Roulette Rivals events are hosted in several different formats, including Double Elimination, Swiss, Elim Swiss and RRWC. The following page describes the Elim Swiss format, a new take on the popular Swiss format. It is a two-stage tournament in which advancement from the Swiss Stage is determined by match record rather than final placement.
¶ Overview
The Elim Swiss format is a two-stage competition consisting of a Swiss Stage followed by a Knockout Stage. In the Swiss Stage, every player competes until they win 4 matches or lose 3 matches. This results in a six-round Swiss Stage, with matchups becoming progressively more even with each draw. After these six rounds, players with four wins advance to the double-elimination Knockout Stage.
Unlike other Roulette Rivals formats, Elim Swiss does not use pre-tournament seeding. Round 1 of the Swiss Stage is drawn completely at random, after which players are paired against others with the same record while avoiding rematches. If a record group contains an odd number of players, one player is randomly pulled up from the group below, to face an opponent from the higher record group. If the final record group is also uneven, one player is randomly awarded a bye.
In the Knockout Stage, players are arranged into a semi-seeded double-elimination bracket, with separate seeding pots for players finishing 4-0, 4-1, and 4-2. After each round in the Winners Bracket, winners advance to the next round. Losers are not eliminated, but instead drop down into the Losers Bracket (LB). After each round in the Losers Bracket, winners continue, while losers are eliminated from the tournament.
The Grand Final is played between the winners of the final match in each bracket (the WB Final and the LB Final). The player coming from the Winners Bracket typically receives a small advantage during the scheduling and drafting process. The winner of the Grand Final, the longest and most prestigious match of the tournament, is crowned Roulette Rivals Champion.
¶ Matches and Scheduling
Limited map pool: For Roulette Rivals 20, the map pool has been reduced to 11 maps following a community vote, with the aim of creating a more accessible tournament for newer players.
Matches in Rounds 1-4 of the Swiss Stage are First-to-5, meaning the match ends once one player reaches 5 points.
- Both players ban one map each, then pick one map each. They then ban one map each, then pick one map each.
- The players then ban one final map each, leaving the remaining map as the decider.
- Each map can only be selected once per draft.
Matches in Rounds 5-6 of the Swiss Stage, as well as every Knockout Stage match apart from the Grand Final, are First-to-7, meaning the match ends once one player reaches 7 points.
- Both players ban one map each, then pick two maps each. They then ban one map each, then pick one map each.
- The remaining map is played as the decider.
- Each map can only be selected once per draft.
The Grand Final is First-to-9, meaning the match ends once the champion reaches 9 points.
- Both players ban one map each, then pick four maps each, leaving the remaining map as the decider.
- Each map can only be selected once per draft.
¶ Deadlines and Inactivity
Roulette Rivals tournaments using the Elim Swiss format typically last 7.5 weeks. The main tournament deadlines for Roulette Rivals 20 are as follows, while detailed round deadlines are shared in the #info channel on Discord:
- Signups open: Monday, 13 July 2026, 12:00 CEST
- Signups close: Thursday, 23 July 2026, 18:00 CEST
- Start of Swiss Stage: Friday, 24 July 2026, 12:00 CEST
- Knockout Stage draw: Sunday, 23 August 2026, 22:00 CEST
- Grand Final: Sunday, 13 September 2026
The Swiss Stage lasts 4.5 weeks and consists of six rounds, each lasting five to six days. These are hard deadlines, meaning players are required to complete their match within the round window. If a match cannot be played, it will result in a forfeit for the player or players deemed at fault. Players who are unavailable may also choose to opt out of a round in advance by contacting a Roulette Admin.
The Knockout Stage lasts 3 weeks and uses several soft deadlines to ensure the bracket progresses smoothly. In general, players are expected to play one match every three to five days. Soft deadlines do not have to be met exactly. However, admins may step in if matches fall significantly behind schedule due to lack of availability or repeated no-shows. Players are asked not to fall more than two days behind schedule, and if they do play late, they should aim to catch up as quickly as possible, for example, by prescheduling with potential next-round opponents. If a match delays the bracket too much, admins may issue a forfeit to the player deemed at fault.