Project Storm 2026 – ITGmania Singles

Overview

Resources

Specifications

Software

  • Operating System: Linux Mint
  • Engine: Latest ITGmania (v1.3.0 as of July 7th, 2026)
  • Theme: Latest Simply Love (v5.9.0 as of July 7th, 2026)

Hardware

  • Pads: ITG2 dedicab
  • Monitor: LG 32″ 144hz+
  • I/O: STAC, STAC2

Qualifying/Seeding

Player seeding will be determined manually by the TOs based on historic tournament performance and the player’s performance/placement in online events, such as ITL Online and Blueshift, with bias towards more recent events.

In the event a player is unable to be placed accurately based on the above criteria, the TOs will ask for additional seeding criteria, such as a submission of scores they think represent their current skill level. If the player does not have access to ITGmania, submissions from PIU/DDR/SMX may be used as an approximation of skill level.

General Tournament Rules

Song Modifier Options

Players may use any settings or modifiers available in Simply Love with the following exceptions:

  • Fail type will be ImmediateContinue – failed attempts will record the score at time of failure
  • On songs labeled No CMOD, players must use either an M or X speed mod.
  • The “Show Step Statistics” option is preferred and enabled by default, but can be disabled at player request.
  • Mods that alter the chart’s note counts, such as “Simple” or “DisableMines”, are not allowed. 
  • The “Mirror” mod is allowed, but other Turn modifiers, such as “Left” and “Shuffle”, as well as half-mirror variations “UD-Mirror” and “LR-Mirror,” are not allowed.
  • Basic visual mods such as Hide Background, Screen Filter, and Mini are allowed.

Pad Errors/Recalculations

If during a match a player believes that their pad is malfunctioning or misfiring, resulting in erroneous judgments, they can request a score recalculation and/or pad maintenance. 

Score recalculations are given on a case-by-case basis pending TO/volunteer observation and match results. Recalculations only apply judgments below Excellent (Greats, Decents, Way-offs and Misses). Any recalculated steps will be recalculated to a “White Fantastic”  judgment.

TOs reserve the right to deny a score recalculation based on excessive rescores or “form errors” as well as pad performance in other matches.

If a resolution cannot be reached, or if a score recalculation would put the result of the match into question, players may be requested to replay the song that resulted in the score recalculation following pad maintenance, or to play an additional “replacement” song.

Disclaimer: It can be very difficult for TOs to determine if a false judgment is due to pad malfunction or player error. Every practical effort will be made to ensure that tournament pads are working in optimum condition before and during the tournament. Benefit of the doubt will be given whenever it is practical, but the TOs ultimately reserve the right to deny a score recalculation or song replay for any reason.

Substances on Pad

Out of respect for equipment providers and other players, no substances (i.e. baby powder) are to be applied directly on the pads. If you wish to use baby powder, etc., you may apply them to your footwear off the pad. Players may request the pads to be cleaned by a TO or volunteer at any time.

Payouts

Reward amounts given as percentage of total prize pool:

  • 1st place: 45%
  • 2nd place: 25%
  • 3rd Place: 20%
  • 4th Place: 10%
  • Additionally, all Top 8 players will receive a CEO Medal

Phase 1: Pools

The first phase of the tournament will be played in pools of up to 4 players competing in 6 song gauntlets. The best 1 or 2 players will advance to the next wave. Refer to the seeding and schedule (coming soon) to see how many players will advance in a specific wave.

1. Check-in

  • Check-in for pools matches will begin 5 minutes prior to the pool’s scheduled time. 
  • Players should be checked in at the tournament area or have communicated with a TO by this time. Please let a TO know if you have a conflicting time with another game so they can make accommodations.
  • Players will receive a 0% EX for each song missed. Time permitting, TOs may grant players a chance to play the songs they missed at their discretion.

2. Pad Assignments

  • Pad preference will be given to players in order starting from the highest seed.

3. Warmup

  • Players will be allowed 1 song for warmup.
  • Machines that are linked via online lobbies are NOT required to play the same song.
  • Additional warmups granted time allowing per TO discretion.

4. Card Draw and Song Selection

Card Draw

  • Pools are played in a gauntlet of 6 songs.
  • For a pool with N players, N+6 songs will be drawn.
  • Songs will be vetoed in order starting from the lowest seed.
  • Songs will be played in display order.

Song Selection

  • Song pack is divided into three sections: Base, Lower, and Upper.
  • Songs with no title prefix are part of the Base pack and will be available in all card draws.
  • Songs prefixed with [L] will only be available in Lower pools card draws.
  • Songs prefixed with [U] will only be available in Upper pools card draws.
  • Pool Waves 1, 2, and 3 are “Lower;” card draws will choose from Base + Lower sections.
  • Pool Waves 4, 5, and 6 are “Upper;” card draws will choose from Base + Upper sections.

