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Replace with sourced ICPL history through 2026, US competition formats, affiliate expansion, historical roster changes, NXL/MLPB relationships, Classic Cup chronology and recent season champions; clarify marker eligibility and distinguish event victories from series titles.
Audit ICPL history, formats and championship records; distinguish the January and October 2025 Classic Cups, retain unresolved 2023–2024 titles, and update confirmed results through 2026.
 
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The '''International Classic Paintball League''' ('''ICPL''') is a paintball tournament circuit introduced by the [[National Xball League]] (NXL) for its inaugural season in 2019. It organises traditional five-player and ten-player competition on woodland, hyperball, earth-mound and hybrid fields.[1][2]
The '''International Classic Paintball League''' ('''ICPL''') is a paintball tournament series established by the [[National Xball League]] (NXL), with its inaugural United States season held in 2019. It organises classic-format competition, including ten-player and five-player divisions, on woodland and constructed playing fields. The league is also presented within the [[Major League Paintball]] programme.[1][2][3]
 
The ICPL operates within [[Major League Paintball]] (MLPB). Its United States programme includes professional and amateur competition, with the [[ICPL Classic Cup|Classic Cup]] serving as its concluding championship tournament. Event championships and season points championships are separate awards.[3][4][5]


== History ==
== History ==


=== Establishment and inaugural season ===
=== Inaugural season ===


The NXL announced a classic tournament series ahead of the 2019 season. In February 2019, contemporary reporting identified a professional field of 20 teams, including established organisations such as the Ironmen, Master Blasters, FARSIDE, All Americans, Chicago Aftershock, San Diego Dynasty and Kapp Factory.[2]
The ICPL's first season brought together established paintball teams and players for classic-format competition. A February 2019 announcement listed 20 professional teams, including the Ironmen, Aftershock, All Americans, Farside and Master Blasters.[3]


The inaugural [[2019 ICPL Windy City Classic]] took place at The Badlandz in Crete, Illinois, on 1–2 June 2019. Adrenaline won the professional ten-player competition ahead of [[Los Angeles Infamous]].[6][7]
The inaugural Windy City Classic took place on 1–2 June 2019 at Badlandz in Crete, Illinois. Adrenaline won the professional competition ahead of Infamous.[4][5]


The season concluded with the [[2019 ICPL Florida Open]]. [[Chicago Aftershock]] won that tournament and the inaugural professional season championship, finishing with 190.53 points against Infamous's 190.26. Docs Warriors won the amateur ten-player season championship.[7]
Aftershock won the professional division at the season-ending Florida Open and secured the inaugural professional season championship with 190.53 points, narrowly ahead of Infamous on 190.26. Doc's Warriors finished first in the amateur ten-player season standings.[5]


=== Development during 2020–2022 ===
=== Development of the series ===


The ICPL remained part of the NXL's tournament programme during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, when announcing the cancellation of proposed NXL regional conference events, the NXL stated that it intended to concentrate on the October Chicago ICPL tournament and November NXL World Cup.[8]
The 2021 season included the Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic. Infamous won both professional events and finished first in the professional season standings. Team Smoke led the amateur ten-player standings. Image/Mutiny competed in the amateur division at Old Bay before appearing in the professional division at Windy City.[6]


In 2021, the professional championship comprised the Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic. Infamous won both professional ten-player events and the season title. Team Smoke won the amateur ten-player championship, while Image and Mutiny appeared in the professional standings after earlier amateur participation.[9]
For 2022, professional team captains voted to introduce a restriction of three NXL professional players per roster, with players over 44 excluded from that limit. This was an announced rule change for the 2022 competition, rather than a permanent description of eligibility in every subsequent season.[7]


Professional roster eligibility was revised for 2022 following a vote by team captains. The approved proposal limited teams to three NXL professional-ranked players, with players over the age of 44 excluded from that count. The captains voted to retain the existing mechanical-marker rate-of-fire rules.[10]
KAPP Factory finished first in the published 2022 professional season standings, with victories at the Golden State Classic, Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic.[8]


[[Kapp Factory]] won the 2022 professional season championship. Its counted victories came at the Golden State Classic, Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic.[11]
=== Affiliate events ===


