2024 NXL season
The 2024 NXL season was the United States tournament season of the National Xball League. The calendar comprised five major events. Red Legion won the professional season championship, The Heroines won the American 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]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]
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]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]
| Event | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Major | San Diego Dynasty | New Orleans Hurricanes |
| Lone Star Major | 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
[edit]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]
| 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
[edit]Dallas Vibe won the opening professional women's tournament at Las Vegas. The Heroines won Mid-Atlantic and World Cup.[7][9][11]
| 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
[edit]| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Heroines | 393 |
| 2 | Dallas Vibe | 382 |
| 3 | Cheetahs | 372 |
Source: official American season standings.[1]
Divisional event winners
[edit]The following tables summarise event winners. Tournament titles and season championships were separate awards. Names follow the respective event listings.[7–11]
X-Ball
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]References
[edit]- PBLeagues – National Xball League: 2024 season rankings.
- PBLeagues – Las Vegas Major: event information, 8–10 March 2024.
- PBLeagues – Lone Star Major: event information, 26–28 April 2024.
- PBLeagues – Mid-Atlantic Major: event information, 21–23 June 2024.
- PBLeagues – Windy City Major: event information, 13–15 September 2024.
- PBLeagues – World Cup: event information, 6–10 November 2024.
- PBLeagues – 2024 Las Vegas Major: final results.
- PBLeagues – 2024 Lone Star Major: final results.
- PBLeagues – 2024 Mid-Atlantic Major: final results.
- PBLeagues – 2024 Windy City Major: final results.
- PBLeagues – 2024 World Cup: final results.
- Leverage Paintball – 3rd Place NXL Event #5 Orlando – World Cup, 11 November 2024.
- National Xball League – NXL Pro Division to be featured on ESPN in Paintballs return to TV, 23 July 2024; updated 31 July 2024.
- 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.
- PBLeagues – 2024 World Cup: competition brackets and advancement rules.
- National Xball League – NXL Windy City Major Recap; Damage Wins!, 16 September 2024.
- pbhub.de – NXL US 2025 – 1. Event – Tampa, March 2025. Contemporary discussion identifying Leverage's promotion and New York Xtreme's relegation and return.
- Adrenaline – New York Xtreme: announcement of the MLKings–NYX merger ahead of 2025.