5. Gameplay, Scoring, and Tiebreakers

  • Please do not advance past the score screen until a TO has recorded your scores!
  • On each song players will receive +1 point for each player they beat or tied on that song.
  • Players will be ranked based on the number of points they have after all songs are played.
  • Ties in points are broken by average EX% across all songs.
  • Ties in average EX% are broken by drawing and playing one song from the selectable range.
    • This process is repeated until the tie is broken for all tied players.
  • Players will be allowed two minutes between song plays. This will not be strictly enforced unless it is determined that excess time is being lost between songs. 

TWO-SONG SCORING EXAMPLE

PLAYERSONG 1 EX%WINSSONG 2 EX%WINSTOTAL WINSRANK
A95%395%361st
B94%292%023rd
C93%195%342nd
D92%093%114th

Phase 2: Top 8 Double Elimination

The top 2 players of each pool in the final wave will advance to Top 8 Double Elimination (DE).

  • The #1 player in each pool will start on Winner’s side.
  • The #2 player in each pool will start on Loser’s side.

The DE phase will play matches in best-of-3 songs (BO3). Winner’s Finals, Loser’s Finals, and Grand Finals will be played best-of-5 songs (BO5).

Warmup Period

Machines will be available for warmups 2 hours prior to the start of Double Elimination matches. Spectators and players who are not in the DE bracket will be requested to refrain from using the tournament machines during this time.

Pads will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Players will be expected to respect each other and allow each player to warm up as needed. Players suspected of “hogging” a pad or cabinet during warmup will be asked to share the available time with others. It is ultimately the player’s responsibility to arrive at the venue with enough time to properly prepare for matches.

Check-in

  • TOs will begin calling matches at the designated start time.
  • Before a match starts TOs will call the players for the next match to be “on deck”, those players may warm up for their match on the designated warmup machine.

Match Flow

Players who are on deck will report to the stream station for card draw after the current match ends.

1. Protect/Veto Order, Pad Side, and Card Draw

BO3 Draws

  1. The higher seed player chooses from one of the following options, the other player selects one of the remaining two options, then the higher seed takes the remaining option between:
    • Pad side
    • 1st or 2nd protect
    • 1st or 2nd veto
  2. 5 songs will be drawn from the Base and Upper song packs.
  3. 1st protect will select a song that they want to play. That song is moved to the front of the draw and will be played first.
  4. 2nd protect will select which song will be played second.
  5. 1st veto will select one song to be removed from the draw.
  6. 2nd veto will select one song to be removed from the draw leaving one song left in the draw as a tiebreaker.
  7. Song order: 1st protect, 2nd protect, tiebreaker

BO5 Draws

In a BO5 there are 7 songs drawn with two protect rounds and one veto round. 

The player actions follow an ABBAAB pattern:

  1. Player A (1st protect)
  2. Player B (2nd protect)
  3. Player B (1st veto)
  4. Player A (2nd veto)
  5. Player A (3rd protect)
  6. Player B (4th protect)

The card draw flow then is as follows:

  1. The higher seed chooses one of these options and the lower seed takes the remaining option:
    • Pad side
    • 1st or 2nd protect
  2. 7 songs will be drawn from the Base and Upper packs.
  3. The protects/vetoes are executed in ABBAAB order starting with the player assigned to 1st protect
  4. Song order:
    • The first song played is the 1st protect
    • The next song played is the next available protected song of the player that lost the previous song.
    • If the losing player’s protects have been exhausted then play the next available protect of the winning player.
    • If neither player has protected songs available then play the remaining tiebreaker song.

2. Warmup

Players will be allowed 1 song for warmup. Additional warmups will not be granted.

3. Gameplay, Tiebreakers

  • Players will play through their set using the song order for their draw (BO3 vs BO5)
  • +1 point is given to the player with the higher EX% after each song
    • In a BO3: 2 points is required to win
    • In a BO5: 3 points is required to win
  • Ties in EX% will not grant a song win to either player
  • If neither player has reached the number of points required to win after the songs in the draw have been exhausted then one more song is randomly drawn to be played from the selectable range.

Final Notes

If at any point a player:

  1. behaves in a manner deemed unnecessarily unsportsmanlike,
  2. verbally or physically harasses or assaults someone else,
  3. intentionally interferes with a match in-progress,
  4. damages venue property through maliciousness or blatant negligence,
  5. or engages in any similarly malicious behavior,

that player will be immediately disqualified from the tournament and subject to ejection from the venue at the discretion of Event Staff. “Event Staff” includes but is not limited to Project Storm TOs, CEO staff, and venue staff/security.