"Where Champions Rise"
Critical Ops Obsidian 2026 is where ambition meets competition in one of the most intense Critical Ops tournaments of the year. Obsidian is a three-stage tournament designed to reward consistency in league play and clutch performance in playoffs.
Each stage has a handcrafted format to promote competitive integrity. Stage 1 begins with Open Qualifiers where teams compete until only the Top 8 remain and advance. Stage 2 features an 8-team BO2 league, where each team plays every other team to determine the Top 4 who advance to Playoffs.
Follow this comprehensive video guide to learn how to sign up for Obsidian 2026. The tutorial covers everything from Discord bot registration to creating your team and managing your lineup.
All Players
- Register with @PolarisGG Bot using
/registerin #bot-use with your correct IGN and Game ID. - You may also invite the bot to your own server and register there.
- Accept your team invite once your captain has added you — use
/profileto confirm. - Join PolarisGG Discord to do these steps
Captains
- Register first, then use
/create_team. - Ensure you are creating a team in the correct region for your team and its players.
- Invite players to your team using
/invite_player @user, @user, etc. - Join PolarisGG Discord to do these steps
Sign-Up
- As team captain, apply for the tournament using
/apply. - Ensure all players have joined your team first — check with
/myteam. - Note: The owner of the team on the @PolarisGG bot will be added to the captain role upon Check In.
- Join PolarisGG Discord to do these steps
Obsidian 2026 uses the Obsidian Format — a 3-stage structure designed to reward consistency and clutch performance.
The playoffs follow the Obsidian bracket — a top-seeded advantage format that still allows lower seeds to make a run.
| Date | Round |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 — BO3 Matches | |
| 16–29 Jan | Registration Period |
| 30 Jan | Brackets Release |
| 30–31 Jan | Round of 64 |
| 1 Feb | Round of 32 |
| 6 Feb | Round of 16 |
| Stage 2 — BO2 Matches | |
| 8 Feb | League Schedule Release |
| 8–12 Feb | League Match #1 |
| 13–14 Feb | League Match #2 |
| 15–19 Feb | League Match #3 |
| 20–21 Feb | League Match #4 |
| 22–26 Feb | League Match #5 |
| 27–28 Feb | League Match #6 |
| 1–5 Mar | League Match #7 |
| Stage 3 — Playoffs | |
| 7 Mar · 7:00PM CET / 1:00PM EST | Match 1 — 1st vs 2nd (BO3) |
| 8 Mar · 6:00PM CET / 1:00PM EDT | Match 2 — 3rd vs 4th (BO3) |
| 14 Mar · 7:00PM CET / 2:00PM EDT | Match 3 — Loser M1 vs Winner M2 (BO3) |
| 15 Mar · 6:00PM CET / 1:00PM EDT | Grand Final (BO5) |
Additional Info: Specific match times will be posted on Discord as the tournament progresses.
Disclaimer: The schedule may be adjusted based on team availability and match requirements.
| Date | Round |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 — BO3 Matches | |
| 26 Mar – 2 Apr | Registration Period |
| 3 Apr | Brackets Release |
| 4–5 Apr | Round of 64 |
| 11–12 Apr | Round of 32 |
| 18–19 Apr | Round of 16 |
| Stage 2 — BO2 Matches | |
| 21 Apr | League Schedule Release |
| 21–25 Apr | League Match #1 |
| 26 Apr – 1 May | League Match #2 |
| 2–3 May | League Match #3 |
| 4–9 May | League Match #4 |
| 10–15 May | League Match #5 |
| 16 May | League Match #6 |
| 17 May | League Match #7 |
| Stage 3 — Playoffs | |
| 23 May · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 1 — 1st vs 2nd |
| 30 May · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 2 — 3rd vs 4th |
| 6 Jun · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 3 |
| 7 Jun · 6:30PM CEST / 12:30PM EDT | Grand Final |
Additional Info: Specific match times will be posted on Discord as the tournament progresses.
Disclaimer: The schedule may be adjusted based on team availability and match requirements.
| Date | Round |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 — BO3 Matches | |
| 11–18 Jul | Registration Period |
| 19 Jul | Brackets Release |
| 20–24 Jul | Round of 64 |
| 25–26 Jul | Round of 32 |
| 27-31 Jul | Round of 16 |
| Stage 2 — BO2 Matches | |
| 1 Aug | League Schedule Release |
| 2-6 Aug | League Match #1 |
| 7-8 Aug | League Match #2 |
| 9-13 Aug | League Match #3 |
| 14-15 Aug | League Match #4 |
| 16-20 Aug | League Match #5 |
| 21-22 Aug | League Match #6 |
| 23-27 Aug | League Match #7 |
| Stage 3 — Playoffs | |
| 29 Aug · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 1 — 1st vs 2nd |
| 30 Aug · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 2 — 3rd vs 4th |
| 5 Sep · 7:00PM CEST / 1:00PM EDT | Match 3 |
| 6 Sep · 6:30PM CEST / 12:30PM EDT | Grand Final |
Additional Info: Specific match times will be posted on Discord as the tournament progresses.
