There's a lot of ambiguous terminology in esports tournaments. Here, we try to clear some of that up so that you don't get confused in our UX or support discussions!

We define a 'tournament' in a broader sense than traditionally used. It refers to any formal esports competition beyond standard online matchmaking. This includes what might typically be called a scrim.

The term 'game' refers to the smallest unit of competition within a tournament. It's a complete game as defined by the title being played. For example, in Counter-Strike, a game is first-to-16.

A 'match' is a series of games that concludes with a final result, leading to a team’s progression, elimination, or placement in a lower bracket. Often referred to as a 'best-of' or a 'series', a match can include just one game (e.g., a best-of-1) or multiple games.

A 'round' consists of a set of matches played among teams at the same level of progression in a tournament. Examples include the 'round of 16', 'semi-finals', or 'finals'. Rounds can consist of just one match, such as in the case of finals. Similarly, a tournament may consist of only one round, such as in the case of a scrim.

Finally, a 'stage' is a collection of rounds representing a distinct subsection of a tournament. Stages often have specific themes or purposes, like a 'group stage' or 'qualifiers', forming part of a larger tournament structure. A stage may consist of only one round or multiple.