# Challengermode Full LLM Context File # https://www.challengermode.com # Version: 2.3 # Last updated: 2026-03-10 # Purpose: Comprehensive documentation for AI systems about the Challengermode competition management platform. # Note: For a concise summary, see /llms.txt --- ## 1. Platform Overview Challengermode is a B2B competition management platform. It provides the complete technology stack for running tournaments, ladders, leaderboards, matchmaking, and gamification — from automated grassroots gaming tournaments to Tier 1 Major championships with millions of viewers, and increasingly for non-gaming industries such as golf entertainment and logistics. The platform supports 200+ game titles. The platform is delivered as a multi-tenant live service with full whitelabel capability. A new whitelabel customer can be configured and deployed in under one week. ### Company Facts - Company: Challengermode AB - Founded: Stockholm, Sweden - Website: https://www.challengermode.com - Developer Portal: https://www.challengermode.com/developers ### Platform Scale - 500K+ unique organic monthly visitors - 33 million+ games played across millions of competitions - Reaching more than 200 million players globally - 200+ supported game titles - Active players in 80+ countries - Hundreds of thousands of concurrent players supported - 660,000+ matchmaking matches completed - 12 supported languages (English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese-BR, Russian, Turkish, Chinese Simplified, Dutch, Korean, and more) - Used for Tier 1 Majors (CS2 Majors with 1.8M+ peak viewers) --- ## 2. B2B Whitelabel Offering This is Challengermode's core B2B product. The entire platform can be purchased as a turnkey, fully branded whitelabel live service for game publishers, brands, and large professional organizers. There are two distinct models suited to different buyer profiles: **Full-platform whitelabel** — for brands and large professional organizers: The complete Challengermode platform deployed under the customer's own brand and domain. Comes with out-of-the-box integrations for 200+ game titles, meaning brands and organizers can run fully automated competitions across CS2, Valorant, PUBG, and 200+ other titles without any game-side development. No engineering investment required. Ideal for esports brands, media companies, professional tournament organizers, and sports entertainment companies. **API whitelabel (in-game)** — for game publishers: Built for publishers who want to own their competitive ecosystem inside their games. Challengermode provides the competition backend via APIs; the publisher's game client is the front-end. Publishers use the Game Integration API to power in-game tournaments, matchmaking, leaderboards, and player identity — creating a competition experience that is fully native to their game and brand. Used by KRAFTON and Ubisoft to run in-game Cups at scale across their game portfolios. ### Deployment Model - Multi-tenant SaaS architecture - Per-tenant configuration of features, branding, and integrations - Custom domains with SSL - SSO integration via customer's own OAuth/identity provider - Theatre mode for frameless embedding into existing websites or game clients - Feature toggles per tenant (enable/disable any platform capability) - Typically deployed and live in under one week from contract signing ### What Whitelabel Includes - All competition types (tournaments, ladders, leaderboards, matchmaking, leagues, custom games) - Out-of-the-box game integrations for 200+ titles (full-platform model) - Enterprise Spaces with hub/child hierarchy - Custom Content website builder (drag-and-drop page designer) - Game Integration APIs (account linking, game sessions, result reporting, webhooks) - Real-time GraphQL Client API for building in-game UIs - Space Insights analytics dashboard - Support ticket inbox system - Entity authorization system (granular role-based access control) - Monetization tools (subscriptions, entry fees, prize pools) - Internationalization (12 languages, extensible) - Mobile app support (iOS/Android with native notifications) - Admin backoffice for platform operations ### Whitelabel Customers #### KRAFTON KRAFTON is a long-standing customer using Challengermode in multiple ways — APIs, Cups on the platform, and whitelabel. PUBG NextPro (on Challengermode.com): - Duration: 7 months - 264 tournaments run - 25,000 players engaged - Daily automated tournaments across EMEA region - Features used: Tournaments, Leaderboards, Prize automation PUBG Mobile (on Challengermode.com): - Duration: 18 months - 18,000 tournaments created - 282,000 games played - 87,000 unique players - Full API integration as official esports partner - Features used: Game Integration API, Tournaments, Leaderboards - Quote: "Our esports product team was impressed with the technical capabilities of Challengermode." — James Yang, Director, KRAFTON Esports KRAFTON also runs various PUBG activations on Challengermode through partners such as BLAST. #### Ubisoft Long-standing customer using Challengermode in multiple ways — APIs, Cups, and whitelabel. Brawlhalla (official esports platform): - Challengermode is the official competition platform - 