Mechacademy — Season 2

Official Tournament Rules & Format

Table of Contents

• Mechacademy — Season 2
  • Official Tournament Rules & Format
  • Table of Contents
  • 1. Tournament Overview
  • 2. Team Structure
  • 3. Player Eligibility & Matchmaking
  • 4. Tournament Schedule
  • 5. Competition Format
    • 5.1 Group Stage
    • 5.2 Playoffs
    • 5.3 Broadcast Schedule
  • 6. Match Format
    • 6.1 Series Structure (Best of 5)
    • 6.2 Match Order
    • 6.3 Lobby & Game Settings
  • 7. Coaching & Communication Rules
    • 7.1 The Core Rule — No Live Coaching
    • 7.2 The Game 5 Exception
    • 7.3 General Communication
  • 8. Weekly Preparation & Practice
  • 9. Tiebreakers & Standings
    • 9.1 Group-Stage Game Differential Tiebreakers
  • 10. Attendance & Availability
    • 10.1 Before You Register
    • 10.2 If Something Comes Up
    • 10.3 Day-of Check-In
    • 10.4 Coach Availability
    • 10.5 Student Availability After Games
    • 10.6 Off-Stream Match Scheduling
  • 11. Broadcast & Stream Rules
  • 12. Prizes & Awards
    • 12.1 Winning Team Prize
    • 12.2 MVP / Most Improved Player Award
  • 13. Player Conduct & Sportsmanship
  • 14. Rulings & Disputes

1. Tournament Overview

Mechacademy is a community event built around growth and mentorship. The goal is to bring experienced, pro-level players together with newer competitors in a structured team environment — where coaching, communication, and learning are just as important as winning. For many players, this will be their first time on a broadcast — we want it to be a great experience for everyone.

What's new in Season 2: teams are bigger (two coaches and three students), the field has expanded to ten teams with three weeks of round-robin group play, every series is a best-of-five, and — most importantly — players now compete without live coaching during their match. The prep all week is what counts; when it's your turn, the game is yours alone. The one exception is the deciding Game 5, where the entire team comes together. See Section 7 for the full details.

2. Team Structure

Each team is made up of 5 players:

• 2 Coaches — Experienced or pro-level players. The Coaches lead the team, mentor the students throughout the week, and each may be called on to play during a series. Coaches are expected to be available for on-stream interviews throughout the broadcast day.
• 3 Students — Players competing to learn and improve. Each student plays one 1v1 match in every series.

Teams are expected to function as a unit. The coaching relationship is central to the spirit of this event — but in Season 2, that mentorship happens primarily during the prep week, not live during matches.

3. Player Eligibility & Matchmaking

Mechacademy is open to applicants of all skill levels. Each team's three students are assigned to skill brackets — high, medium, and low — based on MMR. In every series, students play opponents in the same bracket: high vs high, medium vs medium, low vs low.

• Players must provide their current MMR when applying.
• The TOs use MMR to assign students to brackets and to build balanced teams. Bracket assignments are fixed for the season.
• MMR is noted at the time of application. If your MMR changes significantly before teams are announced, please let a TO know.
• Coaches do not have an MMR restriction, but are expected to be experienced players capable of meaningfully mentoring their students. If you're at the top of the ladder, consider registering as a coach.
• Final team compositions and bracket assignments are at the discretion of the TOs.

4. Tournament Schedule

• Each event day is broadcast live on Twitch at twitch.tv/oddz01.
• All event days are on Saturdays at 11:00 AM EDT / 5:00 PM CEST. Most series are broadcast on stream; some round-robin matches are played off-stream at the teams' convenience (see Section 10.6).
• Teams and the group draw are announced on Saturday, July 11 — one week before the first broadcast. This gives every team time to prepare.
• Season 2 runs across 4 Saturdays with 10 teams, split into two groups of five. Each group plays a round-robin across the first three weeks (3 on-stream series per Saturday, plus off-stream matches during the week). The top two teams from each group advance to a 4-team single-elimination playoff in Week 4 to decide the champion.
• All participants are expected to be checked in on Discord and ready to play at the scheduled start time.

5. Competition Format

Season 2 runs across two phases: a 3-week group stage followed by a 4-team single-elimination playoff.