=== Affiliate expansion in 2023 ===
In 2023, the league introduced an affiliate-event programme. The Pro DNA Open, held at The Farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee, from 31 March to 2 April, was described by the league as its first affiliate event.[9][10]


The league expanded its programme through officially supported affiliate tournaments in 2023. The [[2023 ICPL Pro DNA Open]], held at The Farm Sports in Shelbyville, Tennessee, was described by the league as its first affiliate event.[12]
The Pro DNA Open combined professional and amateur ten-player teams in one competition. Infamous finished first, followed by All Americans and Ground Zero Gold. This differed from events which maintained separate professional and amateur divisions.[10]


The Pro DNA Open combined professional and amateur ten-player teams in one playing division. The league's preview listed 28 teams and described the tournament as operating with support from the Major League Paintball organisation.[12]
The league's archived website subsequently distinguished major events from affiliate events. Consequently, an event's ICPL affiliation did not necessarily mean that it used the same divisional structure as every national major.[11]


The 2023 Sunshine Classic opened with 24 professional and 32 amateur ten-player teams. Maple Leaf Chiefs joined the professional franchise field for that season.[13]
=== The 2024 season and January 2025 Classic Cup ===


=== The 2024 season and January 2025 Classic Cup ===
The 2024 competition extended into the following calendar year. Its concluding Classic Cup took place from 31 January to 2 February 2025 at the Seffner, Florida, venue promoted as Tiki's Paintball Park. The event record lists the address as 210 Pruett Road.[12][13]


The 2024 programme included regional tournaments, the Texas Classic major and a concluding Classic Cup. Team Smoke's contemporary account described the championship calculation as using a team's best minor result, its major result and its championship result.[14]
Image won the professional ten-player Cup competition. Dark Carnival won amateur ten-player, Farside won open five-player and AAF 2 won amateur five-player.[12][14]


The concluding Cup took place from 31 January to 2 February 2025 in Seffner, Florida. Despite its calendar-year date, its results counted towards the [[2024 ICPL season]]. Image won professional ten-player at the tournament, while DYE identified Louisville Asylum as the 2024 Open five-player series champions.[15–18]
These were event victories and should be distinguished from season championships. DYE separately identified Louisville Asylum as the 2024 open five-player series champion.[15]


=== The 2025 season ===
=== The 2025 season ===


The [[2025 ICPL season|2025 United States championship]] comprised the Old Bay Classic, Pittsburgh Open Classic and October Classic Cup. The October tournament was separate from the January Cup that had concluded the previous season.[4][15]
The 2025 championship calendar comprised the Old Bay Classic, Pittsburgh Open Classic and a second Classic Cup, held on 3–5 October 2025. The October Cup was a separate tournament from the January–February event which concluded the previous season.[16][17]


Team Smoke won professional ten-player at the October finale, but Chicago Aftershock won the professional season championship. Dark Carnival won Amateur ten-player, FARSIDE won Open five-player and AAF 2 won Amateur five-player.[4][5]
Team Smoke won the October Cup's professional ten-player competition, while Chicago Aftershock secured the professional season championship. Dark Carnival won the amateur ten-player season title, Farside won open five-player and AAF 2 won amateur five-player.[16][18]


=== The 2026 season ===
=== The 2026 season ===


The [[2026 ICPL season]] comprised four United States tournaments: the Golden State Classic at Ambush Paintball Park in Moorpark, California; Windy City Classic at The Badlandz in Illinois; Pittsburgh Open Classic at Urban Assault in Pennsylvania; and Classic Cup at Outdoor Xtreme Chesapeake City in Maryland.[19–23]
The 2026 United States calendar comprised the Golden State Classic, Windy City Classic, Pittsburgh Open Classic and Classic Cup. The season standings counted each team's best three event scores.[19]
 
Brimstone Smoke won professional ten-player at the Classic Cup. Chicago Aftershock secured the professional season championship and also won the Open five-player series. AAF won Amateur ten-player, while AAF 2 retained the Amateur five-player title.[19][24]
 