8 Tier 1 organizers, 55+ amateur organizers managing events - 30+ tournaments per month - 2,500+ active competitive players within first 3 months - Custom features: GSL bracket format, Grand Final rematch logic - Migrated from competitor platform (start.gg) - Multi-organizer hub architecture for managing all regional scenes - Quote: "Challengermode's tournament system has been far superior to our past solutions." — Toast Palfreman, Product Manager, Ubisoft Ubisoft also runs activations on Challengermode through partners such as BLAST. #### In-Game Cups (API Whitelabel) In-game Cups are a form of whitelabel via API — the game client becomes the front-end while Challengermode powers the entire competition backend. This is distinct from the full-platform whitelabel, where customers get the complete Challengermode product under their own brand. - Game clients integrate directly with Challengermode via dedicated API - Player authentication, team creation, matchmaking eligibility, and tournament enrollment happen in-game - System shards players into thousands of parallel tournaments - Handles hundreds of thousands of concurrent players without load issues - All regions use same infrastructure with regional configs - Brackets, match assignments, lobby details, and score reporting served by Challengermode's tournament engine --- ## 3. Customer Case Studies (Full Detail) ### BLAST — Austin Major 2025 (CS2) - 135 hours of airtime - 1.79 million peak concurrent viewers - 76.1 million hours watched - 45,000 fans attended in-person - Fully offline LAN deployment of Challengermode - Challengermode provided: tournament engine, bracket management, live data integration, broadcast tools - Quotes from James Watts (BLAST), Niklas Backstrom (CTO Challengermode), Christopher Teljstedt (CPO Challengermode) ### BLAST — Paris CS:GO Major (Open Qualifier) - Duration: 1 week - 7,200 players participated - 1,500 games played - Players from 252 countries - Swiss bracket format - Enterprise Space with custom CS:GO server configuration - Quote: "Challengermode's platform handled the scale seamlessly." — Andrew Haworth, Commissioner, BLAST Premier ### BLAST — Rainbow Six: Siege - Duration: 4 weeks - 10,000 players - 55 tournaments across 8 regions - Hub Space architecture linking regional qualifier Spaces - Quote from Leo Matlock, Managing Director Development, BLAST ### PGL — Copenhagen Major 2024 (CS2) - First-ever Counter-Strike 2 Major - 1.8 million peak concurrent viewers - 58.3 million hours watched - Offline LAN deployment - Broadcast solution, anti-cheat integration, live data feed - Challengermode powered the full competitive infrastructure ### EA Sports — Madden Championship Series (MCS 25) - 41,000+ matches played - 20,000+ registered players - 112,000+ hours of competitive play - Custom branded Space with EA sign-in integration - Features: matchmaking, leaderboards, custom scoring system - Full EA OAuth integration for player identity ### Midjiwan — Polytopia - ~10% daily active user engagement in competitive features - +107% increase in game sales attributed to competitive integration - 174,000 community games played - First game to fully integrate Challengermode directly into the game client - Features: in-game tournament browser, instant tournaments (tournament matchmaking), self-service integration via Game Integration API - Players never need to leave the game to compete - Quote: "The integration with Challengermode has been transformative for our player engagement." — Christian Lovstedt, CEO, Midjiwan ### HP/OMEN - Duration: 5 years of continuous partnership - 7,000+ tournaments hosted - 383,000 Space followers - 3 million unique users reached - World's largest brand-led gaming community on the platform - Long-term community building via branded Space with recurring events ### KaBuM! (Brazil) - Duration: 12 months - 7,000 competing users - 11% sales increase for KaBuM! attributed to esports program - 200,000 unique gamers engaged - Fully branded gaming arena (KaBuM!GG) on Challengermode - Features used: Tournaments, Ladders, Leaderboards, Prize automation, Live data ### Discord - Duration: 7 months - 56,000 engaged followers in branded Space - 1.5 million unique users reached - Competitions across 30+ European countries - Branded Space with recurring tournament schedule - OAuth linking between Discord and Challengermode accounts ### Real Cricket 22 - Duration: 12 months - 76,000 community-hosted tournaments - 173,000 unique players - 641,000 total signups - API integration enabling community members to create and host their own tournaments at massive scale ### Wolfoxy (Riot Games community, Brazil) - Duration: 18 months - 185,000 Space followers - 6,800 tournaments hosted - 1.54 million unique gamers reached - Most active Riot Games community organizer in Brazil - Demonstrates grassroots community scaling capability --- ## 4. Competition Types (Detailed) ### 4.1 Tournaments Tournaments are the primary competition format. They are structured events with a defined start time, bracket format, and progression rules. #### Supported Bracket Formats Single Elimination: - Players/teams eliminated after one loss - Bracket progresses in rounds until one winner