Paintball 2Xtremes

Paintball 2Xtremes (PB2X), also styled Paintball 2 Xtremes, was an American paintball magazine covering tournament competition, recreational paintball, equipment, playing fields and the paintball industry. Published during the 1990s and 2000s, it was particularly associated with editor John Amodea and National Paintball Supply, which acquired the publication in April 2000.[1][2]

The magazine covered professional competitions, scenario games, equipment developments and paintball culture. It also produced an associated television programme, Paintball 2Xtremes Television, which premiered on Spike TV in October 2004.[3]

History

Early publication

Paintball 2Xtremes developed during the 1990s under publishers Mike Henry and John Henry.

A retrospective history published by the magazine in June 2005 identified an earlier publication, Paintball Player's Bible, as its predecessor.[4]

Contemporary WARPIG reporting from the 1998 Zap International Masters identified Mike Henry and John Henry as representatives of Paintball 2Xtremes.[5]

The publication was already established before its acquisition by National Paintball Supply in 2000.

National Paintball Supply acquisition (2000)

On 13 April 2000, National Paintball Supply New Jersey announced that it had purchased Paintball 2Xtremes and associated paintball publishing businesses.

The company established Extreme Sport Publishing as a division responsible for the magazine, with publication under the new arrangement scheduled to begin in July 2000.[1]

Gino Postorivo, president of National Paintball Supply, announced plans to expand coverage of the paintball industry, including manufacturers, distributors, retail stores, playing fields and tournaments.

The proposed editorial changes included regional correspondents reporting on local paintball activities across the United States.

John Amodea, previously associated with Paintball Consumer Reports International (PCRI), became editor of the magazine.

Joshua D. Silverman subsequently joined the publication as assistant editor before moving to the British magazine Paintball Games International.[4][6]

Expansion during the 2000s

Under its new ownership, Paintball 2Xtremes expanded its coverage of recreational and competitive paintball.

Regular content included:

Professional and amateur tournament reports.
Recreational and scenario paintball coverage.
Equipment reviews and technical articles.
Interviews with players and industry representatives.
Reports on commercial paintball fields and retail businesses.
Paintball industry news and product announcements.

The magazine introduced a regional coverage section titled What the Locals Do, documenting tournaments, fields, shops and recreational events in different areas of the United States.[4]

The publication also covered international competitions and produced special historical editions.

Its June 2005 issue featured 81 Moments That Shaped Paintball, a retrospective documenting events and developments in the sport's history.[4]

According to the later company history published by Valken, the magazine developed international newsstand distribution exceeding 100,000 copies.[3]

Paintball 2Xtremes Television

On 2 October 2004, Paintball 2Xtremes Television premiered on the American cable network Spike TV.

The programme was scheduled for Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m., with an initial 13-week run.[4]

Unlike broadcasts concentrating exclusively on professional tournaments, the programme incorporated recreational paintball, scenario events, equipment reviews, safety information and instructional segments.

Documented coverage included the International Amateur Open, Paintball Sports Promotions tournaments and scenario paintball events.

The programme also featured professional players and teams, including Chris LaSoya, Los Angeles Infamous and the women's X-Ball team Empress.[4]

The television series extended the Paintball 2Xtremes brand beyond print publishing and provided a regular broadcast outlet for paintball-related programming.

Episodes have subsequently been preserved and republished through Paintball Media's historical video archive.[7]

Later ownership and publication

By 2008, the magazine was owned by Pacific Paintball LLC, the company operating the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) and Xtreme Paintball Sports League (XPSL).

In October 2008, WARPIG documented the publication's presence at the PSP World Cup trade show, where editor John Amodea was meeting readers and gathering material.[8]

On 2 December 2008, Pacific Paintball announced plans to seek bankruptcy liquidation for itself and several subsidiaries, including PB2X LLC.

The announcement included the proposed liquidation of the magazine's publishing business alongside the NPPL, XPSL and other Pacific Paintball operations.[9]

The available contemporary reporting establishes the liquidation announcement but does not conclusively identify the magazine's final published issue.

Amodea subsequently established PaintballX3, a separate digital paintball magazine whose first issue appeared in February 2009.[10]

In a February 2026 retrospective, Amodea identified his involvement with Paintball 2Xtremes as spanning 1999–2009.[11]

Historical archive

Surviving issues of Paintball 2Xtremes provide contemporary documentation of paintball during the 1990s and 2000s.

They include tournament reports, interviews, photographs, advertisements and coverage of equipment manufacturers and businesses.

John Amodea has retained an archive of articles from his paintball publishing career, including material from Paintball 2Xtremes.[11]

Historical magazine covers and selected video productions have also been made available through Paintball Media.

References

WARPIG – National Paintball Supply, New Jersey Purchases Paintball 2Xtremes. 13 April 2000.
WARPIG – Paintball Magazine Directory. Historical description of Paintball 2Xtremes, its publisher and editorial coverage.
Valken – About Us. Official company history discussing National Paintball Supply, Paintball 2Xtremes and the associated Spike TV programme.
Paintball 2Xtremes – 81 Moments That Shaped Paintball. June 2005. Historical retrospective reproduced on Automags.org in 2014.
WARPIG – 1998 Zap International Masters. Contemporary identification of Mike Henry and John Henry with Paintball 2Xtremes.
Paintball Media Magazine – Editorial Team. August 2025, p. 174. Joshua Silverman's professional biography.
Paintball Media – Historical Video Archive. Listings of surviving Paintball 2Xtremes Television episodes.
WARPIG – 2008 PSP World Cup Trade Show. Contemporary report documenting Paintball 2Xtremes and John Amodea.
WARPIG – NPPL to Be Liquidated. Bill Mills, 2 December 2008.
JR Dominguez 32 Paintball – Paintball X3 Digital Magazine Premier. 17 February 2009. Reproduction of John Amodea's announcement of the first PaintballX3 issue.
Paintball Media Magazine – How We Got Here. February 2026, p. 20. John Amodea's retrospective account of his publishing career.

External links