5.1 Group Stage

• The 10 teams are split into two groups of five (Group A and Group B), announced during the draw on July 11.
• Within each group, the five teams play a round-robin of best-of-five series across three weeks (Weeks 1–3):
  • Each Saturday broadcast features 3 on-stream series.
  • Additional matches are played off-stream during the week at the teams' convenience (see Section 10.6).
  • Every team plays 4 matches across the three weeks — one week includes 2 matches (one on-stream, one off-stream), and the other two weeks include 1 match each.
• Every team plays at least four series in the group stage — no one is eliminated after one match.
• The top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs. The bottom three teams in each group are eliminated.
• Group standings are ranked by series record, then game win differential (see Section 9). In a five-team group, ties are possible and resolved by the tiebreakers in Section 9.

5.2 Playoffs

• The 4 surviving teams play a single-elimination bracket in Week 4 — two semifinals and a grand final (3 series total).
• Seeding is determined by group-stage results:
  • Seed 1: Best group winner (by series record, then game differential).
  • Seed 2: Other group winner.
  • Seed 3: Better runner-up (by series record, then game differential).
  • Seed 4: Other runner-up.
• Semifinal 1: Seed 1 vs. Seed 4 · Semifinal 2: Seed 2 vs. Seed 3.
• Grand Final: Winner of SF 1 vs. Winner of SF 2.
• There is no bracket reset — one series decides the championship. A single loss in the playoffs eliminates you.
• Seeding rewards the best group-stage performance: the top seed faces the weakest advancing team in the semifinals.

5.3 Broadcast Schedule

• Most series are played on stream. Each Saturday broadcast features 3 best-of-five series within an approximately 4-hour window.
• Some round-robin matches are played off-stream during the week at the teams' convenience, to fit the 20-match round-robin into three broadcast weeks (see Section 10.6).
• Week 4 features 3 series (two semifinals + grand final) plus the MVP / Most Improved Player vote and closing ceremony (see Section 12.2). All playoff series are on stream.

6. Match Format

6.1 Series Structure (Best of 5)

Each series is a best-of-five — the first team to win 3 games wins the series. Games are played in this order:

• All three students play in Games 1–3 — every student plays exactly one match.
• In Game 4, one coach from each team plays. Each team picks which of its two coaches plays (see Section 6.2).
• Game 5 is only played if the series is tied 2–2. It is a single deciding 1v1. Each team picks one of its three students to play — the team's choice. The chosen student may be one who already played earlier in the series. Coaches do not play Game 5.
• Because the first team to 3 wins, a series ends as soon as a team reaches three game wins (a clean sweep ends 3–0 or 3–1; a tie forces the Game 5 decider).

6.2 Match Order

• Games 1–3 are fixed by bracket: high vs high, medium vs medium, low vs low. The bracket assignments are determined by the TOs at the start of the season and do not change.
• Each team chooses its own Game 4 coach. The team's two coaches decide between themselves which one plays. This choice is made blind — neither team knows which coach the other has chosen until Game 4 begins.
• The Game 5 student is declared by each team at the moment Game 5 is reached (i.e., once the series is 2–2), unless a TO requests it earlier for production. Teams do not need to reveal their Game 5 student ahead of time.

6.3 Lobby & Game Settings

• Players will be invited to the game lobby by a TO. Do not attempt to create or join lobbies independently.
• All matches use standard 1v1 Mechabellum settings.
• Default competitive settings apply unless otherwise communicated by the TO before the event day.

7. Coaching & Communication Rules

7.1 The Core Rule — No Live Coaching

For Games 1 through 4, the active player may not receive any coaching or outside input during their match.

• Once a game begins, the player is on their own. Coaches and teammates may not communicate strategy, unit choices, spending, counter-picks, or any other in-game advice to the active player.
• The active player should be in a position where they cannot hear live coaching during their game — teams must not relay advice by voice, text, or any other channel while the game is in progress.
• The entire point is that the week of preparation is what shows up on the board. When it's your game, the decisions are yours.

This is a reversal of Season 1, where live coaching was encouraged. In Season 2, Games 1–4 are played solo.

7.2 The Game 5 Exception

Game 5 — and only Game 5 — is a full-team effort.

• When a series reaches the deciding Game 5, the entire team joins voice together and may freely coach the active player throughout the game.
• All restrictions from Section 7.1 are lifted for Game 5: coaches and teammates may give any advice they like, in real time.
• This makes the decider a genuine team moment — everything the team has built all week comes together for one game.

