Global Rulebook Update: Article 3.2.3 (Team Roster Integrity)
Article 3.2.3 of the EWC 2026 Global Rulebook has been updated to introduce an exception where a Participant loses roster majority due to circumstances entirely outside its control.
Update to Art. 3.2.3 of the EWC 2026 Global Rulebook on Team Roster Integrity
TL;DR
Rule 3.2.3 has been updated to add a defined exception process for cases where a Participant loses roster majority due to circumstances outside its control.
The change clarifies how Emergency Substitute situations interact with Club Championship eligibility.
Tournament Administration retains full discretion and reviews each case individually; the update does not create an automatic exemption.
Previous rule
The previous version of Art. 3.2.3 of the EWC 2026 Global Rulebook on Team Roster Integrity, stated:
"Clubs need to retain the majority of the roster of any qualified or invited Participant for that Participant to remain eligible to earn Club Championship Points for the Club, even if the respective game title rulebook allows bigger changes."
This rule exists to protect the integrity of the Club Championship: it ensures points are earned by the roster that actually qualified or was invited, and prevents a Club from swapping in substantially different lineups after the roster lock while still keeping the Club Championship points tied to the original team. No expectations were permitted.
What is changing
An exception is now added for situations where the loss of roster majority is caused by circumstances entirely outside the Participant's control, in line with the existing Emergency Substitute framework:
"In exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the Participant, Tournament Administration may determine that the Participant remains eligible to earn Club Championship Points even where no a majority of its registered roster is unable to participate in the Tournament, provided such determination does not conflict with the applicable game-specific rules."
Why this update
Recent visa and border-entry issues affecting Participants highlighted a gap in the rule. The previous wording did not distinguish between roster changes caused by a Club’s own actions and roster changes caused by external circumstances that the Club could not reasonably prevent.
This update aligns Art. 3.2.3 with the Emergency Substitute framework, which applies only to genuine, verifiable, and properly documented circumstances outside the Participant’s control.
Note: Rulebook amendments are not typically introduced once a tournament is underway. This update is therefore an exceptional measure, made necessary by the circumstances arising from the event’s relocation to Paris.
This notice is provided for transparency and general information. In the event of any discrepancy between this notice and the Global Rulebook, the Global Rulebook prevails.
Effective date: July 17, 2026