[2021] ER CHALLENGERS APAC SOUTH RULE BOOK

1. Definition of Terms

1.1 Game / Round

A game/round is a single game of Eternal Return played with 18 players participating in a custom lobby, and play will continue until the last survivor is decided under a specific ruleset.

1.2 Match

A match is a set of games, and the final standing of teams/players will be determined by summing the points that each team/player has earned over all rounds. If there is a tie in point totals, we determine the standings according to section 4.2 Tiebreaker. All matches must start and finish within the predetermined schedule.


2. Event Overview

2.1 Eternal Return Challengers APAC-SOUTH (ERC:AS)

The ERWI is the international esports event hosted by Nimble Neuron Corp that all ER users are allowed to participate in.

2.2 Game Client Version

Every match in the tournament will use the latest version of “Eternal Return”. If there is an update during the tournament period, the updated version will be immediately available for tournament use.

2.3 Third-Party Tools

If the organizers recommend the players to use specific third-party tools (Discord, etc) the players should follow the organizers’ decision. All entrants of ERWI must join the official ERWI Discord Server in order to receive news and communicate with the tournament staff. 

3. Player Eligibility

3.1 Account Ownership

The player must own a Steam account to participate in the tournament. If the associated Eternal Return account is currently banned, the player will not be allowed to play in the tournament.

3.2 Age Limitation

In accordance with Steam TOS, all players must be age 13 or older on the first day of the tournament.

3.3 In-game Nicknames

Players cannot use nicknames that include sexual, political, or offensive words or phrases. Players using inappropriate nicknames will be asked to change their nickname or be disqualified from the tournament. or asked to change their nickname. Players should use the same nickname that they submitted in the registration form. If not, they will not be allowed to participate.

3.4 Sportsmanship

All players should be familiar with all rules and guidelines in this rulebook. Players must play to their best effort in the tournament. Players may not drop from an on-going set of games due to poor performance. Players should also follow the tournament staffs’ instructions and accept any final decisions made by referees or organizers. Treat all fellow players and tournament staff with respect.

3.5 Residency
If participants have more than one nationality or a long-term residency visa in another country (Permanent resident or a Long-Term working visa), participants are allowed to apply for only ONE Regional tournament among ER Challengers and ERWI Qualifiers.


4. Tournament Structure

4.1 POINT MATRIX

4.2 Point Total Tiebreaker

After all matches have finished, the final standings will be determined by the following steps in order.

• Total Points

The team with more total points will be ranked higher.

• Total Kills

 If the total points are tied, the team with more total kills will be ranked higher.

• Last Round Placement

If the total round kills are tied, the team with higher placement in the last round will be ranked higher.


4.3 Tournament Structure
The ERC:AS consists of 3 Stages and grand final.

ERC:AS Stage 1	ERC:AS Stage 2	ERC:AS Stage 3	ERC:AS Grand Final	ERWI
Qualifiers: 11th Sept, 2021 (SAT)	Qualifiers: 9th Oct, 2021 (SAT)	Qualifiers: 20th Nov, 2021 (SAT)	18th Dec – 19th Dec , 2021 (SAT- SUN)	2022 Jan
Final 12th Sept, 2021 (SUN)	Final 10th Oct, 2021 (SUN)	Final 21th Nov, 2021 (SUN)	N/A	N/A

ER:ASP Stage 1

Title	Team	Group	Round	Notes
Qualifiers	27	9	5	Top 3 teams of each group will advance to the Final
Final	9	1	5	Top 3 teams will advance to the Stage 2 Final

ER:ASP Stage 2

Title	Team	Group	Round	Notes
Qualifiers	27	3	5	Top 2 teams of each group will advance to the Final
Final	9	1	5	Top 3 teams will advance to the Stage 3 Final

4.4 ERC:AS Circuit Points and Seed

Teams will gain the circuit points based on the ranking at the final games. The top 3 teams in final will become the seeded teams in the next stage final, which means the 3 teams does not need to go through the qualifiers and directly advance to the final in the next stage.

The following is a table of Circuit Point and Seed:

Rank	Stage 1 & 2 Final	Stage 3 Final
1	8000 Circuit Points and Seed	10000 Circuit Points
2	4600 Circuit Points and Seed	5600 Circuit Points
3	2350 Circuit Points and Seed	2850 Circuit Points
4	1250 Circuit Points	1500 Circuit Points
5	650 Circuit Points	750 Circuit Points
6	300 Circuit Points	350 Circuit Points
7	N/A	N/A
8	N/A	N/A
9	N/A	N/A

After the Stage 3, the 9 teams with the highest accumulated circuit points will advance to the ERC:AS grand final, a 2-Days tournament, and the winning team will be qualified to the ERWI DUO in Jan 2022.

4.5 In Game Settings

• Acceleration of Restricted Areas

All matches will have the ‘‘Acceleration of restricted areas’ and “Revival items” option enabled. And all in game emotes will not be allowed.

• Hide Nickname from Enemy

All players must have the ‘hide nickname from enemy’ option enabled.

• Available Characters
  New character will be quarantined from the event until the next character is updated.
  
• Server
  The tournament will be held on Asia 2 Server.
  
  

5. Pause and Errors

5.1 Definition of Terms

• Unintentional Disconnect

A network failure, PC or hardware failure, game client crash, or platform error causing the disconnect of a player. 

• Intentional Disconnect

A player voluntarily disconnecting from the game, such as terminating the client or using the “quit game” option. All disconnections caused by players are considered as intentional disconnects. 

