As the first competitive season of 2026 draws to a close, a major showdown awaits. This January, players who have qualified since the 2025 World Championship will face off to determine who will be the first to secure a spot in the 2026 World Championship Finals. This marks the first major milestone of the Year 2 circuit, and we are thrilled to share the full details with you today.

The Winter Season Finals is a two-day online Constructed tournament hosted on Board Game Arena.

• Day 1: Saturday, January 31st at 3:00 PM (UTC+1) A Swiss-style phase consisting of up to 10 rounds, depending on the total number of participants.
• Day 2: Sunday, February 1st at 3:00 PM (UTC+1) A Top 32 single-elimination bracket featuring the top-ranked players from Day 1.

• Swiss Phase: Matches are Single-Game (Bo1) with a 30-minute time limit.
• Top Cut: Matches are Best-of-Three (Bo3) with a 75-minute time limit.

Tournament Rules: The format is Standard Constructed (Set 1 through Set 4). All qualified players must use their own Altered account; account sharing is strictly prohibited, and players must play using their own digital card collection.

Since every player in this tournament qualified through the competitive circuit, we wanted a prize pool that honors that achievement. From participation rewards to the top prize, here is what you can win during the Winter Season Finals:

• World Finals 2026 Qualification
• 50 Unique Cards from Set 4 Skybound Odyssey
• 200€ in POD credit
• Expert Pack from next Gamefound campaign

• World Finals 2026 Qualification
• 30 Unique Cards from Set 4 Skybound Odyssey
• 100€ in POD credit

• World Finals 2026 Qualification
• 15 Unique Cards from Set 4 Skybound Odyssey

• 15 Unique Cards from Set 4 Skybound Odyssey

• Top 32 Qualifier Brassbug Token

• All-Star Invitational 2026 Qualification

• World Championship Qualifier 2026 Hexarch card

All players will receive an exclusive Winter Season Mana Moth Token to reward their participation.

Many of you have already qualified over the past few months through partner league tournaments or at your local game store. You can view the list of qualified players here.

League organizers will contact you in the coming days to collect necessary details. In the meantime, please review your Board Game Arena settings, as you will be required to provide both your Altered and BGA account information prior to the Finals.

If you believe your name should be on this list, please contact your league organizer or local game store to confirm they have registered you as a winner. Should any technical issues persist, organizers should contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

Still haven’t qualified? You have until January 29th to secure your spot via our partner leagues or local stores! Retailers: if you need any help with the qualification or reporting process, please reach out to [email protected] immediately so we can assist you.

The tournament will be broadcast live in both English and French. Partner league organizers are currently working on additional coverage options and will update this page as more information becomes available.

• English broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/@AlteredWeeklyOnlineLeague
• French broadcast: https://www.twitch.tv/kaaleb_fr