7.3 General Communication

• All players on a team are required to be in their team voice channel on the Mechacademy Discord server throughout the broadcast day, so the team can stay coordinated between games.
• The active player must not be in team voice during their own game in Games 1–4. They leave the channel for the duration of their match and rejoin once it's over. This is how Games 1–4 are kept free of any live coaching (see 7.1).
• Game 5 is the exception — the entire team, including the active player, is in voice together and may coach freely.
• Coaches and teammates who wish to follow a teammate's game may do so via the live Twitch broadcast or in-game spectate. Both carry a natural delay.
• The opposing team's voice channel is private. No cross-team communication during matches.
• Coaching or input from people outside the team roster is never permitted during live matches.

8. Weekly Preparation & Practice

Because live coaching is off the table for most of the series, the prep week matters more than ever.

• Matchups and the schedule are posted ahead of each broadcast day, so teams know who they're facing and can prepare accordingly.
• Coaches are expected to actively work with their students throughout the week — reviewing replays, running practice games, drilling specific matchups, and building a game plan each player can execute on their own.
• Students are encouraged to take initiative and come to their coaches with questions, goals, and ideas.
• The spirit of the event is that teams genuinely engage with the prep. In Season 2 especially, the team that prepares best — not the team that talks loudest mid-game — should come out ahead.

9. Tiebreakers & Standings

Within a series: there is no draw. A series that reaches 2–2 is decided by the Game 5 tiebreaker (see Section 6.1).

In the group-stage standings, if two or more teams are tied on series record, the tie is broken in the following order, at the TOs' discretion:

1. Head-to-head result between the tied teams.
2. Game win differential (total game wins minus game losses across all series).
3. Total game wins.
4. If still tied, a TO ruling or a one-game playoff, as time permits.

9.1 Group-Stage Game Differential Tiebreakers

When teams are tied on series record and game win differential does not separate them:

• If game differential is tied 2 ways → single tiebreaker 1v1 (Game 5 rules — full team coaching permitted).
• If game differential is tied 3 ways → 3-player FFA tiebreaker, last place eliminated, top 2 advance (single game, done).
• If game differential is tied 4 ways → 4-player FFA tiebreaker, bottom 2 eliminated (single game, done).

In a five-team group, ties are more likely than in a four-team group and may require tiebreakers. A three-way tie for second place is the most likely scenario requiring a tiebreaker.

The exact tiebreaker procedure may be adjusted based on the final standings and will be confirmed when teams are announced.

10. Attendance & Availability

Mechacademy is a live broadcast event and every single match will be streamed. Punctuality and attendance are critical — delays affect the entire show and everyone involved.

10.1 Before You Register

If you have any doubt about your ability to attend the scheduled broadcast days, please do not register. We would rather build a full roster we can rely on than scramble for a replacement on the day of a broadcast.

10.2 If Something Comes Up

Life happens — we get it. If your availability changes after registering, notify a TO immediately through the Mechacademy Discord server. The sooner we know, the more time we have to find a suitable replacement. Last-minute no-shows without notice are unfair to your teammates, your opponents, and the production.

10.3 Day-of Check-In

• All players must be checked in on the Mechacademy Discord server before the broadcast begins.
• Players should be in their team voice channel and ready to be invited to a lobby at the scheduled start time.
• A TO will confirm each player's readiness before the show begins.

10.4 Coach Availability

Coaches must be available for the full duration of the broadcast day. In addition to playing Game 4, Coaches will be pulled for on-stream interviews and segments between games to help tell the story of their team. These are a key part of the show — please embrace them!

10.5 Student Availability After Games

Students who have finished their match may leave after their game if necessary. However, we strongly encourage everyone to stay — your team may need you for the Game 5 decider, and your teammates will want you in voice between games to regroup and cheer them on. Staying for the whole event is part of the spirit of Mechacademy.

10.6 Off-Stream Match Scheduling

With 10 teams in two groups of five, each group plays a 10-match round-robin (20 total). Across three broadcast weeks of 3 on-stream series each, only 9 matches can be shown on stream. The remaining matches are played off-stream during the match week.

Off-stream matches are real tournament matches — same best-of-5 format, same stakes, same standings impact. The only difference is they are not broadcast.

1. Default time: If neither team has a conflict, the off-stream match is played on Saturday at a time designated by the TO — either before the broadcast begins or after it concludes.