Disclaimer: The schedule may be adjusted based on team availability and match requirements.
Prizing is per player except the cash prize.
Playoffs Prizing
Stage 2 Prizing
Specialty Prizing
Prizing must be claimed by the winning captain within 12 months of the event conclusion.
Points awarded per Obsidian based on final tournament placement. Points accumulate across all three Obsidian stages toward Odyssey qualification.
| Placement | Obsidian 1 | Obsidian 2 | Obsidian 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| 2nd | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| 3rd | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 4th | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| 5th | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 6th | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 7th | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 8th | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Roster Continuity Rules
- Teams must maintain at least 3 players from the previous stage's roster to carry over full accumulated points.
- The first lineup change between stages is free. The second costs 1 point. A third change removes all points earned in the prior Obsidian.
- A lineup change is the addition of 1 player at a time. Players may be removed at any time.
Carryover Requirement
- Between each Obsidian you must keep 5 players from the previous Obsidian to add points on the cumulative leaderboard.
- If your lineup doesn't meet the threshold, you lose that stage's points toward your cumulative total.
- If you didn't play a prior Obsidian, that stage's carryover requirement doesn't apply.
Tournament Settings
Participating Teams
[UPR]
dom
tiny
tyluh
Josh
nova
Alysa Liu
[UE]
Mehi_
Hazzouna
Good
Darkling
Minji
Safari
[PRGX]
Kral Sadok
PTX
MexaIl
Tyx
Crux
Shadow
[EXCL]
Punch
GTA
Devil
Mossya
King
TMUA
[SN]
Cameroni
Airways
Annecy
Crackle
[ICE]
James
wow
CampioneSJ
Luceat
Malik
Valy
shakz
[INS]
Aim
Mail
Nick
Insane
[MNCY]
Cold
Boss
Rip
Stardrop
Schedule
Results
Bracket
Series Combined Stats
Map Statistics
Rules
1.1. Every player must have at least 2000 kills (ranked + custom). A player with less than 2000 kills may not play under any circumstances.
1.2. Players and/or teams on the PolarisGG Blacklist may not play in any Polaris event.
1.3. Players must be on up-to-date OS versions: iPad OS 26+, iPhone OS 26+, Android 14+.
1.4. All participants must use a mobile device. Google Play Games PC users are unable to participate.
1.5. This event is hosted on Discord; brackets are on Challonge. Teams must actively monitor both.
1.6. Additional rules, schedule changes, and other information will be announced in captain news channels.
1.7. A player's ping must average below 150 ms.
1.8. Nade Stacking is allowed.
1.9. Polaris Staff and streamers may participate but cannot stream or involve themselves with any match.
1.10. Staff may request a player record and submit their recording if cheating is suspected.
1.11. Match-fixing in any form is prohibited.
1.12. A player cannot be part of more than one lineup, and cannot be added if they were already eliminated in the event with another team.
1.13. Forfeiting (agreeing to a match and not showing up) may result in a team blacklist from future Critical Ops Official Tournaments for the rest of the year.
1.14. Monetary prizes must be claimed by the winning captain within 12 months of the tournament's conclusion. Failure to claim may result in removal of prizing.
2.1. A team must consist of a minimum of 5 and maximum of 7 players.
2.2. Every player must have at least 2000 kills. Refer to 1.1.
2.3. Every participant must be registered in the PolarisGG Discord bot using /register with their correct IGN and Game ID.
2.4. A team must be created with /create_team in #bot-use, selecting the correct region. Only one captain can be delegated at a time. A logo must be included for all teams reaching Stage 2.
2.5. A participant cannot be captain for more than one team at a time.
2.6. Each player account and team must meet the following requirements:
- IGN and Account ID are provided correctly
- Not banned or restricted by Critical Force
- IGN and team tag are deemed appropriate
- Player is not on the Polaris Blacklist
2.7. Lineup changes: The lineup cannot be changed during Obsidian Leagues. There are 2 lineup changes available between stages. The first is free; the second costs 1 point; a third removes all points from the prior Obsidian. Each change adds 1 player at a time.
2.8. The use of operative (smurf) accounts is forbidden.
2.9. Every user is allowed only one Polaris Bot account. Multiple accounts will result in a ban.
2.10. Players must not change their in-game name for the duration of the current Obsidian stage.
3.1. Each team must join the room within 15 minutes of room info being sent. Failure to have at least 3 players after 15 minutes results in disqualification.
3.2. Games may start as a 4v5 but cannot start as a 4v4.
3.3. If required, all players must complete the Anti-Cheat Measures (5) before joining the game. All players must record Anti-Cheat Measures for Playoffs; for Qualifiers and League Stage, only on request.
3.4. Using 3rd party software or hardware (VPNs, emulators, crosshair apps, mechanical devices, etc.) is forbidden. Exceptions at staff discretion.
3.5. Mid-game substitutions are allowed if the player is on the team's current lineup and completes required anti-cheat steps.
3.6. No mutual agreements can be made to skip recording requirements, anti-cheat steps, allow blacklisted players, or use 3rd party software.