remains - Supports best-of-1, best-of-3, best-of-5 per round (configurable per round) - Third-place match optional Double Elimination: - Players/teams must lose twice to be eliminated - Upper bracket (winners) and lower bracket (losers) - Grand final between upper bracket winner and lower bracket winner - Grand final advantage (upper bracket winner starts 1-0) configurable - Grand final reset option (if lower bracket winner wins first set) Swiss: - Multiple rounds where participants play opponents with similar records - No elimination until final standings - Tiebreakers: Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger - Commonly used for Major qualifiers (e.g., CS:GO/CS2 Majors) - Configurable number of rounds Round Robin: - Every participant plays every other participant - Full table of results - Standings based on points (configurable win/draw/loss points) - Support for overtime scoring (e.g., OT win = 2pts, OT loss = 1pt) GSL (Dual Tournament / Group Stage): - Group stage format used in professional esports - 4 participants per group - Winners match, losers match, decider match - Top 2 advance from each group - Custom implementation for Brawlhalla with Grand Final rematch logic Battle Royale / Multi-Team: - Multiple teams compete simultaneously in a single match - Scoring based on position + kills (configurable point tables) - Supports accumulation across multiple games - Used for PUBG, Fortnite, and similar titles FFA (Free-for-All): - Individual players compete without teams - Position-based scoring #### Tournament Configuration Options - Team size (1v1 through custom sizes) - Max participants / slots - Registration period with open/close times - Check-in / confirmation period - Seeding method (manual, random, ELO-based, leaderboard-based) - Best-of settings per round - Map pool and veto configuration - Game server settings (location, mode, rules) - Anti-cheat requirements - Entry fees and prize pool - Participant restrictions (region, rank, platform, age) - Waiting list when fully booked - Admin roles and permissions - Recurring schedule (via blueprints) #### Tournament Blueprints (Recurring Tournaments) Tournament blueprints allow organizers to configure a tournament template that automatically creates new tournament instances on a schedule. - Schedule: hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or custom intervals - All tournament settings are inherited from the blueprint - Each instance is a fully independent tournament - Used by KRAFTON for daily automated tournaments - Used by OMEN for weekly community competitions #### Tournament Matchmaking ("Instant Tournaments") A hybrid between matchmaking and tournaments: - Players join a matchmaking queue - When enough players are matched (based on skill + wait time), a tournament is automatically created and immediately starts - The tournament format is defined by a blueprint - Used by Polytopia as "Instant Tournaments" — players get matched into 8-player single elimination brackets on demand #### Multi-Stage Tournaments Tournaments can be linked in sequence: - Stage 1: Swiss format for qualification - Stage 2: Single elimination playoffs with top qualifiers - Each stage can have different format and rules #### Admin Tools for Tournaments - Disqualify participants - Issue walkovers (forfeit wins) - Manipulate brackets (swap positions, add/remove participants) - Reschedule matches - Override results - Pause/resume tournament - Communication tools (announcements, notifications) ### 4.2 Ladders Ladders are continuous, always-on ranking systems. Features: - ELO-based ranking system - Seasonal with configurable reset schedules - Asynchronous match validation (matches detected from game APIs) - Per-game stats (champion played, map, kills, etc.) - Automated match detection for integrated games - Challenge system (players can challenge specific opponents) - Standings with rank, wins, losses, rating Supported games use automatic match polling: - League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Valorant, PUBG, and more - Platform periodically polls game APIs for new match results - Matches are validated and scored automatically ### 4.3 Leaderboards Leaderboards aggregate performance across competitions. Features: - Configurable scoring metrics - Time-bound (daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, all-time) - Prize support (awards for top positions) - Can aggregate data from tournaments, ladders, or custom data - Live-updating standings ### 4.4 Matchmaking Real-time skill-based matching system. Standard Matchmaking: - Players/teams join a queue for a specific game - Matched based on skill rating and wait time - Creates individual matches - Configurable game settings Tournament Matchmaking: - Players join a queue - When enough players are matched, a full tournament is created - Tournament format defined by blueprint - Creates an "Instant Tournament" experience ### 4.5 Leagues Longer-running seasonal competitions. Features: - Multiple stages and phases within a season - Team-based or individual - Standings tracked across the season - Promotion/relegation between divisions - Integration with tournament system for individual stage matches ### 4.6 Custom