== Competition formats ==
 
=== Classic capture-the-flag competition ===
 
The ICPL uses five-player and ten-player formats in which teams attempt to capture the opposing team's flag and return it to their own base. Game scoring includes flag pulls, flag hangs, eliminated opponents and surviving players.[1]
 
Its playing fields include woodland, hyperball, earth-mound and hybrid layouts. This requires teams to compete across different terrain and bunker arrangements.[1]
 
Mechanical markers are associated with the league's classic format. The league's published overview also permits electronic markers capped at 5.5 balls per second, using either semi-automatic firing or NXL ramping mode.[1]
 
Game times depend on the applicable event and field. For example, the 2026 Pittsburgh Open Classic specified twelve-minute games on woodland and hybrid fields and ten-minute games on hyperball and mounds. Its five-player divisions used six-minute games.[22]
 
=== Divisions and eligibility ===


The principal United States divisions in 2025 and 2026 were:
Chicago Aftershock retained the professional ten-player season title. AAF finished first in amateur ten-player, Aftershock in open five-player and AAF 2 in amateur five-player.[19]


* Professional ten-player.
== Playing formats ==
* Amateur ten-player.
* Open five-player.
* Amateur five-player.[4][19]


The professional division has used a franchise structure. Amateur competition provides a separate classification, although some affiliate tournaments have combined professional and amateur teams in the playing brackets.[12][13]
ICPL competition includes ten-player and five-player formats. Published league information describes games based on capturing the opposing flag and returning it to a team's own base, with scoring for flag actions, eliminations and surviving players.[1]


Roster restrictions have changed between seasons. The three-player NXL professional limit approved for 2022 was a season-specific change and should not be treated as a permanent description of every subsequent ICPL competition.[10]
Playing environments include woodland, hyperball, mounds and hybrid fields. Game lengths and event schedules vary; individual tournament information provides the applicable arrangements.[1][20]


=== Season scoring ===
The league's published equipment information permits mechanical markers and electronic markers capped at 5.5 balls per second, including specified semi-automatic and NXL ramping modes. ICPL should therefore not be described as exclusively mechanical across its entire history.[1][11]


Teams receive tournament placings and season-ranking points. A team can win a concluding tournament without winning the season championship, as occurred when Team Smoke won the October 2025 Classic Cup while Chicago Aftershock secured the professional series title.[4][5]
Professional, amateur and open divisions have been offered, although the available divisions and whether professional and amateur teams compete separately have varied between events.[9][10][16]


The championship calculation has varied. In 2026, each team's three highest tournament scores counted, with its remaining result dropped.[19]
== Season championships ==


== Classic Cup ==
Event winners and season champions are separate honours. In particular, winning a Classic Cup does not automatically establish that a team won the corresponding season championship.


The Classic Cup is the league's concluding championship tournament. Major League Paintball describes it as the world championship of mechanical paintball.[3]
=== Championship records for 2023 and 2024 ===


Two Cups took place in the United States during 2025:
PBLeagues presents the 2023 and 2024 results under multiple division labels, including separate classic, mechanical and other ten-player classifications. These tables should not be combined into an overall championship result without a confirmed league calculation or championship announcement.[21][22]
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Dates
! Championship relationship
! Professional ten-player tournament winner
|-
| 31 January–2 February 2025
| Concluded the 2024 season
| Image
|-
| 3–5 October 2025
| Concluded the 2025 season
| Team Smoke
|}


The 2026 Classic Cup took place at Outdoor Xtreme Chesapeake City on 16–18 October. Brimstone Smoke won professional ten-player, Brawlgang won Amateur ten-player, FARSIDE won Open five-player and AAF 2 won Amateur five-player.[23][24]
DYE's account of Louisville Asylum identifies the team as the 2024 open five-player series champion. It also credits Asylum with an amateur series title in the preceding year, but does not identify that earlier title's team-size division.[15]


== Recent United States season champions ==
Accordingly, the 2023 divisional championship allocation and the 2024 professional ten-player, amateur ten-player and amateur five-player champions remain unconfirmed here. Image's victory at the January 2025 Classic Cup is recorded as an event win, rather than confirmation of the 2024 professional season championship.[14][21][22]