• Server Problems

All disconnects caused by game server, client bugs, or the venue’s network.

5.2 Rehost

Failures to start a match caused by server problems, natural disasters, or specific technical problems can result in a rehost of the lobby . If the game is to be rehosted, all players should maintain the same picks. Rehosts will also sometimes occur in the case of player disconnections, according to section 5.3 Disconnect during Online Match.

5.3 Disconnect during Online Match

Unintentional disconnects or crashes occurring during the loading screen or within the first 30 seconds of game start may result in a rehost. For player-side issues, up to 2 lobby rehosts can be offered as a courtesy. If a player cannot play the game normally after that, the match will proceed normally. 

5.4Disconnect during Match Preparation

If a player experiences an unintentional disconnect during online match preparation but expects to be able to reconnect, they will be given 5 minutes to reconnect before the match proceeds normally. In solo, this means they will forfeit one round of points. In team modes, this means a team may call a listed substitute or start with a player down for one round. If the player remains unable to reconnect in the following round, they/their team will be disqualified.

5.5A bug occurred during game 

A bug that occurs during a game (both known and unknown) does not constitute the remake of a game, so matches will continue. If a bug is deliberately exploited, the player may be punished in accordance with section 6.1 Unfair Play. If a critical bug does occur, that character that causes the bug may be banned from future rounds.

6. Penalty

6.1 Unfair Play

The following behaviors are categorized as unfair play and will be penalized. Players may report another player’s violation of rules if they have proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and a penalty will be determined. The default penalty is a 1-round forfeit if there is no exact penalty specified. All decisions are made at the discretion of the tournament organizers. The clauses written without explicit punishment follow 6.7 Punishment Details.

• Promptness 
  If all players are not in the lobby/designated voice channels by the time provided, or if even one team member is not able to access the match, that round will be forfeited for the team. 
• Teaming

Teaming is strictly prohibited in all modes. If multiple teams or players collude to gain an unfair advantage, all teams or players will be disqualified from the tournament. This will be applied if multiple teams or players avoid dealing damage to each other while staying in combat range. Rulings on teaming will be handled on a case by case basis by ERWI organizers. 

• Outside communication

Communication with anyone outside of your team in the case of squads or duos is not allowed during the tournament. Outside communication undermines the competitive integrity of the tournament and is strictly prohibited. Those who violate the rule may be punished according to 6.7 Punishment Details.

• Emotes 

All in game emotes will not be allowed. Round score will be forfeited if in-game emotes are used.

• Bug exploit

Do not exploit any bugs, including known bugs and bugs discovered during the tournament if any. Depending on the severity of bug abuse, the abusing team will be punished following 6.7 Punishment Details.

• Dying in a restricted area/Quitting 

Intentionally quitting the match while alive even if the player is not in combat will be considered a surrender and the team will be disqualified. This also includes leaving the game via the in-game options.

6.2Offensive Behavior 

Behaviors that can offend other players, the audience, tournament staff, tournament organizers, or other related personnel are strongly prohibited. These behaviors will be subject to immediate punishment and potential grounds for disqualification or bans at the tournament organizer’s discretion. All players should respect other people participating in the tournament as well as all tournament staff. Punishments can be given for inappropriate behavior without warning. 

6.3Hate speech 

Hate speech of players is strongly prohibited. Hate against gender, sexuality, race or anything else will not be tolerated and result in strict penalties. 

6.4Disobeying Organizers’s Instructions 

Players disobeying the organizer’s instructions for proceeding the tournament will result in penalties. 

6.5Swearing and abusive language  

Swearing and verbal abuse toward referees and staff is strictly prohibited. Offending teams may be disqualified from the competition. 

6.6Penalty Dispute 

If a player wants to dispute a penalty, they can only dispute it on the day the penalty is decided and announced. 

6.7Punishment Details 

In the event of any violation of the rules, the referees or organizers may impose the following penalties on the player or team: 

• Warning (3 warnings result in disqualification)
• Round score forfeiture
• Disqualification of team
• Restricted participation for further events up to 60 days
• Permanent account suspension

7. About the Rules 

7.1 Application of Rules 

Rules, player eligibility, match schedule and format, and penalty index are the fundamental rules in organizing a tournament. The content in this rulebook acts as a guide for referees to make specific decisions in unexpected circumstances. The semantics of any content in this rulebook cannot be a target of dispute.

7.2Modification of Rules

Rules can be modified for fair and flawless operation of the tournament, and the modified categories and effective date will be announced before any changes are made effective.

7.3Responsibility of Organizers

• Organizers will do their best to protect the fairness of the tournament, and prevent any abuse of authority within the tournament staff team.
• Organizers can require a player to participate in marketing/advertisement related to the tournament, and players have a duty to follow the requirements to a reasonable degree. 
• Marketing/advertisement can include interviews, video taking, and profile picture taking. Organizers have the rights to use this media in accordance to copyright and other related laws.

7.4Responsibility and Right of Players

• It is the players’ responsibility to report match/lobby problems to tournament organizers. Players can report problems that occurred during the match within 1 hour of the tournament ending. 
• All tournament footage belongs to the tournament organizers, and is not available for re-upload, unless footage is being uploaded for problem reporting and internal review.
• Players cannot stream the match unless it is allowed by the tournament organizer. In cases where streaming is allowed, players must follow the designated stream format.
• In the case of a violation regarding streaming, organizers can request the player to stop uploading/streaming the tournament. If the request is ignored, the player may be penalized.

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