Games Individual standalone matches outside of formal competition structures. Features: - Create a single match and share it via link or QR code - Useful for practice, friendly matches, or content creation - Full game integration support (automated lobbies, results) - Shareable via "Magic Links" --- ## 5. Spaces (Community Hubs) Spaces are the organizational unit for everything on Challengermode. Every competition, community, and content exists within a Space. ### Space Types Standard Space: Free community hub with basic features. Professional Space: Paid tier with advanced features (insights, monetization). Enterprise Space: Full-featured Space for large organizations with all capabilities. Hub Space: Parent Space that contains and manages multiple child Spaces. ### Space Features Community: - Member management (join, leave, kick, ban) - Role-based access control (admin, moderator, member, custom roles) - Social feed with posts, reactions, comments - Friends and social connections - Chat / direct messaging Competitions: - Host tournaments, ladders, leaderboards, matchmaking within the Space - Competitions inherit Space branding - Tournament cards, standings, and leaderboard widgets in Space pages Custom Content (Website Builder): - Drag-and-drop page designer - Multiple pages per Space (configurable navigation) - Component library: - Hero banners - Image galleries - Text with images/video - Tournament cards (auto or manual selection) - Ladder standings - Leaderboard standings - Space listings - News feed - Twitch stream embed - Timeline - FAQ sections - Icons with text - Custom CTAs (buttons, text links, clickable elements) - Customizable color scheme and branding - Background images per component - CTA actions: open URL, join Space, spawn survey Analytics (Space Insights): - Growth metrics: new members, lost members, invite link performance - Engagement metrics: page views, time on pages, tournament registrations, players, game time - Awareness metrics: impressions, unique users reached, clickthroughs - Member demographics: games played, age groups, countries, other Spaces joined - Hub Spaces can aggregate insights across all child Spaces - Time period comparison (current vs. previous period) Monetization: - Space subscriptions (monthly recurring) - One-time membership fees - Competition entry fees - Prize pool contributions from entry fees - Space wallet with transaction history - Withdrawal via PayPal and bank transfers Settings: - Space information, category, description - External links (homepage, social media) - Appearance customization (logo, colors, banners) - Feature toggles (enable/disable specific features) - Hub Space configuration - Survey/form builder for data collection - Member management and role assignment ### Hub Spaces Hub Spaces are enterprise-level parent Spaces that contain multiple child Spaces. Use cases: - Multi-region deployments (e.g., BLAST runs a hub linking 8 regional qualifier Spaces) - Multi-game organizations - Brand ecosystems with sub-communities Features: - Shared configuration and roles across child Spaces - Aggregated insights across all Spaces in the hub - Cross-promotion (hub is visible on all child Space pages) - Automatic member aggregation (joining a child Space joins the hub) - Breadcrumb navigation between hub and child Spaces --- ## 6. Game Integrations ### Integration Architecture Challengermode's game integration system is built on a "games as data" principle. Game integrations are configured through data (schemas, expressions, webhooks) rather than custom code. This enables: - Self-service game integration via Developer Portal - Any game can be added without Challengermode writing custom code - Game developers control their own integration lifecycle - Integration can happen gradually (3 levels of depth) ### Integration Levels Level 1 — Game on Platform: - Game title listed on Challengermode - Manual result reporting by players - Organizers can create competitions - Setup time: less than 5 minutes Level 2 — Automatic Competitions: - Account linking (player identity verification) - Game session handling (automated lobby creation and result reporting) - Full automation of all competition types - Requires webhook implementation by game developer Level 3 — In-Game Competitions: - Full in-game UI built with GraphQL Client API - Players browse, join, and compete without leaving the game - Real-time subscriptions for live updates - Personal actions (join tournament, check-in, accept match) - Deepest integration level (e.g., Polytopia, Rainbow Six: Siege) ### Account Linking Methods SSO Account Linking (in-game): - Game developer uses their own OAuth server - Identity tokens used to create/connect Challengermode accounts - Most seamless experience — player never interacts with Challengermode directly - Used by Ubisoft for Rainbow Six: Siege SSO Account Linking (on-platform): - Player connects third-party identity provider on Challengermode - Supports: Steam, Riot, EA, Battle.net, Ubisoft, Lichess - One-time setup, works across multiple games using the same provider Intent Account Linking: - Deep link opens game client and passes linking token - Round-trip verification through game backend - Supports: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Tesla, console In-Game Account Linking: - Player logs into Challengermode via OAuth within game client (webview/browser) - PAT used to link game account - Similar to intent method but initiated from within the game ### Game Session Handling Create Game Session: - Challengermode sends webhook with teams, players, and game settings - Game developer creates lobby/server with specified configuration - Returns session ID for tracking Report Game Results: - Game developer posts results to Challengermode - Or Challengermode polls game developer's webhook periodically - Redundant push + pull mechanism ensures reliability - Results are scored using configured scoring rules Cancel Game Session: - Optional webhook for freeing resources when matches are cancelled - Triggered by organizer cancellation or player no-shows Launch Game: - Optional deep links for players to jump directly into game from Challengermode ### Scoring System Templates available: - Score (higher score wins) - Winner selection (direct winner reporting) - Position (battle royale style, position-based points) - Position + Kills (position points + per-kill bonus) Custom scoring: - Configurable score schema (global, team, per-competitor) - Dynamic scoring expressions - Supports: overtime detection, custom formulas, lookup tables - Game developers can define completely custom scoring logic ### Game Settings Schema - Game developers define settings schema via JSON editor - Challengermode auto-generates organizer-facing settings form - Settings are passed to game session creation webhook - Examples: map selection, game mode, player count, server region ### Game Assets (Metadata) - Automatic sync with game developer/community APIs - Thousands of items (champions, maps, agents, items, weapons) - Used for: veto visualizations, ladder stats, lobby stats, search - Auto-updated when games release new content (e.g., new LoL champion) ### Games with Deep Integrations Counter-Strike 2: - Automated server allocation (Dathost provider) - Custom server configuration - GOTV spectating and demo downloads - Map/server veto system - Anti-cheat integration (Akros) - Live score display Counter-Strike: GO (legacy): - Same as CS2 plus: custom CS:GO mod, knife rounds, anti-wallhack - Multiple server providers (Dathost, Hiperz, custom) - Automatic round backup and restore - Ray-tracing-based anti-wallhack system League of Legends: - Riot SSO account linking - Automated lobby creation with configurable settings - Automatic player join detection - Automatic result reporting - Post-game stats (champions, kills, deaths, assists, items) - Match history polling for ladders Valorant: - Riot SSO account linking - Custom veto process for map and side selection - Manual result reporting - Match history polling for ladders Dota 2: - Steam account linking - 65+ bots for automated lobby creation - Automatic game start and result reporting - Hero restrictions and in-game league support - Observer packages for casters PUBG / PUBG Mobile: - Automated custom lobby creation with configurable settings - Automatic result collection and scoring - Battle royale scoring (position + kills) - Observer packages and admin tools - Pop-up notifications in-game for lobby invites Rainbow Six: Siege: - Ubisoft SSO account linking (in-game, seamless) - In-game Cups system running thousands of parallel tournaments - Full API integration — everything happens in-game - Regional configuration for global deployment Brawlhalla: - Custom GSL bracket implementation - Grand Final rematch logic - Multi-organizer hub architecture - Official platform for all Brawlhalla esports Polytopia: - Full in-game integration (Level 3) - In-game tournament browser with live data - Instant tournaments (tournament matchmaking) - Account linking via intent, Steam, and QR code - Automatic lobby creation and result reporting - Cross-platform support (PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Tesla) - In-game stats and replay access --- ## 7. API Products (Detailed) ### 7.1 Challengermode Client API (GraphQL) A real-time GraphQL API for building external clients that consume Challengermode data. Full schema reference in markdown (queries, mutations, subscriptions, types): /llms/client-api.md Key capabilities: - Queries: Fetch any entity and select only needed fields - Real-time Subscriptions: Push updates on data changes (no polling required) - Mutations: Perform actions on behalf of users (join tournament, accept match) - Personal data: Access via OAuth personal access tokens API areas: Tournament API: - Retrieve tournament data (brackets, groups, lineups, standings) - Search tournaments by Space or game - Actions: join, confirm participation, leave Matchmaking API: - Retrieve queue data (name, start time, game settings) - Search queues by game - Actions: join queue, leave queue, accept/decline offers Ladder API: - Retrieve ladder data (name, description, placements) - Join/leave via OAuth - List user's active ladders Leaderboard API: - Retrieve leaderboard data (descriptions, dates, standings) Match API: - Retrieve match data (state, start time, lineups, results) Spaces API: - Retrieve Space