The following table distinguishes season championships from individual tournament victories.[4][5][19][24]
=== Confirmed 2025 and 2026 champions ===


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 113: Line 78:
! Amateur five-player
! Amateur five-player
|-
|-
| 2025
| [[2025 ICPL season|2025]]
| Chicago Aftershock
| Chicago Aftershock
| Dark Carnival
| Dark Carnival
| FARSIDE
| Farside
| AAF 2
| AAF 2
|-
|-
| 2026
| [[2026 ICPL season|2026]]
| Chicago Aftershock
| Chicago Aftershock
| AAF
| AAF
Line 126: Line 91:
|}
|}


== Organisation and broadcasting ==
The 2025 champions are supported by the published standings and contemporary reporting. The 2026 champions are recorded in the league's published season standings.[16][18][19]


The NXL formed the ICPL to organise classic-format competition. Major League Paintball lists the ICPL among its competition brands, alongside the NXL and Women's National Xball League.[1][3]
== The two 2025 Classic Cups ==
 
Two distinct ICPL Classic Cups took place during the 2025 calendar year:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Event
! Dates
! Season concluded
! Professional ten-player winner
|-
| [[2025 ICPL Classic Cup (January)|January Classic Cup]]
| 31 January–2 February 2025
| [[2024 ICPL season|2024]]
| Image
|-
| [[2025 ICPL Classic Cup (October)|October Classic Cup]]
| 3–5 October 2025
| [[2025 ICPL season|2025]]
| Team Smoke
|}


Official tournament registration, results and season standings are published through [[PBLeagues International|PBLeagues]]. ICPL broadcasts and archived coverage are available through Major League Paintball PLUS, including coverage originally presented through GoSports.[6][25]
Both events took place in Seffner, Florida. Their results and championship relationships must be kept separate.[12][13][16][17][18]


