Today, the World Phygital Community (WPC) has opened applications for the upcoming 2026/2027 tournament season. The new season will officially start on August 10th, 2026 and will cover the four core disciplines – Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball, Phygital Dancing and Phygital Shooter.
This year, there will be a new qualification process for Phygital Shooter to support wider participation across the WPC network. Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals tournaments will be conducted online through the platform, without the requirement of the physical (laser tag) stage, with Phygital Rivals winners progressing directly to Phygital Contenders. Alternative platforms may be approved by WPC in regions where FACEIT is unavailable. This means that Phygital Shooter will operate separately from an updated, simplified ranking system that is being introduced for the other three disciplines.
For Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball and Phygital Dancing, the new system will provide independent assessment for all tournaments and a new Event Quality Bonus (EQB) framework for Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals tournaments, with a greater focus on objective operational criteria. Marketing and promotional points have been removed from ranking calculations, while tournament quality will now be assessed through defined standards covering areas such as technical delivery, reporting, competition format and event management. The revised system is designed to reward both competitive success and high-quality tournament organization while reducing barriers for members wishing to host events.
These changes ensure that there are less requirements to ensure ranking eligibility:
- Approval through WPC+,
- The use of WPC-approved technical rules,
- A minimum of eight participating clubs,
- Tournaments must also be completed within seven consecutive calendar days,
- Tournaments have to be held within the member’s registered territory unless otherwise approved by WPC,
- Reporting within established deadlines and administration through the WPC+ platform for all disciplines except Phygital Shooter.
For next year’s Games of the Future, the 16 slots for Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball and Phygital Dancing will be allocated as below:
- Six places awarded from rankings after Phygital Rivals tournaments (increased from four spots),
- Six places through Phygital Contenders,
- Two places allocated to host cities, and
- Two places reserved for Phygital International invitations.
Members should note that the previous automatic qualification place for reigning Games of the Future champions has been removed.
All the key dates for the WPC 2026/2027 tournament season can be found here.
Detailed information on tournament eligibility, ranking calculations, competition points, reporting requirements and qualification pathways for the 2026/2027 season is now available through the updated ranking regulations and WPC briefing documents. Members can access the full documentation through WPC+ and official WPC channels as they prepare tournament applications and season plans.
WPC members can now begin submitting applications and preparing their tournament calendars for the upcoming season. Further operational guidance, regulations and supporting documentation are available through official WPC channels and WPC+.
