Editing 2024 NXL season

The '''2024 NXL season''' was the United States tournament season of the [[National Xball League]]. The calendar comprised five major events. [[Russian Legion|Red Legion]] won the professional season championship, [[The Heroines]] won the American [[Women's National Xball League|WNXL]] championship, and [[Leverage]] won the Semi-Pro championship and promotion for 2025.[1][12]

The season also included recorded coverage of the Mid-Atlantic professional final on ESPN2 as part of ESPN8: The Ocho.[13][14]

== Calendar ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Dates !! Event !! Venue
|-
| 8–10 March 2024
| [[2024 NXL Las Vegas Major]]
| Craig Ranch Regional Park, North Las Vegas, Nevada.[2]
|-
| 26–28 April 2024
| [[2024 NXL Lone Star Major]]
| Audubon Park, Garland, Texas.[3]
|-
| 21–23 June 2024
| [[2024 NXL Mid-Atlantic Major]]
| Bader Field, Atlantic City, New Jersey.[4]
|-
| 13–15 September 2024
| [[2024 NXL Windy City Major]]
| Chicago Gaelic Park, Oak Forest, Illinois.[5]
|-
| 6–10 November 2024
| [[2024 NXL World Cup]]
| 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, Florida.[6]
|}

The American professional WNXL championship comprised Las Vegas, Mid-Atlantic and World Cup.[7][9][11]

== Competition formats ==

The programme combined professional, Semi-Pro and divisional X-Ball with separate five-player, three-player, classic, amateur ten-player, women's amateur and youth competitions.[2–6]

At Las Vegas, the advertised X-Ball formats were:[2]

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Playing time !! Mercy limit
|-
| Professional || 15 minutes || Six-point lead
|-
| WNXL professional || 15 minutes || Five-point lead
|-
| Semi-Pro and Division 2 || 15 minutes || Five-point lead
|-
| Divisions 3 and 4 || 12 minutes || Four-point lead
|-
| Division 5 || Ten minutes || Three-point lead
|}

Separate five-player games used five-minute limits, three-player games used three-minute limits, classic seven-player games used seven-minute limits, and amateur ten-player games used ten-minute limits. Las Vegas also staged Open pump five-player competition.[2]

World Cup awarded double ranking points. Division 2 X-Ball counted four results towards its championship; Divisions 3–4 counted three and Division 5 counted two.[1]

=== Champions Cup ===

World Cup's professional field comprised 24 teams. Red Legion, San Antonio X-Factor, Houston Heat and SCALP formed the four-team championship bracket and advanced directly to the quarter-finals. The other 20 teams were divided into four preliminary brackets, with the leading two teams in each advancing.[15]

The same event also provided championship brackets with direct quarter-final qualification for leading teams in Semi-Pro and Divisions 2–4 X-Ball.[15]

== Professional competition ==

Four teams won professional tournaments during the season. San Diego Dynasty won Las Vegas, Red Legion won Lone Star and Mid-Atlantic, Tampa Bay Damage won Windy City, and PaintballFIT won World Cup.[7–11]

{| class="wikitable"
! Event !! Winner !! Runner-up
|-
| Las Vegas Major || [[San Diego Dynasty]] || [[New Orleans Hurricanes]]
|-
| Lone Star Major || [[Russian Legion|Red Legion]] || [[San Antonio X-Factor]]
|-
| Mid-Atlantic Major || Red Legion || [[Chicago Aftershock]]
|-
| Windy City Major || [[Tampa Bay Damage]] || San Antonio X-Factor
|-
| World Cup || [[PaintballFIT]] || [[Edmonton Impact]]
|}

Sources: official event results.[7–11]

Tampa Bay Damage defeated San Antonio X-Factor 5–2 in the Windy City final.[16]

=== Season championship ===

Red Legion finished first in the professional season standings, ahead of San Antonio X-Factor and Edmonton Impact. World Cup winners PaintballFIT finished sixth overall.[1]

{| class="wikitable"
! Position !! Team !! Points
|-
| 1 || Red Legion || 1,046
|-
| 2 || San Antonio X-Factor || 913
|-
| 3 || Edmonton Impact || 906
|-
| 4 || Houston Heat || 850
|-
| 5 || San Diego Dynasty || 849
|-
| 6 || PaintballFIT || 802
|}

Source: official season standings.[1]

== WNXL ==

Dallas Vibe won the opening professional women's tournament at Las Vegas. The Heroines won Mid-Atlantic and World Cup.[7][9][11]