== Season articles ==
== See also ==


* [[National Xball League]]
* [[Major League Paintball]]
* [[2019 ICPL season]]
* [[2019 ICPL season]]
* [[2020 ICPL season]]
* [[2020 ICPL season]]
Line 142: Line 128:
* [[2025 ICPL season]]
* [[2025 ICPL season]]
* [[2026 ICPL season]]
* [[2026 ICPL season]]
== See also ==
* [[National Xball League]]
* [[Major League Paintball]]
* [[Women's National Xball League]]
* [[Paintball in the United States]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/ International Classic Paintball League – Official league description, formats, marker rules and scoring.]
# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/ International Classic Paintball League – Official website and format information.]
# [https://paintball.media/nxl-classic-pro-team-list-gosports-news/ John Amodea, Paintball Media – NXL Classic Pro Team List: GoSports News, 23 February 2019.]
# [https://www.majorleaguepb.com/icpl Major League Paintball – ICPL.]
# [https://www.majorleaguepb.com/icpl Major League Paintball – International Classic Paintball League.]
# [https://paintball.media/nxl-classic-pro-team-list-gosports-news/ Paintball Media – NXL Classic Pro Team List & GoSports News, 23 February 2019.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2025 PBLeagues – 2025 ICPL season rankings.]
# [https://www.mlpbplus.com/icpl-10-man/videos/icpl-windy-city-classic MLPB+ – ICPL Windy City Classic.]
# [https://paintballdirt.substack.com/p/weekly-newsletter-team-smoke-wins Brandon Olson, Paintball Dirt – Weekly Newsletter: Team Smoke WINS ICPL Classic Cup!, 6 October 2025.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2019 PBLeagues – 2019 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://www.mlpbplus.com/icpl-10-man/videos/icpl-windy-city-classic Major League Paintball PLUS – ICPL Windy City Classic: inaugural 2019 tournament documentary.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2021 PBLeagues – 2021 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2019 PBLeagues – 2019 ICPL season rankings.]
# [https://paintballnerd.com/blogs/news/the-captains-of-the-pro-division-in-the-icpl-have-voted-and-the-rules-will-be-changing Paintball Nerd – ICPL professional captains vote on rule changes, 5 November 2021.]
# [https://damnpaintballs.com/2020/07/18/nxl-regional-conference-events-cancelled/ Damn Paintballs – NXL Regional Conference Events Cancelled, 18 July 2020; reproduces the NXL announcement.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2022 PBLeagues – 2022 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2021 PBLeagues – 2021 ICPL season rankings.]
# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/post/the-icpl-pro-dna-open-kicks-off-in-tennessee-this-weekend-full-event-preview ICPL – The ICPL Pro DNA Open Kicks Off in Tennessee This Weekend: Full Event Preview, 30 March 2023.]
# [https://paintballnerd.com/blogs/news/the-captains-of-the-pro-division-in-the-icpl-have-voted-and-the-rules-will-be-changing Paintball Nerd – ICPL 2022 rule change sparks controversy, 5 November 2021.]
# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/post/the-pro-dna-open-event-recap-first-icpl-affiliate-event-finds-success-in-tennessee ICPL – The Pro DNA Open Event Recap: First ICPL Affiliate Event Finds Success in Tennessee, 7 April 2023, updated 13 April 2023.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2022 PBLeagues – 2022 ICPL season rankings.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20250210232556/https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/ Internet Archive – ICPL official website, archived 10 February 2025.]
# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/post/the-icpl-pro-dna-open-kicks-off-in-tennessee-this-weekend-full-event-preview NXL Classic Paintball – The ICPL Pro DNA Open kicks off in Tennessee this weekend, full event preview!, 30 March 2023.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8685/info PBLeagues – Classic Cup, 31 January–2 February 2025: event information and results.]
# [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/post/the-competitive-paintball-season-kicks-off-in-florida-at-the-23-icpl-sunshine-classic NXL Classic Paintball – The Competitive Paintball Season Kicks off In Florida at the '23 ICPL Sunshine Classic!, 31 January 2023.]
# [https://orda66paintball.com/blogs/news/icpl-classic-cup-1-31-2-2-2025 Orda66 Paintball – ICPL Classic Cup 1/31–2/2/2025, 22 November 2024.]
# [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/blog/category/paintball/ Team Smoke Paintball – 2024 Pro DNA Open and ICPL Texas Classic tournament reports.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2024 PBLeagues – 2024 ICPL season rankings, including the January 2025 Classic Cup.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8685/info PBLeagues – ICPL Classic Cup, 31 January–2 February 2025: event information.]
# [https://shop.dyepaintball.com/blogs/news/image-wins-icpl-classic-cup DYE Paintball – Image Wins ICPL Classic Cup.]
# [https://shop.dyepaintball.com/blogs/news/image-wins-icpl-classic-cup DYE Paintball – Image Wins ICPL Classic Cup.]
# [https://shop.dyepaintball.com/blogs/news/louisville-asylum-icpl-series-champs DYE Paintball – Louisville Asylum ICPL Series Champs.]
# [https://shop.dyepaintball.com/blogs/news/louisville-asylum-icpl-series-champs DYE Paintball – Louisville Asylum ICPL Series Champs.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2026 PBLeagues – 2026 ICPL final season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2025 PBLeagues – 2025 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9254/info PBLeagues – 2026 Golden State Classic: event information.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/8994/info PBLeagues – Classic Cup, 3–5 October 2025: event information and results.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9341/info PBLeagues – 2026 Windy City Classic: event information.]
# [https://paintballdirt.substack.com/p/weekly-newsletter-team-smoke-wins Paintball Dirt – Team Smoke Wins ICPL Classic Cup, 6 October 2025.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9385/info PBLeagues – 2026 Pittsburgh Open Classic: event information.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2026 PBLeagues – 2026 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9450/info PBLeagues – 2026 Classic Cup: event information.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9385/info PBLeagues – 2026 Pittsburgh Open Classic: event information and playing schedule.]
# [https://paintballdirt.substack.com/p/weekly-newsletter-icpl-classic-cup Brandon Olson, Paintball Dirt – Weekly Newsletter: ICPL Classic Cup Results!, 19 October 2026.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2023 PBLeagues – 2023 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]
# [https://www.mlpbplus.com/icpl-10-man Major League Paintball PLUS – ICPL broadcast archive.]
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2024 PBLeagues – 2024 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.]


