> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.pawtato.gg/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.pawtato.gg/pawtato-land/gameplay/player-vs.-player/arena-tournaments.md).

# Arena Tournaments

**Tournaments** are a scheduled, bracketed competition mode inside the [Arena](/pawtato-land/gameplay/player-vs.-player/arena.md). Instead of a one-off duel, you register a lineup ahead of time, then the whole field is played out automatically — a round-robin to seed the bracket, followed by a single-elimination knockout — with prizes awarded by how far you place.

{% hint style="info" %}
🏆 **Jump in:** open the [**Arena**](https://pawtato.gg/?ar=1) and pick the **Tournaments** category. The board splits into **Active Tournaments** (upcoming and running) and **Past Tournaments** (finished), with a **Tournament Rules** scroll beside the list.
{% endhint %}

## Spotting a tournament

You don't have to keep the Arena open to catch one:

* **World Map marker** — a **gold trophy** appears above the **Arena** building whenever a tournament is worth your attention: one you can still join, one running right now, or one holding a **prize you haven't claimed**. It sits beside the duel marker, so a tournament is never mistaken for an incoming [duel](/pawtato-land/gameplay/player-vs.-player/arena.md).
* **World Map countdown** — up to **48 hours** before a tournament starts, a **Tournament · \<time left>** button appears in the map's right-hand countdown stack. While the brackets are running it reads **Tournament · Now**. Tapping it opens that tournament straight away.
* **Announcements** — new tournaments are also posted to the Pawtato **Discord** server as **scheduled events**, so you can get a reminder from Discord itself. The event card names the bracket size, combat format and any entry restrictions, and links back into the game — open it to see the current entry fee and prize pool.

## Registering

Each tournament has a fixed start time, and **sign-ups open as soon as the bracket is announced** — there is no waiting phase. Registration stays open right up until the tournament begins. While it's open, you register a **lineup of your own Heroes**:

* **Solo** — **1 Hero**.
* **Squad** / **Shuffle Squad** — **3 Heroes**.

Some tournaments add entry restrictions — a **maximum Hero level**, a required **class**, or a **maximum equipment tier**. Tutorial Heroes can't be entered. You can register **once per tournament**.

A **Squad** lineup must be **three different Heroes** — you can't field the same Hero in more than one slot.

### Which Heroes can be entered

Each Hero can hold **at most one slot in a tournament**, and that applies **across the whole field**, not just your own entry: if a Hero is already registered in a tournament, nobody can register it there again. So a Hero that changes hands between two players can't buy a second place in the same bracket.

A Hero that's already on its way out of your account can't take a bracket slot with it either. You can't register a Hero that is:

* **listed on the** [**Marketplace**](/pawtato-land/gameplay/marketplace-and-exchange/marketplace.md) — cancel the listing first, or
* **in the middle of a withdrawal** (unstaking) — cancel the cooldown first.

{% hint style="warning" %}
The lock works both ways: while one of your Heroes is registered in a tournament that hasn't finished, that Hero **can't be listed on the Marketplace, unstaked, or withdrawn** to your wallet. The game names the tournament that's holding it — **leave that tournament** and the Hero is free again. The lock lifts on its own once the tournament **completes** (or is **cancelled**).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
There is **no seat limit** — anyone who meets the entry rules can sign up, so far more players may register than the knockout has places for. Everyone who enters plays the preliminaries, and it's those results (not the sign-up order) that cut the field down. The card and detail screen therefore show a plain **registered** count rather than a "x of y" capacity.
{% endhint %}

Your lineup is **snapshotted the moment you register** — later gear, Skill or stat changes don't alter the Heroes you entered.

### Entry fee

A tournament may charge a **TATO entry fee** (some are free). The fee **scales with the live TATO price, shown in-game**, and is paid from your **sellable balance** — soulbound TATO can't cover it. It's held in escrow while you're registered.

If you change your mind, you can **leave the tournament any time before it starts** and your **entry fee is refunded** in full. Leaving asks you to **confirm** first, so a stray tap can't drop you out of a bracket you meant to stay in.