{| class="wikitable"
! Event !! Winner !! Runner-up
|-
| Las Vegas Major || [[Dallas Vibe]] || New Jersey High Rollers
|-
| Mid-Atlantic Major || [[The Heroines]] || [[Cheetahs]]
|-
| World Cup || The Heroines || Dallas Vibe
|}

Sources: official event results.[7][9][11]

=== Final WNXL standings ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position !! Team !! Points
|-
| 1 || The Heroines || 393
|-
| 2 || Dallas Vibe || 382
|-
| 3 || Cheetahs || 372
|}

Source: official American season standings.[1]

== Divisional event winners ==

The following tables summarise event winners. Tournament titles and season championships were separate awards. Names follow the respective event listings.[7–11]

=== X-Ball ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Las Vegas !! Lone Star !! Mid-Atlantic !! Windy City !! World Cup
|-
| Semi-Pro
| Leverage
| New York Wrecking Crew
| Ology
| New York Wrecking Crew
| Royal City Seadogs
|-
| Division 2
| Vegas Brawlers
| New York BRAVE
| Wolfpack
| Malicious
| BR Factory
|-
| Division 3
| East Coast Raptors
| Texas Titans
| Tropic Thunder
| Dynamic
| Raleigh Razorbacks
|-
| Division 4
| Woodkings
| EAVL
| Avid Factory
| Tension
| Stormy Rebels
|-
| Division 5
| Shut Up They're Trying
| Gunnerz
| Boss Ballers Red
| TPP Factory
| TPP Factory
|}

Sources: official event results.[7–11]

=== Five-player ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Las Vegas !! Lone Star !! Mid-Atlantic !! Windy City !! World Cup
|-
| Division 3
| Veteran Militia
| Veteran Militia
| Papeletto
| MIDWEST Bounty
| Veteran Militia Zulu
|-
| Division 4
| Seattle Crusaders
| Outlaw AP Sharks
| Devotion
| NMI
| Panda Express Elite
|-
| Division 5
| Desert Edge D5
| Texas Sannin
| TCP Micro Machine
| JakkBoyz
| Orlando Invaders
|-
| WNXL Amateur
| Sacramento Storm
| Not contested
| Sacramento Storm
| Sacramento Storm
| Dallas Dolls
|-
| Youth
| IKONIK
| TKO Vale Tudo
| Filthy Kids
| Hydra Kidz
| Hydra Kidz
|}

Sources: official event results.[7–11]

=== Classic and ten-player ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Format !! Las Vegas !! Lone Star !! Mid-Atlantic !! Windy City !! World Cup
|-
| Amateur ten-player
| Chicago Aftershock
| Houston VcK
| Maple Leaf Chiefs
| Bum Life
| Seattle Crusaders
|-
| Classic Open seven-player
| Image
| Valhalla FSU
| Aftershock
| Midwest Betrayal
| Aftershock
|-
| Classic Open five-player
| Not contested
| Struggle
| Papeletto Team
| Aftershock
| Image
|}

Sources: official event results.[7–11]

Hollywood Sports Park won Open pump five-player at Las Vegas and was also listed first in the Lone Star pump competition.[7][8]

=== Three-player ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Las Vegas !! Lone Star !! Mid-Atlantic !! Windy City !! World Cup
|-
| Amateur
| Outlaw AP Warriors
| Jackpot green
| Charm city cartel
| Lost Dutchman
| Gulf Coast Ragtag
|-
| Intermediate
| San Diego Team Velocity
| Bear Ridge
| Shooters
| Headbangers Reloaded
| Outlaw AP Green
|-
| Novice
| Barbie Boys
| Destiny Space City
| Hot Garbage
| the noobies
| Smoke IV
|}

Sources: official event results.[7–11]

Mid-Atlantic's women's three-player competition was won by Gazorpians. World Cup winners included BR GIRLZ in women's three-player, PTN in Open three-player and Fearsome Five in Youth three-player.[9][11]

Additional World Cup winners were Rushers in Classic Mounds Open ten-player, Aftershock in Masters X-Ball and Air Force in Commander Cup X-Ball.[11]