2. Early play option (conflict accommodation): If any player on either team has a Saturday conflict (broadcast day), the match must be scheduled earlier in the week (or on Sunday). The two teams agree on a day and time that works for both sides. This is the primary mechanism for handling scheduling conflicts — teams with a Saturday issue play their off-stream match midweek instead.

3. Agreement deadline: Off-stream match times must be agreed upon and reported to the TO by end of day Sunday of that match week. If the teams cannot agree, then the teams must meet and play at the default time (Saturday) even if they must forfeit some matches in the series. Players agreed to this availability when registering so it remains the default time if no agreement can be met.

4. Results reporting: Off-stream match results must be submitted to the TO via Discord immediately after they are completed. Results count toward group standings immediately.

5. Lobby and format: Same as on-stream matches — Bo5, standard 1v1 Mechabellum settings. A TO invites players to the lobby. No live broadcast, no on-stream interviews.

11. Broadcast & Stream Rules

• Every match will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/oddz01. Participants should expect their gameplay — and possibly their voice, if applicable — to be part of the show.
• Players are encouraged to have a clean, distraction-free setup for the broadcast.
• Offensive, hateful, or inappropriate in-game names, messages, or on-screen content may result in a warning or removal from the event (see Section 13).
• Participants grant permission for their gameplay and on-stream appearances to be broadcast and used in highlight or recap content related to Mechacademy.
• All lobby invitations are handled by a TO. Be on Discord and ready to receive an invite when it's your time to play.

12. Prizes & Awards

12.1 Winning Team Prize

The team that wins the playoff final will receive prizes. Prize details will be announced by the TO ahead of the event.

12.2 MVP / Most Improved Player Award

At the conclusion of the final broadcast, a special MVP / Most Improved Player award will be voted on live during the stream. This award celebrates standout performances, growth, and the spirit of what Mechacademy is all about — it's not just about who won the most games.

• The vote will be conducted at the conclusion of the final broadcast day.
• Each team will nominate one player for the award. The winner will then be determined either by a live Twitch poll or by a TO decision based on the nominations — the exact format will be confirmed closer to the event.
• The winner will receive a prize separate from the team prize.
• The MVP / Most Improved award can be won by any participant, including players from teams that didn't win.

Prize details for both awards will be announced by the TO ahead of the event. Stay tuned to the Mechacademy Discord for updates.

13. Player Conduct & Sportsmanship

Mechacademy is a community event, and we want it to be a positive experience for everyone — players, coaches, viewers, and staff. We ask that all participants uphold the following standards:

• Treat everyone with respect. Trash talk and competitive banter are fine; targeted harassment, slurs, or personal attacks are not.
• Win and lose graciously. Acknowledge good plays, be a fair competitor, and avoid belittling opponents regardless of skill level.
• Play in good faith. Intentional stalling, exploiting bugs for advantage, or other unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be tolerated.
• Respect the no-coaching rule. Feeding advice to an active player during Games 1–4 — by any means — is cheating and undermines the entire format. It will be treated as a serious violation.
• Support the learning environment. Coaches especially are expected to be encouraging and constructive. This event exists to help players improve — that mission should always come first.
• Respect the broadcast. Behaviour that would reflect poorly on the community or the event on-stream may result in disciplinary action.

Violations of the conduct policy may result in a warning, game or series forfeit, or removal from the tournament, at the TO's discretion. Serious or repeated violations may result in a ban from future seasons.

14. Rulings & Disputes

• The Tournament Organizer (TO) has final authority over all rulings and disputes.
• Disconnects: Mechabellum does not have a pause feature. If a player disconnects during a match, the game will be restarted unless the outcome is already clearly determined, at the TO's discretion. Players should immediately notify a TO via Discord if a disconnect occurs.
• Bugs or exploits: If a known bug or exploit is used intentionally to gain an advantage, the offending player may forfeit the match at the TO's discretion.
• Illegal coaching: Suspected coaching during Games 1–4 will be investigated by the TOs and may result in a game or series forfeit.
• All ruling requests should be submitted to a TO through the Mechacademy Discord server before or during the event day. Disputes raised after results are finalized will generally not be reviewed.

Mechacademy Season 2 — Rules v3.0 — Last updated July 10, 2026 Questions? Reach out to the Tournament Organizers through the Mechacademy Discord server.