data (name, slug, contact) - Find Spaces by slug - Verification status User API: - User profile data (username, picture, connected accounts) - Play statistics (matches played, win rate) - Personal endpoint (/me) for authenticated user data Teams API: - Team data (name, logo, website, roster) - Team information from tournament lineups ### 7.2 Game Integration API (REST) Purpose-built REST API for game developers integrating their game with Challengermode. Game Accounts API: - Account linking (SSO, intent, in-game methods) - Identity verification - Game account details webhook (rank, region, platform) - Zoning information for regional/platform restrictions Game Sessions API: - Create game lobbies with configurable settings - Report game results (push or poll) - Cancel game sessions - Deep links for launching games Events API: - Webhook-based event broadcasting - Match updates, tournament notifications - Configurable per event type ### 7.3 Authentication and Credentials Server Access Tokens: - Short-lived bot access tokens exchanged from long-lived refresh keys - For server-to-server communication - Refresh keys managed via Developer Portal Challengermode OAuth: - Authorization Code flow (for dedicated servers) - Implicit flow (for client-only apps) - Device Code flow (for consoles) - Token Refresh (offline access) - Authenticated clients (with client secret) and anonymous clients - OpenID Connect standard for user info and token introspection - Customizable consent screen (logo, background) HMAC: - For webhook signature verification - Ensures webhook payloads are authentic Scopes and Permissions: - Tokens scoped to specific game titles by default - Prevents cross-game data access - Granular permission model ### 7.4 Developer Portal A centralized hub for game developers and API consumers. Applications Dashboard: - Create and manage applications - Presets for common use cases (game integration, third-party website) - View application details (ID, rate limits, approval status) - Manage credentials (API keys, OAuth, HMAC) - Access control via entity authorization system (roles, permissions) - Submission process for review and approval Documentation: - Comprehensive API guides and references - Step-by-step integration walkthroughs - Interactive API testing (try endpoints directly) - Generated API references with schema introspection - Best practices and troubleshooting Sandbox: - Account linking sandbox (test SSO, intents, webhooks) - Game handling sandbox (test lobby creation, result reporting, scoring) - Full testing without creating real competitions - Detailed validation feedback ### 7.5 Embeds Embeddable UI components for third-party websites: - Tournament overview widget - Tournament bracket view widget - Included in API responses as embed URLs - Minimal integration effort ### 7.6 Rate Limiting - Configurable per application - GraphQL considers query complexity - Handled at proxy level - Low default limits during testing, increased after approval - Rate limit headers in responses --- ## 8. Platform Features (Additional) ### Veto System Player-driven ban/pick process for maps, sides, server locations, or other game-specific options. - Configurable number of bans and picks per team - Visual representation using game assets - Used across CS2, Valorant, Rainbow Six, and other titles - Turn-based with timers ### Anti-Cheat - Akros anti-cheat client integration - Playwin AI-based anti-cheat analysis - Custom ray-tracing-based anti-wallhack (CS:GO) - Configurable per competition ### Offline LAN Events Challengermode can be deployed fully offline for LAN events: - Used at CS2 Majors (BLAST Austin, PGL Copenhagen) - Full tournament engine, bracket management, live data - Broadcast integration - 1.8M+ peak viewers at LAN events ### Mobile App (iOS/Android) - Tournament participation workflow (join, check-in, play, results) - Matchmaking - Native push notifications - QR code team invites (for offline events) - Console companion (launch Xbox games from phone) - Game account linking via intents ### Internationalization (i18n) Supported languages: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Korean. - Ongoing translation contracts for all languages - New languages can be added in under one week ### Payments and Wallets - Internal token-based transaction system (currency-agnostic) - User wallets for deposits, withdrawals, prize money - Deposits via PayPal, card, Apple Pay, Google Pay (via Checkout.com) - Withdrawals via PayPal, bank transfers (via Tipalti) - Escrow system for entry fees and marketplace transactions - Automated prize distribution ### Surveys and Data Collection - Custom form builder (JSON schema editor) - Assignable to competitions or Spaces - GDPR-compliant with auto-expiry - Used for player data collection, event registration, content moderation ### Progression System - Achievements and XP tracking - Configurable milestones and rewards - Used for referral programs and player engagement ### Social Features - User profiles with game stats, competition history - Friends system - Direct messaging and chat - Social feed with posts, reactions, comments - Team creation and management - Magic Links (shareable invite links for