The Leftovers
The Leftovers is an international paintball free-agent programme organised by Matt Engles, a former marketing and media director of the National Xball League (NXL). The programme assembles tournament teams from players who do not have a permanent squad or whose regular teams are not attending a particular event.[1]
The Leftovers has competed in NXL tournaments since at least 2022, fielding multiple squads across different competitive divisions and formats, including X-Ball, three-player, ten-player and Masters competition.[2][3]
Unlike conventional tournament teams with established rosters, The Leftovers operates as a flexible programme that brings together players from different countries and playing backgrounds.
History
Establishment
The Leftovers was organised by Matt Engles, who previously served as the NXL's marketing and media director.
Engles established online communities including the NXL Free Agent Group and The Leftovers Team Group to connect players seeking opportunities to compete at tournaments.[1]
The programme allows players without a regular team, or whose existing team is not participating in an event, to join temporary tournament squads.
The earliest registration for the main Leftovers team preserved by PBLeagues is dated 28 March 2022, with Dallas, Texas, listed as its home town.[2]
The team competed in the 2022 NXL Lone Star Open, Mid-Atlantic Major, Golden State Open and Paintball World Cup.
Expansion
The programme subsequently expanded to field multiple squads under the Leftovers name.
A second team, The Leftovers III, was registered in October 2022 and competed at the 2022 NXL World Cup.[3]
The organisation also entered a three-player squad under the name The Leftovers 3-Man at the same tournament.[4]
By 2023, the programme was competing across several NXL divisions, with different squads entered at major events.
The main Leftovers team finished eighth of 19 teams in Division 4 X-Ball at the 2023 Sunshine State Major.[2]
The Leftovers III finished fourth in Division 5 X-Ball at the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Major.[3]
2024 season
In 2024, The Leftovers achieved one of its strongest documented tournament results at the NXL Windy City Major.
Competing in Division 4 X-Ball, the team won six consecutive matches before losing 4–0 to Tension in the final.[5]
The Leftovers finished second of 22 teams, earning 95.71 tournament ranking points.
During the same season, The Leftovers III competed in Division 5 X-Ball, finishing fourth of ten teams at the Mid-Atlantic Major.[3]
2025 season
The Leftovers continued expanding its tournament participation during 2025.
The main team competed in the NXL Tampa Bay Open, Midwest Open and World Cup, as well as classic paintball tournaments.[2]
Additional squads competed under several names, including:
- The Leftovers III
- The Leftovers IV
- The Leftovers V
- The Leftovers VI
- The Leftovers NOV
- The Leftovers NOV II
- The Leftovers OG
- The Leftovers OG II
The 2025 NXL World Cup included Leftovers entries in X-Ball, novice and Masters divisions.[3][6][7]
The Masters squads competed under the names The Leftovers OG and The Leftovers OG II.[6]
Organisation
The Leftovers operates as a free-agent programme rather than a conventional team with a permanent roster.
Matt Engles coordinates player participation through online communities, allowing players to connect with others attending upcoming tournaments.[1]
The programme brings together players from different geographical locations, experience levels and competitive divisions.
Participating players may represent other teams at different events or enter through the Leftovers programme when their regular teams are unavailable.
The flexible structure allows multiple squads to compete simultaneously under different Leftovers names.
Selected tournament results
The following are selected results documented in official PBLeagues records.[2][3]
| Year | Tournament | Team | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NXL Lone Star Open | The Leftovers | Division 5 X-Ball | 6th of 7 |
| 2022 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | The Leftovers | Division 4 X-Ball | 20th of 38 |
| 2022 | NXL World Cup | The Leftovers | Division 4 X-Ball | 79th of 96 |
| 2023 | NXL Sunshine State Major | The Leftovers | Division 4 X-Ball | 8th of 19 |
| 2023 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | The Leftovers III | Division 5 X-Ball | 4th of 9 |
| 2024 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | The Leftovers III | Division 5 X-Ball | 4th of 10 |
| 2024 | NXL Windy City Major | The Leftovers | Division 4 X-Ball | 2nd of 22 |
| 2025 | NXL Atlantic City Open | The Leftovers III | Division 5 X-Ball | 8th of 12 |
| 2025 | NXL Pittsburgh Open Classic | The Leftovers | Amateur | 11th of 12 |
These results represent selected appearances by different squads within the programme rather than a complete tournament history.
Media coverage
On 19 May 2025, Brandon Olson featured The Leftovers in his Paintball Dirt newsletter.
The article described the programme's free-agent structure and credited Matt Engles with bringing together players from around the world through dedicated online communities.
Olson highlighted the programme's role in allowing players without permanent teams to participate in national tournaments and develop connections within competitive paintball.[1]
See also
References
- Brandon Olson, "Weekly Newsletter ft. The Leftovers", Paintball Dirt, 19 May 2025. Contemporary profile of the free-agent programme and Matt Engles.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers", official team profile and tournament results from 2022 onwards.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers III", official team profile and tournament results.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers 3-Man", 2022 NXL World Cup tournament records.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers", 2024 NXL Windy City Major, match results and final.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers OG", 2025 NXL World Cup Masters X-Ball tournament records.
- PBLeagues, "The Leftovers OG II", 2025 NXL World Cup Masters X-Ball tournament records.