== Divisional season champions ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Division or format !! Champion
|-
| Semi-Pro X-Ball || Leverage
|-
| Division 2 X-Ball || BR Factory
|-
| Division 3 X-Ball || Dynamic
|-
| Division 4 X-Ball || Avid Factory
|-
| Division 5 X-Ball || TPP Factory
|-
| Amateur ten-player || Maple Leaf Chiefs
|-
| Classic Open seven-player || Aftershock
|-
| Classic Open five-player || Aftershock
|-
| WNXL Amateur five-player || Sacramento Storm
|-
| Division 3 five-player || Papeletto
|-
| Division 4 five-player || Bricktown Bucks - Stick Up Kids
|-
| Division 5 five-player || PBGateway 2
|-
| Youth five-player || Hydra Kidz
|-
| Women's WNXL three-player || Tiki's Ohana Red
|-
| Amateur three-player || Lost Dutchman
|-
| Intermediate three-player || Outlaw AP Green
|-
| Novice three-player || Hasbeens
|}

Source: official season standings. Names follow the season listings, which can differ from individual event listings.[1]

== Promotion and relegation ==

Leverage secured the Semi-Pro season championship and promotion for 2025 after finishing third at World Cup. Their contemporary team report recorded a 3–2 semi-final defeat by Royal City Seadogs followed by a 4–3 victory over New Jersey Jesters in the third-place match.[12]

[[New York Xtreme]] finished last in the professional season standings and were relegated. Ahead of 2025, the organisation combined with [[MLKings]] and continued competing under the New York Xtreme name.[1][17][18]

== ESPN coverage ==

The professional final at the Mid-Atlantic Major in Atlantic City was filmed for a post-produced television programme. The match featured Red Legion and Chicago Aftershock.[9][13]

ESPN scheduled the programme as '''2024 Major League Paintball Atlantic City Open''' on ESPN2 at 1 a.m. Eastern Time on 4 August 2024, within its ESPN8: The Ocho programming. This was recorded coverage of the June tournament.[13][14]

== See also ==

* [[National Xball League]]
* [[Women's National Xball League]]
* [[2023 NXL season]]
* [[2025 NXL season]]
* [[Paintball media]]

== References ==

# [https://pbleagues.com/league/316/seasonRankings/2024 PBLeagues – National Xball League: 2024 season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8334/info PBLeagues – Las Vegas Major: event information, 8–10 March 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8335/info PBLeagues – Lone Star Major: event information, 26–28 April 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8336/info PBLeagues – Mid-Atlantic Major: event information, 21–23 June 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8337/info PBLeagues – Windy City Major: event information, 13–15 September 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8338/info PBLeagues – World Cup: event information, 6–10 November 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8334/rankings PBLeagues – 2024 Las Vegas Major: final results.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8335/rankings PBLeagues – 2024 Lone Star Major: final results.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8336/rankings PBLeagues – 2024 Mid-Atlantic Major: final results.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8337/rankings PBLeagues – 2024 Windy City Major: final results.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8338/rankings PBLeagues – 2024 World Cup: final results.]
# [https://leveragepaintball.com/blogs/news/3rd-place-nxl-event-5-orlando-world-cup Leverage Paintball – 3rd Place NXL Event #5 Orlando – World Cup, 11 November 2024.]
# [https://www.nxlpaintball.com/post/nxl-pro-division-to-be-featured-on-espn-in-paintballs-return-to-tv National Xball League – NXL Pro Division to be featured on ESPN in Paintballs return to TV, 23 July 2024; updated 31 July 2024.]
# [https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/ocho-years-of-the-ocho-espn8-the-ocho-returns-as-the-number-one-destination-for-seldom-seen-sports/ ESPN Press Room – Ocho Years of the Ocho! ESPN8: The Ocho Returns as the Number One Destination for Seldom-Seen Sports, Lily Blum, 18 July 2024.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8338/brackets PBLeagues – 2024 World Cup: competition brackets and advancement rules.]
# [https://www.nxlpaintball.com/post/nxl-windy-city-major-recap-damage-wins National Xball League – NXL Windy City Major Recap; Damage Wins!, 16 September 2024.]
# [https://pbhub.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100715 pbhub.de – NXL US 2025 – 1. Event – Tampa, March 2025. Contemporary discussion identifying Leverage's promotion and New York Xtreme's relegation and return.]
# [https://adrenaline.shop/pages/new-york-xtreme Adrenaline – New York Xtreme: announcement of the MLKings–NYX merger ahead of 2025.]

== External links ==

* [https://pbleagues.com/league/316/seasonRankings/2024 Complete official 2024 season standings]

[[Category:National Xball League seasons]]
[[Category:Paintball in the United States]]
[[Category:2020s in American paintball]]
[[Category:2024 in paintball]]