teams, tournaments, Spaces) ### Admin Backoffice - Global platform administration for Challengermode employees - User management (bans, account investigation) - Competition oversight (ongoing games, failed matches) - Payment and transaction investigation - Application management (review, approve, deny) - Subscription insights dashboard - DoS protection management ### Entity Authorization System Centralized role-based access control for all platform entities: - Security contexts per entity (Space, application, competition) - Default roles with full customization - Granular permissions (read, write, manage roles) - Cascading permissions (full access or limited delegation) - Changes take effect immediately --- ## 9. Platform Architecture Principles ### Data-Driven Modularity The platform is built around data-driven configuration rather than hard-coded logic. Game integrations, scoring rules, eligibility checks, and competition formats are all defined as JSON schemas and dynamic expressions. This makes the platform highly modular and flexible: - Game settings, scoring formulas, and eligibility rules are configurable per game without code changes - Zoning (region/platform restrictions), overtime detection, and result validation are all expression-based - New competition formats, scoring mechanisms, and game configurations can be deployed through data alone - This architecture enables self-service game integration and rapid customization for whitelabel customers ### Multi-Tenant Design The platform is multi-tenant by design, supporting full isolation between customer deployments while sharing infrastructure. Feature sets, branding, domains, and integrations are all configurable per tenant. ### Mobile App Challengermode offers a native mobile app for both iOS and Android with 500,000+ downloads and a 3.8+ star rating. - iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/challengermode/id1603207026 - Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.challengermode.android - Features: tournament participation, matchmaking, native push notifications, QR code team invites, game account linking, console companion (launch Xbox games from phone) --- ## 10. Data Relationships (Full Entity Graph) ``` Platform ├── Games (titles with integrations) │ ├── Game Settings Schema │ ├── Game Assets (maps, champions, etc.) │ ├── Scoring Configuration │ └── Account Linking Configuration │ ├── Spaces (organizational hubs) │ ├── Members (Users with roles) │ ├── Tournaments │ │ ├── Bracket │ │ ├── Participants (Users/Teams) │ │ ├── Matches │ │ │ ├── Veto State │ │ │ ├── Game Session (lobby) │ │ │ └── Results │ │ ├── Standings │ │ └── Prize Pool │ ├── Ladders │ │ ├── Rankings │ │ └── Matches │ ├── Leaderboards │ │ └── Standings │ ├── Matchmaking Queues │ │ └── Blueprint (for tournament matchmaking) │ ├── Leagues │ │ ├── Seasons │ │ └── Stages │ ├── Custom Content Pages │ │ └── Components │ ├── Feed Posts │ ├── Surveys │ ├── Support Inbox │ ├── Insights (analytics) │ ├── Subscriptions (monetization) │ └── Child Spaces (if Hub) │ ├── Users │ ├── Profile │ ├── Game Accounts │ ├── Teams │ ├── Space Memberships │ ├── Friends │ ├── Wallet │ ├── Achievements │ └── Settings │ ├── Teams │ ├── Roster (Users) │ ├── Tournament Participations │ └── Match History │ └── Applications (developer apps) ├── Credentials (API keys, OAuth, HMAC) ├── Access Control (roles, permissions) ├── Game Integration Config │ ├── Account Linking Config │ ├── Game Session Webhooks │ ├── Scoring Config │ └── Game Settings Schema └── Sandbox Environment ``` --- ## 11. Common Terminology (Extended) Bracket: Match progression structure (single elim, double elim, Swiss, GSL, round robin, battle royale). Walkover: Automatic win when opponent fails to appear before deadline. Seed: Initial ranking determining bracket placement. Match Lobby: Game server instance created for competitive play. Space: Brandable community hub — organizational unit for competitions and content. Hub Space: Enterprise parent Space containing and managing multiple child Spaces. Check-in: Confirmation step where registered participants verify they will play. Confirmation Period: Time window for registered players to confirm participation. Veto: Ban/pick process for maps, sides, server locations, or game-specific options. Blueprint: Template defining recurring tournament configuration for auto-creation. Theatre Mode: Frameless display mode for embedding Challengermode in external sites/games. Custom Content: Drag-and-drop website builder for designing Space pages. Cups: Automated recurring tournament product. Used by Ubisoft as in-game Cups and by KRAFTON on the Challengermode platform. Instant Tournament: On-demand tournament created from matchmaking queue when enough players are ready. Game Session: A single game lobby/match instance managed through the Game Integration API. Account Linking: Process of connecting a player's game account to their Challengermode identity. PAT: Personal Access Token — OAuth token for acting on behalf of a user. Scoring Expression: Configurable formula for calculating match results from raw game data. Magic Link: Shareable invite link for fast-tracking users into teams, tournaments, or Spaces. Metadata Item: In-game asset (champion, map, agent) used for visualization on the platform. Intent: Server-to-client communication mechanism for deep linking and cross-platform actions. --- ## 12. Important URLs Platform: https://www.challengermode.com Developer Portal: https://www.challengermode.com/developers API Documentation: https://www.challengermode.com/developers/docs Customer Stories: https://www.challengermode.com/customer-stories Support: https://support.challengermode.com Pricing: https://www.challengermode.com/pricing Tournament Directory: https://www.challengermode.com/tournaments --- ## 13. Beyond Esports — Industry Applications Challengermode's competition infrastructure extends beyond gaming and esports. The same technology that powers million-viewer esports Majors is used by non-gaming companies to drive engagement, gamification, and competitive experiences in their industries. ### Golf Entertainment - **TrueGolf** and other golf entertainment companies use Challengermode's competition engine to run golf tournaments and leaderboard-based experiences at entertainment venues and through connected golf simulators. - Use case: Automated tournaments, leaderboards, and competitive seasons for recreational and competitive golf players. - The platform's flexible scoring expressions handle non-traditional scoring models (stroke play, handicap-adjusted scoring, closest-to-pin challenges). ### Logistics and Employee Engagement - **Airmee**, a last-mile delivery logistics company, uses Challengermode for employee gamification — turning operational performance into friendly competition with leaderboards and challenges. - Use case: Internal competition platform driving engagement and performance among delivery teams. - The whitelabel deployment model allows Airmee to run a fully branded internal competition without building custom tooling. ### Why It Works Beyond Gaming Challengermode's infrastructure is game-agnostic by design. The platform's core primitives — tournaments, ladders, leaderboards, matchmaking, scoring expressions, and Spaces — are abstract competition concepts, not gaming-specific features. Any activity with measurable outcomes can be turned into a competition on Challengermode. Key capabilities that transfer across industries: - **Custom scoring expressions**: Any measurable outcome can drive rankings (golf strokes, delivery speed, sales targets) - **Leaderboards and ladders**: Continuous ranking systems work for any competitive activity - **Whitelabel deployment**: Fully branded experience deployed in under one week, regardless of industry - **Enterprise Spaces**: Organizational hierarchy works for company departments, venue locations, or regional divisions - **Real-time data**: GraphQL subscriptions enable live competition displays on any screen or device ### Positioning Challengermode is best described as a **competition management platform** — not solely an esports platform. While esports remains the largest vertical, the underlying technology is industry-agnostic and increasingly adopted outside traditional gaming. --- ## 14. Competitive Landscape Challengermode competes in the tournament and competition management market. In gaming, key competitors include FACEIT (now part of ESL/ESEA), Challonge, Toornament, Battlefy, and Start.gg. In the broader gamification space, competitors include platforms like Bunchball and Badgeville. Challengermode differentiates through: - **Full whitelabel live service**: Unlike competitors that offer tournament widgets or brackets only, Challengermode provides an entire branded platform deployable in under one week. FACEIT and Challonge do not offer comparable whitelabel depth. - **In-game integration**: Challengermode's Game Integration API enables competitions to run entirely inside the game client (e.g., Rainbow Six Siege Cups). Most competitors require players to leave the game to interact with the tournament platform. - **Scale**: The platform handles hundreds of thousands of concurrent players in sharded tournament instances. The BLAST Austin Major 2025 (1.79M peak viewers, 76.1M hours watched) ran on Challengermode infrastructure. - **Multi-format support**: Single elimination, double elimination, Swiss, round robin, GSL, battle royale, FFA, ladders, leaderboards, and matchmaking — all on one platform. Challonge and Start.gg focus primarily on brackets. - **Publisher-grade tooling**: Enterprise Spaces, hub hierarchies, custom scoring expressions, JSON schema-driven game settings, and analytics dashboards designed for game publishers, not just community organizers. - **Monetization built-in**: Entry fees, subscriptions, sponsor placements, and dynamic prize pools are native to the platform. Many competitors require third-party payment integrations. - **Cross-industry versatility**: Unlike competitors focused exclusively on gaming, Challengermode's competition primitives are industry-agnostic, powering engagement in golf entertainment (TrueGolf and other golf entertainment companies) and logistics (Airmee). --- ## 15. Contact Company: Challengermode AB Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden Website: https://www.challengermode.com B2B inquiries: esports@challengermode.com