> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mettlestate.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Battlegrounds

> Continuous challenge-based competition where players issue challenges and climb a leaderboard.

Battlegrounds works differently from a cup or a tournament. There is no bracket and no fixed start time. It runs continuously, you challenge other players or teams directly, and every match you play moves you on a leaderboard.

Because it is ongoing, you are not knocked out. A loss costs you position, not participation.

## The challenge cycle

1. **Challenge** — pick an opponent from the Battlegrounds leaderboard and issue a challenge. They are notified in-platform and by email
2. **They accept or decline** — an accepted challenge becomes a scheduled match; a declined one does not
3. **Reschedule if needed** — either side can propose a new time before the match starts
4. **Play** — the match starts at the agreed time and behaves like any other match: ready up, play, submit your result with a screenshot
5. **Points are awarded** — the leaderboard updates once the result is settled

You can also be challenged. Incoming challenges arrive as notifications with the challenger's name and the competition.

## How points work

Points are awarded per match on the outcome:

| Outcome                   | Points |
| ------------------------- | ------ |
| Win                       | +100   |
| Win by forfeit            | +100   |
| Loss                      | +50    |
| Loss by forfeit           | +50    |
| Issuing a challenge       | 0      |
| **Declining a challenge** | **−5** |

Two things follow from this, and together they are the whole strategy of Battlegrounds:

**Losing still scores.** A loss is worth +50 — half a win, but far from nothing. Playing a strong opponent and losing beats not playing at all, so there is no reason to avoid a hard match.

**Declining costs you points.** It is the only outcome that subtracts.

<Warning>
  **Never decline to protect your ranking.** A decline is −5, against the +50 you would have earned by playing and losing — a swing of 55 points against you, every time.

  This is deliberate. It means you cannot climb to the top of a leaderboard and then sit there refusing challenges: your position decays as you turn people down. Staying at the top requires playing, not hiding.
</Warning>

If you genuinely cannot make a time, propose a reschedule instead of declining. Rescheduling carries no penalty.

## Divisions, promotion and relegation

Battlegrounds can run several divisions — a Semi-Pro and a Pro tier, for example. At the end of a period the top players in a lower division are promoted and the bottom players in the higher division are relegated, based on leaderboard position.

Admins set the promotion and relegation rules per stage. See [Stages](/events/stages).

## Player How-To

* Open **Battlegrounds** from the main navigation and pick a competition
* Join the competition, solo or with a team, and complete any eligibility requirements
* Open the leaderboard and challenge someone
* Accept incoming challenges — check notifications so you do not let one lapse
* Play, submit your result with a screenshot, and watch the leaderboard update

## How it differs from other events

|            | Battlegrounds                     | Cup / Tournament             |
| ---------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Structure  | Continuous leaderboard            | Fixed bracket                |
| Start      | Join and play any time            | Fixed start, check-in window |
| Opponents  | You choose, by challenge          | Drawn by seeding             |
| Losing     | Costs position, not participation | Can knock you out            |
| Scheduling | Agreed between players            | Mostly set by admins         |

## Admin Capabilities

* Configure divisions and their promotion and relegation rules
* Set the points allocation for wins, losses, and declines
* Monitor challenge activity and resolve disputes
* Adjust standings and match results directly