Burning Skies

“It's a promise to the rebels. It's called Inferno Squad.”
   –Admiral Garrick Versio, Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

The 2019 Star Wars™​: X-Wing World Championship may have concluded, but the battle for dominance over the galaxy still rages on. You can join the action and take the fight to the skies in the ongoing System Open Series, where you can compete for brand-new prizes and test your abilities against rival squadron commanders.

The new lineup of System Open Series events launches with a swarm of engagements taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from December 6–8 at PAX Unplugged. During these weekend-long events, you can take part in an array of fun side events and come head to head with other fantastic players as you face off in a two-day championship event, potentially earning numerous placement prizes, and if you finish within the Top 8, gaining an invitation to the next Star Wars: X-Wing World Championship!

Now, the time has come to take command of your squadron and fight for your faction! Test your piloting skills against some of the best players in the galaxy at a System Open event and win some of the greatest prizes offered in Star Wars: X-Wing!​
 

Armed for Action

Before you head out to your first System Open Series event, there are a couple of noteworthy structural changes that you should be aware of!

The main event, the System Open tournament, will use the Hyperspace game mode instead of Extended. As before, each System Open Tournament will feature a two-day championship with six rounds of Swiss on Day 1, followed by a set of single-elimination rounds on Day 2. Players will receive several prize tickets at the start of the main event, simply for participating, so that they can customize their personal prize package.

Hyperspace Qualifiers are being replaced by the World Championship Qualifiers. Though both serve the same purpose, offering players extra prize tickets and another opportunity to secure their seats at the next World Championship, the World Championship Qualifier uses the Extended game mode and features five total rounds of Swiss, not six. As before, players may still join in on the action after being eliminated from the System Open Series main event, with byes for the rounds they missed, up until the Top 8.

A new addition to System Open Series side events are Aces High Pods. Using the Extended or Hyperspace game modes, these events can hold up to eight players per pod, with two groups of four players playing two rounds of the Aces High scenario from the Epic Battles Multiplayer Expansion, with some minor adjustments. All other relevant System Open Series event structure information can be found on the newly updated event page.

Now that you're familiar with the new rules of engagement, read on to discover the prizes that await ace pilots!

Prize Station

Through the Prize Station, you can customize your personal prize package simply by participating in the System Open Series. You'll be given several prize tickets at the start of the event and through playing in the System Open tournament and other side events, you'll earn more tickets as you play (and extra tickets for each win) which can be exchanged for a variety of rewards at the Prize Station. Choose the prizes that best suit you and customize your squadron as you see fit! 

At the new System Open Series events, the Prize Station will include alternate ship punch, promotional cards, an alternate art damage deck, tokens, and premium plastic cards, including Omega Squadron Ace, Bravo Flight Officer, and Red Squadron Expert!

Top 64 and Top 32 

At the heart of each System Open Series event is the System Open tournament, which features exclusive rewards for top competitors. On the line at each tournament is a suite of Inferno Squad-themed prizes, many of which will be awarded to players who make the Top 32 cut. For their efforts, these players will receive an acrylic red and black range ruler set and a spread of plastic cards featuring Iden Versio, Gideon Hask, Seyn Marana, and Del Meeko. In addition, the Top 64 players will receive a foam box featuring artwork of Iden Versio and the Inferno Squad!

Top 16, Top 8, and Top 4

Continuing the theme of this System Open Series, the Top 16 players will receive a set of Inferno Squad maneuver templates. In addition, each player who secures a Top 8 finish will earn a spot at the next Star Wars: X-Wing World Championship​! Finally, those who crack into the Top 4 will also receive a template tray to complement the previously-earned range rulers and maneuver templates.

Finalist and Champion

At each System Open Series event, the champion will be rewarded with a trophy featuring Iden Versio, a flight to the X-Wing World Championship, and an invitation to the exclusive Coruscant Invitational! Even if you make it to the final table but are unable to secure victory over your opponent in the final engagement, you'll still walk away with a one-of-a-kind plaque, denoting your impressive achievement at this competitive Star Wars​: X-Wing event.

Ready to Launch

You can take the fight to the skies in the new System Open Series events held all around the world, beginning with a System Open in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from December 6–8 at PAX Unplugged. Check back on the System Open Series page soon as we begin to add more dates and locations for these exciting Star Wars: X-Wing events!