once;
• and neither side receives another veto.

Replacement maps are final.

Replacement maps cannot be vetoed again.

11Map Replacements

A replacement map will be selected from the eligible map pool for the same game mode.

A replacement must not duplicate the same map and game mode combination already appearing elsewhere in the series.

The same physical map may appear more than once in a series if it is being played under different game modes.

For example:

Allowed:

• Hardpoint on Map A
• Search & Destroy on Map A

Not Allowed:

• Search & Destroy on Map A
• Search & Destroy on Map A

Once the veto process resolves, the series becomes locked.

12Veto Deadline

Where the current Arena Battles veto system applies, the veto period ends at the earlier of:

• five minutes after the match is created; or
• the scheduled match start time.

If both sides submit their decisions before the deadline, the series may lock immediately.

If a player or team does not submit a veto decision before the deadline, the missing decision may be treated as an election to keep the existing maps.

Players are responsible for reviewing their assigned series promptly after a match is created.

13Match Check-In

Arena Battles may require players to check in before competing.

Check-in requirements vary by competition format.

A player is responsible for checking themselves in where self-check-in is required.

For team competition, a captain or teammate may not check in another player unless Arena Battles explicitly provides that functionality.

Where participant locking applies, only properly checked-in players may become part of the final match roster.

14Team Match Participation

Team matches must use eligible players from the applicable team roster.

Arena Battles may require a specific number of eligible players based on the ladder format.

Examples may include:

• Duos: 2 players
• Trios: 3 players
• Quads: 4 players

Teams may not use unauthorized substitutes or players who are not eligible for the applicable match.

Once a match roster has been locked, participants may not be replaced unless Arena Battles rules specifically permit it.

15Account Ownership

Each player must compete using their own Arena Battles account and, where applicable, their own linked gaming account.

Players may not:

• share accounts for competitive purposes;
• compete using another person's account;
• permit another person to compete under their identity;
• misrepresent the identity of a participant;
• or intentionally link an account belonging to another person.

Arena Battles may require reasonable verification where account ownership or player identity is disputed.

16Match Start and Readiness

Players are expected to be ready to compete at the scheduled match time.

Players should ensure before the match that:

• their game is updated;
• their gaming account is accessible;
• their internet connection is functional;
• required teammates are available;
• and their equipment is operational.

Routine personal technical issues do not automatically entitle a player or team to postpone a match.

17Failure to Appear

A player or team that fails to appear, check in, or meet participation requirements may receive a forfeit.

Where Arena Battles provides a grace period, the applicable platform timer controls.

Arena Battles may distinguish between:

• one side failing to appear;
• both sides failing to appear;
• an incomplete team;
• and circumstances caused by a platform-wide or game-wide outage.

Arena Battles may cancel a match instead of issuing a forfeit where neither side is reasonably capable of competing.

18Connection Issues

Players are responsible for maintaining a reasonably stable connection.

A personal disconnect does not automatically require a map or match to be replayed.

Arena Battles may establish game-specific restart or replay rules for:

• disconnects;
• server failures;
• host failures;
• lobby failures;
• or widespread service outages.

Players may not intentionally disconnect, force a lobby failure, or manipulate their connection to obtain a replay or competitive advantage.

19Hosting and Match Setup

Where players are responsible for creating or hosting an in-game lobby, they must use the applicable Arena Battles competitive settings.

A player may not intentionally alter required settings to create an advantage.

If an incorrect setting is discovered before meaningful gameplay begins, players should correct the setting when reasonably possible.

If a dispute arises regarding incorrect settings after gameplay has begun, Arena Battles may determine the appropriate result based on available evidence and the effect of the incorrect setting.

20Reporting Results

Players must report match results accurately.

Submitting a knowingly false result is a serious competitive integrity violation.

Where both sides submit matching results, Arena Battles may automatically confirm the match.

Where submitted results conflict, the match may enter dispute review.

Players should not submit a result they know to be inaccurate for the purpose of forcing a dispute.

21Match Evidence

Arena Battles may allow players to submit evidence relating to a match or dispute.

Evidence may include:

• screenshots;
• recordings;
• game result screens;
• lobby information;
• communications relevant to the match;
• or other materials reasonably related to the dispute.

Evidence must be authentic.

Players may not:

• fabricate evidence;
• alter evidence in a misleading way;
• intentionally omit material information while presenting altered context;
• impersonate another user;
• or submit fraudulent evidence.

