RLCS 2026 - Boston Major: MENA Open 2

Double Elimination | January 8th – 9th, 2026

• Format: Double Elimination Bracket.

• Match Rules: All matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3) until the Top 192 teams are determined, after which all subsequent matches transition to Best-of-5 (Bo5).

• Qualification: The Top 24 teams advance to the Swiss Stage.

Swiss Stage | January 10th, 2026

• Format: A total of 32 teams are split into 2 separate groups, with each group running a 16-team Swiss System format.

• Match Rules: All matches are Best-of-5 (Bo5).

• Qualification: The Top 8 teams from each group (16 teams in total) advance to the Group Stage.

Group Stage | January 15th, 2026

• Format: The 16 remaining teams are split into 2 GSL groups consisting of 8 teams each.

• Match Rules: All matches are Best-of-5 (Bo5).

• Qualification: The Top 4 teams from each group (8 teams in total) advance to the Playoffs.

Playoffs | January 16th – 17th, 2026

• Format: AFL Final Eight system.

• Seeding: The Top 4 teams from the Group Stage enter the bracket with a "two-chance" safety net before reaching the Final Four. Teams ranked 5th–8th start in the lower tier with a "single-chance" (single-elimination) format.

• Match Rules: All matches are Best-of-7 (Bo7).