“This oughta get his attention.”
   –Dodger

In the world of KeyForge, vaults are highly sought after for the precious resources that they contain. When a vault is discovered in the wilds, rival Archons will often clash in an attempt to gather Æmber, forge keys, and open the treasured vault.

In these epic vault battles, Archons will enlist their followers to fight on their behalf! Some of these followers have earned a reputation in the Crucible for being the most fierce and renowned fighters alive. These battle-hardened beings, known as VaultWarriors, spend their days seeking out greater challenges, often staying with an Archon for years as they fight for not only precious Æmber, but glory!​ Now these storied VaultWarriors are fighting over new vaults that contain something very special.

In this upcoming pro-level KeyForge series, ten VaultWarrior Qualifiers will be held around the world, each with a $10,000 prize pool! On top of that, the top players from these Organized Play events will gain an invitation to the VaultWarrior Championship, a premier event in Miami, Florida with a colossal $100,000 prize pool! Rise, VaultWarrior—seek your fortune within these hallowed vaults and become a true legend of the Crucible!

What Is the VaultWarrior Series?

The VaultWarrior series is a new, high-level series of KeyForge tournaments with a focus on current set formats and crazy cash prizes! Like ongoing Vault Tour events, the upcoming VaultWarrior series of tournaments will be held all around the world! The series is split into three tiers of events.

On the first tier, you'll find the VaultWarrior Tryouts, special events run by stores, tournament organizers, and event groups that let their winners earn a free seat at a VaultWarrior Qualifier! While there are no cash prizes on this tier, players can win unique prizes that you won't find anywhere else! Retailers or tournament organizers that are interested in hosting a VaultWarrior Tryout event may now apply here!​

Moving up from the Tryouts, ten VaultWarrior Qualifiers will be held all around the world, and participants must either earn their seats through a Tryout event or pay an entry fee. On the line at each VaultWarrior Qualifier, you'll find a total prize pool of $10,000, with the winner of each event taking home $2,500! The Top 32 players from each of these VaultWarrior Qualifiers will be invited to the VaultWarrior Championship, the grand culmination of the series and the third and final event tier!

Players can earn a seat to the VaultWarrior Championship through a VaultWarrior Qualifier or at a Last Chance Qualifier tournament held in the days leading up to the main event. The top players from each qualifier will be able to go on to participate in the grand finale of the VaultWarrior series, the VaultWarrior Championship! As a multi-day event with numerous side events and a $100,000 prize pool, the stakes and excitement at the VaultWarrior Championship will be at an all-time high! The winner of this prestigious event will walk away with $25,000!

What's the Schedule?

The VaultWarrior tournament series kicks off in 2020 and runs until the grand finale, the VaultWarrior Championship. Retailers or tournament organizers may apply to host a VaultWarrior Tryout, and if selected, they will be able to purchase an event kit and the ability to host a VaultWarrior Tryout with the Global Event Manager, or GEM. The winner of a VaultWarrior Tryout will be given a free seat to be redeemed at a VaultWarrior Qualifier. From there, players can earn a seat at the VaultWarrior Championship by placing in the Top 32 of a VaultWarrior Qualifier or by paying an entry fee and participating in a Last Chance Qualifier tournament. 

These Last Chance Qualifier tournaments will be held in the days leading up to the main event, with two qualifiers per day and five rounds per event. Players who win four rounds or more will earn a seat at the VaultWarrior Championship! If desired, players who do not have a seat for the VaultWarrior Championship may participate in more than one Last Chance Qualifier, but an entry fee will be required for each one. 

Multiple side events will also be taking place throughout the VaultWarrior Championship, with a special focus on the Sealed format. In addition, running alongside the main event, you'll find a full-on Vault Tour! Players who are unable to secure their seats through a Last Chance Qualifier tournament may participate in all of these side events, which will yield physical prizes on top of tons of valuable Æmbershards!

What Are the Prizes?

The VaultWarrior Qualifiers and the VaultWarrior Championship are the first KeyForge tournaments to offer cash prizes! You can see the full breakdown of these cash rewards below.

In addition to cash prizes, Æmber hunters looking to add to their pile of Æmbershards may gain this precious digital commodity through participating in VaultWarrior Tryout side events, the VaultWarrior Championship Vault Tour, and VaultWarrior Championship Last Chance Qualifiers. (Note that players with invites to the VaultWarrior Championship cannot participate in Last Chance Qualifiers.)

Players can also win physical prizes in all three tiers of the VaultWarrior series—we will have more to share on these exciting KeyForge prizes in the future!

What Formats Are Used?

As with any official KeyForge event, one of two formats will be used for tournament play: Archon or Sealed. In the Archon format, you can choose any deck (or decks) in your collection to bring to an event. In the Sealed format, on the other hand, you will open one or more brand-new decks to use at the event. Alongside these two formats, a variant may also be used to provide a fresh and fun spin to the game. To learn more about formats and variants, please refer to the official KeyForge Formats and Variants document. The following formats and variants will be used for the VaultWarrior series.

For VaultWarrior Qualifiers, participants will play Day 1 using the Adaptive, Triad or Solo Best of 3 variant and a deck from the current KeyForge set. On Day 2, players must bring one deck from each of the two previous sets, using "2 Deck Elimination," a new sub-variant where each player chooses one (of two) decks from their opponent to play against; the other deck is eliminated from that round. After you and your opponent have each chosen a deck to eliminate, you can then play using the Adaptive, Solo Best of 3, or Reversal variant, depending on the tournament structure. Then, the players who have the highest combined score from Day 1 and Day 2 will go on to compete on Day 3, choosing a deck to use from Day 1 or Day 2.

The Last Chance Qualifier events for the VaultWarrior Championship will use the current set with the Archon format and Adaptive variant. Lastly, the Vault Tour that runs alongside the main event during the VaultWarrior Championship will be using the Sealed solo format.

Like the wild world of KeyForge, things can always change, and it's certainly possible that formats or variants will be added or altered. Bookmark this page or stay tuned for future VaultWarrior announcements!

What Does This Mean for Other KeyForge Events?

Organized Play will always be focused on creating and facilitating fun events for all types of players. The new VaultWarrior series is a standalone high-tier competitive tournament series for those players looking for higher stakes games and prizes. With the rest of the KeyForge Organized Play events, we are committed to providing a wide range of competitive play.

Who Are the VaultWarriors?

Drawing crowds from all over when they fight, the VaultWarriors can be credited for turning vault battles into what’s now become a type of sporting event. Their raw display of strength and dexterity is a wonder to behold, and these gladiatorial conflicts have now become high-end entertainment not only for the locals but for fans everywhere! Through the use of datapages and holoflash broadcasts, these epic encounters are broadcasted all across the Crucible. Even highlight streams of famous matches are extremely popular, like the legendary battles between Censorius (also known as Miss Onyx) and Argus the Supreme, dubbed “the Radiant” by his Sanctum followers.

VaultWarriors are the very best athletes the Crucible has to offer. They are the champions that stand tall among the combatants that pledge themselves to Archons in pursuit of Æmber and adventure!

Ascend to New Heights!

Fortune and adventure await! Soon, you can experience the world of KeyForge on a whole new level! Face the greatest challenge the Crucible has yet to offer and overcome any who would stand in your path. Rise up, seize your reward, and become a VaultWarrior Champion! Be sure to check back in the coming months as we continue to share more details about the VaultWarrior series, including a sneak peak of the physical prizes! We can't wait​ to see how new legends are forged!