Arena Battles may give more weight to reliable, complete, and independently verifiable evidence.

22Disputes

If players disagree about the result of a match or believe a serious rule violation occurred, they may use the Arena Battles dispute process where available.

Players should provide:

• a clear description of the issue;
• relevant evidence;
• and truthful information.

Opening frivolous, retaliatory, or knowingly false disputes may itself result in enforcement action.

23Arena Battles Decisions

Arena Battles may review disputed matches and determine an appropriate resolution.

Possible resolutions may include:

• confirming the reported result;
• awarding the match to one side;
• issuing a forfeit;
• cancelling the match;
• requiring a replay where appropriate;
• correcting an administrative error;
• or taking separate enforcement action.

Arena Battles may consider:

• platform records;
• submitted evidence;
• match history;
• participant information;
• timing data;
• applicable game rules;
• and other reasonably relevant information.

24Match Fixing and Collusion

Players and teams may not coordinate to manipulate competitive results.

Prohibited conduct includes:

• agreeing in advance which side will win;
• intentionally losing for another person's benefit;
• trading wins;
• coordinating false results;
• manipulating rankings;
• manipulating qualification outcomes;
• arranging matches solely to transfer ranking or progression;
• or conspiring to circumvent competitive restrictions.

Arena Battles may investigate unusual patterns of competition even if no individual match has been formally disputed.

25Boosting

Players may not artificially increase another player's or team's ranking, record, XP, or competitive standing through manipulated competition.

Arena Battles may invalidate or reverse improperly obtained competitive progress where reasonably necessary.

26Smurfing and Alternate Accounts

Arena Battles may restrict the use of alternate accounts where they are used to:

• evade enforcement;
• manipulate matchmaking;
• misrepresent competitive identity;
• circumvent eligibility requirements;
• artificially affect rankings;
• or obtain an unfair competitive advantage.

Arena Battles may distinguish legitimate account changes from abusive alternate-account activity.

27Spectators, Coaches, and Outside Assistance

Players may not receive prohibited real-time competitive information from spectators, coaches, streams, or other outside sources during a match.

Game-specific rules may further restrict:

• coaching;
• spectating;
• stream viewing;
• communication with non-participants;
• or delayed broadcasts.

Using an opponent's live stream to obtain information during a match may be treated as a competitive integrity violation.

28Harassment During Competition

Competitive disagreements do not excuse abusive conduct.

Players must comply with the Arena Battles Community Guidelines during:

• pre-match communication;
• team communication;
• match chat;
• post-match communication;
• disputes;
• and other Arena Battles interactions.

Competitive penalties and behavioral penalties may be imposed separately.

29Abuse of Arena Battles Systems

Players may not intentionally manipulate Arena Battles platform mechanics.

This includes attempting to improperly exploit:

• challenge creation;
• map generation;
• vetoes;
• check-in;
• result reporting;
• disputes;
• evidence uploads;
• rankings;
• XP;
• notifications;
• or other competitive systems.

Discovery of a platform bug does not authorize exploitation of that bug.

30Rule Updates

Arena Battles may update these Competition Rules or game-specific rules as games, competitive standards, and platform features evolve.

This is particularly important when:

• a new game launches;
• a publisher updates game settings;
• an official competitive league publishes new restrictions;
• maps or modes change;
• exploits are discovered;
• or competitive systems are adjusted.

Material updates may be communicated through the platform.

The rules in effect for a match at the time it is played generally govern that match unless Arena Battles determines an immediate integrity or security rule must apply.

31Enforcement

Violations of these Competition Rules may result in actions including:

• warnings;
• match forfeits;
• match cancellations;
• removal of improperly obtained wins;
• ranking adjustments;
• XP adjustments;
• ladder restrictions;
• temporary competitive suspensions;
• account suspensions;
• permanent bans;
• team-related penalties;
• or other appropriate action.

Serious violations involving cheating, match fixing, fraud, or deliberate competitive manipulation may result in immediate suspension or permanent removal.

Additional information regarding penalties and appeals will be provided in the Arena Battles Enforcement Policy.

32Questions and Reporting

Questions regarding competition rules or suspected violations may be submitted through Arena Battles support.

Legal inquiries may be sent to:

legal@arenabattles.gg

Arena Battles LLC