The tournament's detail screen summarises all of this in four chips: **Format** (Solo / Squad / Shuffle Squad), **Knockout-Phase** (how many players the knockout holds), **Entry fee**, and **Min. to run** (the minimum sign-ups needed for it to go ahead).

## How a tournament plays out

A tournament moves through these stages automatically:

1. **Registration Open** — the stage a tournament is created in. Sign-ups are live and a countdown shows the start time.
2. **In Progress** — preliminaries run, then the knockout bracket plays out.
3. **Completed** — every placement is decided and prizes can be claimed.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Every tournament has a **minimum number of participants**. If too few players have registered when the start time arrives, the tournament is **cancelled and all entry fees are refunded**.
{% endhint %}

### Preliminaries

When the tournament starts, everyone who registered plays a **single round-robin** — each player faces **every other player once**, in a quick **Best of 1** match. You earn **1 point per win**.

The field is then ranked by points, and the **top finishers advance** — exactly as many as the knockout holds (**8, 16 or 32**, depending on the tournament). This is what settles an oversubscribed field. Players who don't make the cut take their preliminary rank as their **final placing**. When two players are tied on the edge of the cut, the tie is broken **at random**.

{% hint style="info" %}
The preliminary matches are played out behind the scenes to seed the bracket — you see the resulting **standings** (points and who advanced), not each individual preliminary battle.
{% endhint %}

### Knockout bracket

The advancing players are placed into a **single-elimination bracket**, seeded so the strongest preliminary finishers are kept apart and can only meet late. Bracket sizes are **8, 16 or 32** players.

* **Standard rounds** are played as **Best of 3**.
* The **final** and the **third-place match** are played as **Best of 5**.
* The two **semi-final losers** meet in the third-place match to decide **3rd and 4th**.

Matches resolve on a schedule, and the whole bracket runs quickly:

* Once the preliminary standings are published, a **2 minute countdown** runs before the knockout stage begins.
* Each round then takes **3 minutes to resolve**, and its result stays **hidden for 1 minute** before it's revealed.
* The next round starts from that reveal, so a round is settled every **4 minutes**.

You can **watch the replay of a match as soon as it resolves** from the bracket screen, even before the result is revealed.

## What counts in battle

Tournament battles use the **exact same rules as regular Arena duels**:

* ✅ **Base stats**, **equipment** bonuses, **selected Skills** and **titles** all count.
* ❌ **Potion buffs**, **altar buffs** and other temporary boosts are **nullified**.
* ❌ **Injuries are ignored** — a wounded Hero fights at full strength.

In **Squad** matches the three Heroes fight in the order you set; **Shuffle Squad** randomizes the order before each match.

See the [Arena](/pawtato-land/gameplay/player-vs.-player/arena.md) page for more on how these snapshot rules keep every match a fair test of your build.

## Prizes

Each tournament has its own **prize pool**, awarded by the **finish bracket** you land in. Prizes are **manually claimed** once your placement is locked in — you'll see a **Claim Prize** option on the tournament once you're eliminated or crowned.

The finish brackets, from best to lowest, are:

<table><thead><tr><th width="220">Finish</th><th>Where it applies</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Champion</strong></td><td>1st place</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Runner-up</strong></td><td>2nd place</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Third place</strong></td><td>3rd place</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Semi-finalist</strong></td><td>4th place</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Quarter-finalist</strong></td><td>5th–8th</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Round of 16</strong></td><td>9th–16th (16- and 32-player brackets)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Participant</strong></td><td>17th–32nd (32-player brackets)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Which brackets pay out depends on the tournament's size — a larger bracket reaches deeper finish tiers. A prize can be any of **resources, equipment, Skill Scrolls, schematics or cosmetics**.

{% hint style="info" %}
Tournament prizes are **soulbound by default** — yours to keep and use, not to trade. A tournament may mark specific prizes as **tradeable**, in which case you're free to list them on the [Marketplace](/pawtato-land/gameplay/marketplace-and-exchange/marketplace.md).
{% endhint %}