== External links ==
== External links ==


* [https://www.nxlclassicpaintball.com/ Official ICPL website]
* [https://www.majorleaguepb.com/icpl Official ICPL page]
* [https://www.majorleaguepb.com/icpl ICPL at Major League Paintball]
* [https://pbleagues.com/league/435 PBLeagues league records]
* [https://pbleagues.com/leagues/435 PBLeagues tournament archive]
* [https://www.mlpbplus.com/icpl-10-man ICPL broadcasts on MLPB+]


[[Category:Paintball leagues]]
[[Category:Paintball leagues]]
[[Category:Paintball in the United States]]
[[Category:Paintball in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 10:52, 4 November 2026

The International Classic Paintball League (ICPL) is a paintball tournament series established by the National Xball League (NXL), with its inaugural United States season held in 2019. It organises classic-format competition, including ten-player and five-player divisions, on woodland and constructed playing fields. The league is also presented within the Major League Paintball programme.[1][2][3]

History

[edit]

Inaugural season

[edit]

The ICPL's first season brought together established paintball teams and players for classic-format competition. A February 2019 announcement listed 20 professional teams, including the Ironmen, Aftershock, All Americans, Farside and Master Blasters.[3]

The inaugural Windy City Classic took place on 1–2 June 2019 at Badlandz in Crete, Illinois. Adrenaline won the professional competition ahead of Infamous.[4][5]

Aftershock won the professional division at the season-ending Florida Open and secured the inaugural professional season championship with 190.53 points, narrowly ahead of Infamous on 190.26. Doc's Warriors finished first in the amateur ten-player season standings.[5]

Development of the series

[edit]

The 2021 season included the Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic. Infamous won both professional events and finished first in the professional season standings. Team Smoke led the amateur ten-player standings. Image/Mutiny competed in the amateur division at Old Bay before appearing in the professional division at Windy City.[6]

For 2022, professional team captains voted to introduce a restriction of three NXL professional players per roster, with players over 44 excluded from that limit. This was an announced rule change for the 2022 competition, rather than a permanent description of eligibility in every subsequent season.[7]

KAPP Factory finished first in the published 2022 professional season standings, with victories at the Golden State Classic, Old Bay Classic and Windy City Classic.[8]

Affiliate events

[edit]

In 2023, the league introduced an affiliate-event programme. The Pro DNA Open, held at The Farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee, from 31 March to 2 April, was described by the league as its first affiliate event.[9][10]

The Pro DNA Open combined professional and amateur ten-player teams in one competition. Infamous finished first, followed by All Americans and Ground Zero Gold. This differed from events which maintained separate professional and amateur divisions.[10]

The league's archived website subsequently distinguished major events from affiliate events. Consequently, an event's ICPL affiliation did not necessarily mean that it used the same divisional structure as every national major.[11]

The 2024 season and January 2025 Classic Cup

[edit]

The 2024 competition extended into the following calendar year. Its concluding Classic Cup took place from 31 January to 2 February 2025 at the Seffner, Florida, venue promoted as Tiki's Paintball Park. The event record lists the address as 210 Pruett Road.[12][13]

Image won the professional ten-player Cup competition. Dark Carnival won amateur ten-player, Farside won open five-player and AAF 2 won amateur five-player.[12][14]

These were event victories and should be distinguished from season championships. DYE separately identified Louisville Asylum as the 2024 open five-player series champion.[15]

The 2025 season

[edit]

The 2025 championship calendar comprised the Old Bay Classic, Pittsburgh Open Classic and a second Classic Cup, held on 3–5 October 2025. The October Cup was a separate tournament from the January–February event which concluded the previous season.[16][17]

Team Smoke won the October Cup's professional ten-player competition, while Chicago Aftershock secured the professional season championship. Dark Carnival won the amateur ten-player season title, Farside won open five-player and AAF 2 won amateur five-player.[16][18]

The 2026 season

[edit]

The 2026 United States calendar comprised the Golden State Classic, Windy City Classic, Pittsburgh Open Classic and Classic Cup. The season standings counted each team's best three event scores.[19]

Chicago Aftershock retained the professional ten-player season title. AAF finished first in amateur ten-player, Aftershock in open five-player and AAF 2 in amateur five-player.[19]

