Back To The LAN II Black Ops 3 4v4 Tournament

Join us for Back To The LAN II 4v4 Black Ops III tournament with prizes, spectators, free play, and retro gaming!
About this Event

EVENT OVERVIEW

Armada Gaming presents Back To The LAN II on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Life Together Center in Peoria.

The main event is a 4v4 Call of Duty: Black Ops III tournament on Xbox One, featuring Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Uplink. Team entry is $120, with a prize pool starting at $300 and increasing based on registration.

We will also host a separate 1v1 Black Ops III tournament organized on the day of the event. Entry is $5 per player, with 100% of the entry fees paid back out as prize money.

Spectator passes are $10 and include access to Halo open play, general LAN gaming, and a retro gaming area. Doors open at 9:30 AM, and the main tournament begins at 10:00 AM.

TOURNAMENT RULES

These rules are designed to keep the tournament competitive, easy to understand, and running on schedule. Tournament administrators have final authority on all disputes and penalties.

EVENT FORMAT

Six or Fewer Teams

The tournament will use a round-robin group stage.

• Every team will play every other team once.
• All group-stage matches will be best-of-three.
• The top four teams will advance to the semifinals.
• Semifinals will be seeded No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3.
• Semifinals will be best-of-three.
• The championship will be best-of-five.

Seven or More Teams

The tournament will use a double-elimination bracket.

• A team is eliminated after two series losses.
• Standard bracket matches will be best-of-three.
• The Grand Final will be one best-of-five series.
• There will not be a bracket-reset series.

Armada Gaming may adjust the format if registration expands beyond eight teams or scheduling requires it. Any changes will be announced before tournament play begins.

SERIES ROTATIONS
Group Stage

1. Hardpoint
2. Uplink
3. Hardpoint

Map 3 is only played if the series is tied 1–1.

Semifinals and Standard Bracket Matches

1. Hardpoint
2. Search & Destroy
3. Uplink

Map 3 is only played if the series is tied 1–1.

Championship and Grand Final

1. Hardpoint
2. Search & Destroy
3. Uplink
4. Hardpoint
5. Search & Destroy

The first team to win three maps wins the series.

When the same mode appears twice in a series, a different map must be used each time.

MAP POOLS
Hardpoint

• Breach
• Evac
• Fringe
• Stronghold

Search & Destroy

• Breach
• Evac
• Fringe
• Hunted
• Infection
• Redwood
• Stronghold

Uplink

• Breach
• Evac
• Fringe
• Infection

Tournament administrators will assign maps before each round. Ban & Protect and formal map vetoes will not be used.

GENERAL GAMEPLAY RULES

• Matches are played 4v4.
• The Pick 10 system is enabled.
• Friendly fire is enabled.
• Health and health regeneration are set to Normal.
• Minimap is set to Normal.
• Radar Always On is disabled.
• Spectating is limited to teammates.
• Third-person spectating is disabled.
• Killcam is disabled
• Custom classes are allowed.
• Players may not change the assigned map, mode, teams, or lobby settings without administrator approval.

The higher-seeded team chooses its starting side for Map 1. Side selection alternates for the remaining maps. A coin toss will be used for unseeded matches. (Playoffs only)

WEAPON AND PERK RESTRICTIONS
Banned Weapons

• All shotguns
• All light machine guns
• All launchers
• All Black Market weapons
• All Supply Drop weapons
• All downloadable-content weapons

Allowed Weapons

Base-game weapons from the following categories are allowed:

• Assault rifles
• Submachine guns
• Sniper rifles
• Pistols
• Combat Knife

Banned Perks

• Sixth Sense
• Tracker
• Awareness
• Overclock
• Ante Up

All other base-game perks are allowed unless tournament staff announces otherwise.

ATTACHMENTS, EQUIPMENT, AND WILDCARDS
Banned Attachments

• High Caliber
• Rapid Fire
• Dual Wield
• Thermal optics

Allowed Lethal Equipment

• Frag Grenade
• Semtex

Banned Lethal Equipment

• Combat Axe
• Thermite
• C4
• Trip Mine

Players may carry only one lethal.

Allowed Tactical Equipment

• Concussion Grenade
• Flashbang
• Smoke Screen
• EMP Grenade
• Trophy System

Banned Tactical Equipment

• Shock Charge
• Black Hat

Players may carry only one tactical.

Allowed Wildcards

• Primary Gunfighter 1
• Primary Gunfighter 2
• Primary Gunfighter 3
• Secondary Gunfighter
• Perk 1 Greed
• Perk 2 Greed
• Perk 3 Greed

Banned Wildcards

• Overkill
• Danger Close
• Tactician

SCORESTREAK RULES
Hardpoint and Uplink

Only the following scorestreaks are allowed:

• Hellstorm Missile
• Lightning Strike

All other scorestreaks are banned.

Search & Destroy

Hellstorm Missile, Lightning Strike, and all other scorestreaks are banned.

Players are responsible for selecting the correct scorestreaks before each map begins.

SPECIALIST RULES

• Specialists are allowed.
• Teams may not use duplicate Specialists during the same map.
• Each player must choose either the Specialist weapon or Specialist ability.
• Players may change Specialists between maps.
• Players may not change Specialists during a map.
• Rejack is banned.
• HIVE is banned.
• A formal Specialist Draft will not be used.

Duplicate Specialists discovered before meaningful gameplay begins must be corrected before the map continues.

