FanimeCon 2023 -Guilty Gear Strive Ruleset

A. Tournament Rules

  1. Tournament Length
    This tournament is Double Elimination (two total match losses).
  2. Set Length
    All tournament sets will be best-of-five (first-to-three) matches with best-of-three (first-to-two) rounds. Rules below do not change between these two set formats.
  3. Set Procedure
    1. Before both players sit down at the console, they must come to an agreement on which side they will play on (Player One side vs. Player Two side).
      • If an agreement cannot be reached, a game of rock-paper-scissors will determine who gets first pick.
    2. After players sit down and connect their controllers, one of the two players will go to the console menu and remove any existing Bluetooth-connected devices that are paired to the console.
      • This is a necessary step to avoid possible interruptions to tournament sets.
    3. Players enter offline Versus Mode and ensure their buttons are set up correctly.
    4. Players select their characters. Either player may elect to do Double Blind Character Selection (see 1.4)
    5. Players select a random stage or a mutually agreed upon stage (see 1.2).
    6. The players play one game of the set.
    7. The winning player of the preceding game must keep the same character selection for the next game.
    8. The losing player of the preceding game may switch their character selection for the next game.
    9. Repeat steps four through eight for all subsequent games until the set is complete.
  4. Stage Agreement Clause
    By default, RANDOM SELECT will be used for selecting a stage. Players may select any LEGAL stage if they both agree on it. Players may not play on illegal stages.
  5. Set Length Clause
    Players may not change the length/terms of a set. If this is violated, both players will be subject to complete disqualification from the event.
  6. Double Blind Character Selection
    Either player may request a double blind selection. In this situation, Player One must secretly inform a pool captain, referee, or other tournament staff of their chosen character. Player Two will then select their character in game, and Player One will do the same. The tournament staff will then confirm that Player One selected the chosen character.
  7. Pausing and the Home Button
    If a game pauses during play, players should immediately signal for a Tournament Official. The player whose controller paused the game will receive a round loss. Round loss due to a pause can simultaneously result in both a game loss and a set loss. However, if a pause occurs during a move or animation that results in a single player K.O., with no further inputs from either player, the pausing player will not be penalized a round/game, and the set will continue.
  8. Double K.O., Draw, and Self-Destruct Moves
    If a game ends with a Double K.O. or due to a self-destruct move, the results screen will determine the outcome. If the result is a draw, players will continue to play (per system design) until a winner can be determined. Neither player will receive a win on their tally in the event of a Double K.O. or draw.
  9. Character Color Selection
    If there is a dispute regarding character colors or team colors, the players will play one game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who gets the color.
  10. Color Request Clause
    Players may request that their opponent change colors to accommodate colorblindness, or if their color is indistinguishable from the stage background. The request must be made before the game starts. Players may not use Ultimate Edition colors on any character for any reason.
  11. Warm-ups
    Warm-up periods, button checks, and “handwarmers” may not exceed 60 seconds on the game clock. Violation of this rule may result in a game loss at the discretion of the Tournament Official.
  12. Tardiness
    Players not present for their set by ten minutes past the scheduled start time of the round are subject to a loss of the set. If in the Winner’s Bracket, this will put the player into the Loser’s Bracket. If in the Loser’s Bracket, this will eliminate the player from the tournament.

B. Game Rules

  1. Game Settings
  • Platform: Playstation 4
  • Double Elimination
  • Default settings
  • 2/3 Rounds per Game
  • 3/5 Games per Set
  • Winner of prior game must keep same character
  • Loser of prior game may switch character
  • Random stage select (players may opt for an agreed stage)
  1. Additional Rules
  • Patch FanimeCon 2023 will use whatever patch is currently live at 11:59 pm PST on Thursday, May 25, 2023.