Playing formats

[edit]

ICPL competition includes ten-player and five-player formats. Published league information describes games based on capturing the opposing flag and returning it to a team's own base, with scoring for flag actions, eliminations and surviving players.[1]

Playing environments include woodland, hyperball, mounds and hybrid fields. Game lengths and event schedules vary; individual tournament information provides the applicable arrangements.[1][20]

The league's published equipment information permits mechanical markers and electronic markers capped at 5.5 balls per second, including specified semi-automatic and NXL ramping modes. ICPL should therefore not be described as exclusively mechanical across its entire history.[1][11]

Professional, amateur and open divisions have been offered, although the available divisions and whether professional and amateur teams compete separately have varied between events.[9][10][16]

Season championships

[edit]

Event winners and season champions are separate honours. In particular, winning a Classic Cup does not automatically establish that a team won the corresponding season championship.

Championship records for 2023 and 2024

[edit]

PBLeagues presents the 2023 and 2024 results under multiple division labels, including separate classic, mechanical and other ten-player classifications. These tables should not be combined into an overall championship result without a confirmed league calculation or championship announcement.[21][22]

DYE's account of Louisville Asylum identifies the team as the 2024 open five-player series champion. It also credits Asylum with an amateur series title in the preceding year, but does not identify that earlier title's team-size division.[15]

Accordingly, the 2023 divisional championship allocation and the 2024 professional ten-player, amateur ten-player and amateur five-player champions remain unconfirmed here. Image's victory at the January 2025 Classic Cup is recorded as an event win, rather than confirmation of the 2024 professional season championship.[14][21][22]

Confirmed 2025 and 2026 champions

[edit]
Season Professional ten-player Amateur ten-player Open five-player Amateur five-player
2025 Chicago Aftershock Dark Carnival Farside AAF 2
2026 Chicago Aftershock AAF Chicago Aftershock AAF 2

The 2025 champions are supported by the published standings and contemporary reporting. The 2026 champions are recorded in the league's published season standings.[16][18][19]

The two 2025 Classic Cups

[edit]

Two distinct ICPL Classic Cups took place during the 2025 calendar year:

Event Dates Season concluded Professional ten-player winner
January Classic Cup 31 January–2 February 2025 2024 Image
October Classic Cup 3–5 October 2025 2025 Team Smoke

Both events took place in Seffner, Florida. Their results and championship relationships must be kept separate.[12][13][16][17][18]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. International Classic Paintball League – Official website and format information.
  2. Major League Paintball – ICPL.
  3. Paintball Media – NXL Classic Pro Team List & GoSports News, 23 February 2019.
  4. MLPB+ – ICPL Windy City Classic.
  5. PBLeagues – 2019 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  6. PBLeagues – 2021 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  7. Paintball Nerd – ICPL professional captains vote on rule changes, 5 November 2021.
  8. PBLeagues – 2022 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  9. ICPL – The ICPL Pro DNA Open Kicks Off in Tennessee This Weekend: Full Event Preview, 30 March 2023.
  10. ICPL – The Pro DNA Open Event Recap: First ICPL Affiliate Event Finds Success in Tennessee, 7 April 2023, updated 13 April 2023.
  11. Internet Archive – ICPL official website, archived 10 February 2025.
  12. PBLeagues – Classic Cup, 31 January–2 February 2025: event information and results.
  13. Orda66 Paintball – ICPL Classic Cup 1/31–2/2/2025, 22 November 2024.
  14. DYE Paintball – Image Wins ICPL Classic Cup.
  15. DYE Paintball – Louisville Asylum ICPL Series Champs.
  16. PBLeagues – 2025 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  17. PBLeagues – Classic Cup, 3–5 October 2025: event information and results.
  18. Paintball Dirt – Team Smoke Wins ICPL Classic Cup, 6 October 2025.
  19. PBLeagues – 2026 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  20. PBLeagues – 2026 Pittsburgh Open Classic: event information and playing schedule.
  21. PBLeagues – 2023 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
  22. PBLeagues – 2024 International Classic Paintball League season rankings.
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