HARDPOINT RULES

Objective

Teams earn points by controlling the active Hardpoint. If players from both teams are inside the hill, it is contested and neither team scores.

Settings

• Score Limit: 250
• Time Limit: 5 minutes
• Hardpoint Lifetime: 60 seconds
• Hardpoint Order: Fixed
• Capture Time: Instant
• Scoring: Constant
• Pause Game Clock While Scoring: Enabled
• Standard Respawn Delay: 2.5 seconds
• Suicide Respawn Penalty: 3 seconds

Winning the Map

The first team to reach 250 points wins.

If neither team reaches 250, the team with the higher score when the game clock expires wins.

An exact tie will result in a full replay of the map.

SEARCH & DESTROY RULES

Objective

The attacking team must plant and detonate the bomb. The defending team must prevent the plant or defuse the bomb.

Each player has one life per round.

Settings

• Round Win Limit: 6
• Round Time Limit: 1 minute, 30 seconds
• Bomb Timer: 45 seconds
• Plant Time: 5 seconds
• Defuse Time: 7.5 seconds
• Switch Sides: Every round
• Multi-Bomb: Disabled
• Silent Plant: Enabled

Winning the Map

The first team to win six rounds wins.

If the score reaches 5–5, Round 11 determines the winner.

UPLINK RULES

Objective

Teams score by carrying or throwing the satellite drone into the opposing team’s Uplink station.

• Carrying the drone into the station is worth 2 points.
• Throwing the drone into the station is worth 1 point.

Settings

• Two rounds
• Five minutes per round
• Teams switch sides after Round 1
• Respawn Delay: 5 seconds
• Drone Reset Time: 15 seconds
• Enemy Carrier Indicator: Delayed

ROSTERS AND CHECK-IN

• Each team registers four starting players.
• One substitute may be registered.
• Substitutes must be declared before check-in closes.
• A player may only compete for one team.
• Players may not switch teams after the tournament begins.
• Emergency substitutions require administrator approval.
• Teams must have at least three eligible players to begin a match.

Doors open at 9:30 AM, and tournament play begins at 10:00 AM.

Teams should be checked in, seated, and ready before the tournament starts.

Unless a delay is caused by the event:

• A team more than 10 minutes late may forfeit Map 1.
• A team more than 20 minutes late may forfeit the series.

CONTROLLERS AND EQUIPMENT

Players may bring compatible controllers and headsets.

The following are prohibited:

• Turbo or rapid-fire functions
• Macros or scripts
• Cronus devices
• Unauthorized adapters
• Devices that automate inputs
• Modified hardware or software that provides an advantage

Tournament staff may inspect player equipment.

Players are responsible for their personal equipment. A personal controller or headset failure does not automatically qualify for a restart.

DISCONNECTS AND RESTARTS

Players must notify an administrator immediately when a technical issue occurs.

A map may be restarted when:

• The issue happens within the first 30 seconds.
• No kills have occurred.
• No meaningful scoring or objective progress has occurred.

If an issue happens later, the administrator will decide whether the map continues, is restarted, or is recreated.

Players may not end a map, dashboard, restart a console, or leave the lobby without administrator approval.

COACHING AND OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE

• Coaching is allowed between maps.
• Coaching is not allowed while a map is being played.
• Spectators may not provide locations, strategies, spawn information, or other assistance.
• Stream watching, screen watching, or intentionally viewing an opponent’s monitor is prohibited.

Outside assistance may result in spectator removal or a penalty against the benefiting team.

CONDUCT AND FAIR PLAY

The following are prohibited:

• Cheating
• Using unintended map exploits
• Going outside the intended playable area
• Tampering with consoles or network equipment
• Intentionally interfering with another player’s equipment
• Slurs or discriminatory language
• Threats, harassment, or physical intimidation
• Fighting or unwanted physical contact
• Deliberately distracting opponents during play
• Refusing to follow staff instructions

Normal wall-running, sliding, thrust jumping, and intended map positions are allowed.

RULE VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES

Players should report violations to tournament staff as soon as possible.

Do not end the map yourself unless there is a safety concern or an administrator instructs you to stop.

Possible penalties include:

1. Warning
2. Loss of side selection
3. Map forfeiture
4. Series forfeiture
5. Removal from the tournament
6. Disqualification from prizes or future events

Tournament staff may issue a stronger penalty immediately for cheating, threats, intentional exploitation, or equipment tampering.

All administrator decisions are final.

GROUP-STAGE TIEBREAKERS

Group-stage standings will be determined in this order:

1. Series record
2. Head-to-head result
3. Record among tied teams
4. Map differential among tied teams
5. Overall map differential
6. Overall maps won
7. Search & Destroy tiebreaker

Map differential is calculated by subtracting maps lost from maps won.

Examples:

• A 2–0 win gives the winning team a +2 differential.
• A 2–1 win gives the winning team a +1 differential.

For a two-team tie, the head-to-head winner receives the higher seed.

For a tie involving three or more teams, results and map differential among only the tied teams will be considered first.

Tournament staff will choose the map and starting sides for any required Search & Destroy tiebreaker.

PRIZE POOL AND RULE UPDATES

The prize pool begins at $300 and increases based on paid registration.

The final prize amount and payout structure will be announced before bracket play begins.

Armada Gaming may update these rules before the event to address registration totals, technical limitations, scheduling needs, or game-breaking issues. Material changes will be communicated to registered teams.

By registering or participating, players agree to follow these rules and the decisions of tournament administrators.