IMPORTANT LINKS:
Link to printable version If you would like to see the exact changes to any version of the rulebook, please check the gitbook commit history here.
9/11/25
Expanded upon Player Communication chapter, adding in section Prize Splits and Judge Calls, as well as Media Coverage with Stream Judging.
Prize Split discussions are now explicitly not to be public. This is mostly to avoid situations where players may inadvertently use language that may suggest bribery or collusion without the intent of doing so (where it otherwise would be permissible). Matches are always expected to only result from either victory or concession (achieved in-game), or an intentional draw. The result can't be decided any other way.
Judge Calls has been expanded to give a more detailed view of how players are expected to handle judge calls and pitfalls to avoid during judge calls. It is our hope that these guidelines can curb either unwarranted or unintentional misuse of the judging system.
Slightly more depth given to expectations regarding Stream Judging. For judge-specific information, more detail is always available in the official Judge Handbook.
8/18/25
Reorganized and expanded section on In-game Notation. Additional support and guidance has been explored in the context of revealed information.
7/17/25
Added a section regarding violations in team settings
6/17/25
Added special case clarification for ID rules.
Various fixes
5/30/25
Added Mercurial Heart Alter Edition to tournament format legal product lists
Added clarity for resolution of attack cards and the intended result for overtime
Minor consistency fixes
5/22/25
Added a small section regarding practices to ending matches during overtime, if players are still performing player actions
3/14/25
Further revision to start of game procedures regarding first vs second declarations after sideboarding for clarity
3/7/2025
Abyssal Heaven Release Update!
Double-faced cards has a section regarding tournament guidelines
Legal product lists have been updated
Added section detailing philosophy and guidelines on concessions and intentional draws (IDs)
Slight addition to deck check guidelines as a suggested action.
Other minor, indescript fixes
1/23/2025
Minor revisions to draft format regarding deck constraints. Construction rules follow standard deck construction rules regarding allowable numbers of copies of a card in addition to requiring only up to a single copy of a card in the material deck. The original rules were put in place early during DOA as a draft format with variations on the rules taking place for subsequent drafts. The intention is to standardize all base draft rules to the now-changed version and allow for any format-specific rules to be enumerated within the format.
Updated section on drafting procedure for limited tournaments, detailing inclusion of sealed draft packs. Also modified language regarding suggested time constraints.
Updated card legality section.
Slightly changed wording in the player equipment section regarding inappropriate materials.
Correctly updated policy on Proxia's Vault (no time limitation clause for proxy eligibility duration)
Added slight wording for Start of Game procedures to account for "False starts" when players begin before a round timer has begun.
Added brief section covering Media regulations. This covers basic rules for media coverage at higher-tier competitive events (e.g. Ascent, National). Each event will detail media policies in greater detail and, as such, this section will not be exhaustive in content and policy guidelines.
12/4/2024
Slight fixes
10/9/2024
Updated format legality to include Mortal Ambition products
Added section for additional guidance on Deck Checks
9/23/2024
Added section for current ban list(s)
Various typo and redundancy fixes
8/22/2024
Various fixes and clarifications, mainly typos.
7/22/2024
Added rulings on handling face-down cards in webcam events.
4/28/2024
Tournament Rules & Guidelines Document has been migrated to GitBook
Rules enforcement tiers have been temporarily removed.
End of Match procedures was slightly reworded to better mesh with sideboarding rules.
Added 3v3 format to rulebook
5/17/2024 (MRC Launch)
Updated format product legalities