3.7. Teams should refrain from using ALL CHAT once the game starts. Persistent violations risk disqualification.
3.8. Special commands are prohibited during a match. Timeouts are allowed but should be used sparingly.
3.9. No player may spectate or join the opposing team's side mid-game. Doing so voids the map.
3.10. Room permissions must be given to a Polaris Staff member or streamer/caster if present.
3.11. Teams cannot protest during a game unless clear and evident cheating has occurred. Contact staff immediately for major issues.
3.12. All players must stay until the final scoreboard. Leaving early may result in punishment.
3.13. Map pool: Plaza, Canals, Legacy, Village, Port, Bureau, Grounded.
Before Match
4.1. Players must have at least 3GB of free storage per map.
4.2. The captain must ensure the correct lineup is playing and all players are present on the team's tournament lineup.
4.3. Map bans must be completed on Discord in the dedicated match channel using the PolarisGG Bot.
4.4. Captains must record the Anti-Cheat Measures for all stages that require it. Teams can request a maximum of 3 players from the opposing lineup to upload recordings during Qualifiers and League Stage.
4.5. Teams must be available during scheduled round times and play matches within those times. Failure results in disqualification.
4.6. Team Captains are fully responsible for their team. Failure to respond or comply may result in disqualification.
4.7. Map banning must be completed at least 1 hour before the match's scheduled start time.
During Match
Refer to Game Rules (3).
After Match
4.8. The captain must immediately send the final scoreboard screenshot to the match-up channel.
4.9. Teams have 10 minutes after the match to protest foul play. Protesting after this window will not change the result.
4.10. If required, recordings must be uploaded to YouTube and the link sent to the specified Discord channel or staff member.
All players must have a minimum of 3GB free per map to record.
Qualifiers & League Stage: Players only have to upload recordings on request from the opposing team or staff. Refer to Match Rules (4.4).
Playoffs: All players must record Anti-Cheat Measures throughout all rounds. Only requested players must upload.
Recordings must be kept until a Polaris Staff member confirms the match. Each player has a maximum of 45 minutes per map to upload.
The recording must include:
- All Anti-Cheat Measures (5.1–5.3) completed properly for your device
- 3 rounds of gameplay
- No tampering or editing
- At least 720p quality
- Two separate recordings: one for Anti-Cheat Measures, one for gameplay
- Anti-Cheat recordings cannot be sped up
- Gameplay recordings may be sped up by a maximum of 4x
Inability to meet any of the above may result in disqualification.
Credits: Critical Force (aias)
Players must be on iPadOS 26 or above.
- Begin recording and close all apps in the multi tab, including Critical Ops.
- Open the Clock app → Stopwatch → press Start.
- Settings → General → About: show device info, scroll through.
- General → iPad Storage → find Critical Ops and tap it.
- Battery tab: scroll through last 24 hours and last 10 days, tapping to show activity.
- Screen Time: scroll last week, tap Show More, find Critical Ops and press it; then switch to Day tab and repeat.
- Privacy → scroll to Developer Mode. If on, turn it off.
- Return to Clock app, show stopwatch time.
- App Store → search Critical Ops → open it. Keep stopwatch visible via multitask. Do not swipe off the clock app.
- In-game Store → attempt to buy credits (do not purchase).
- Join room and spectate (or join your side if substitute), showing stopwatch the entire time.
- End Settings recording. Immediately start gameplay recording.
- Show stopwatch, pause and end it. You may now leave the clock app.
Continue recording for the first 3 rounds.
Players must be on iOS 26 or above.
- Begin recording and close all apps in the multi tab.
- Clock → Stopwatch → Start.
- Settings → General → About: scroll through device info.
- General → iPhone Storage → find Critical Ops and tap it.
- Battery tab: scroll last 24 hours and last 10 days, showing activity.
- Screen Time: scroll last week, find Critical Ops and press it; switch to Day tab and repeat.
- Privacy → Developer Mode. If on, turn off.
- Return to Clock app, show stopwatch time.
- App Store → search Critical Ops → open it.
- In-game Store → attempt to buy credits (do not purchase).
- Join room and spectate (or join your side).
- Control Centre → timer icon → stopwatch.
- Return to Critical Ops via multitask. End Settings recording. Immediately start gameplay recording.
- Control Centre → stopwatch → end it. Return to Critical Ops.
Continue recording for the first 3 rounds.
Android players must be on Android 14 or above. Install Smart Multi Floating Clock before recording.
- Start the floating stopwatch timer.
- Settings → My Device / About Device: show for 2+ seconds, then All Specifications (4+ seconds), then Status (4+ seconds).
- Download InstaPay Egypt from the Play Store. Open and run for at least 7 seconds.
- Download Halifax Mobile Banking from the Play Store. Open and run for at least 7 seconds.
- Download Package Manager. Accept user agreement. Search: "oasis", "bay", then "critical". Tap the Critical Ops result → Full Details → scroll entirely through the App Info section.
- Play Store → search Critical Ops → open game. Join room and spectate. End stopwatch (long press → OK). End Settings recording.
- Immediately start gameplay recording. Record first 3 rounds.
Polaris reserves the right to modify these rules at any time without prior notice, and to remove teams or players for reasons not stated here.