Announcing the GeoGuessr World Cup Closed Qualifier 26th of August

The GeoGuessr World Cup marks the beginning of an enduring tradition, as we aim to foster and celebrate the competitive GeoGuessr scene by crowning a new world champion every year. As the World Cup evolves, our commitment to enhancing the qualification system will allow for more slots and a more advanced selection process. For this year, we are thrilled to offer a select group of players the chance to qualify for this prestigious event.

This years qualifying process will feature 16 of the world's best players engaging in a closed qualifier, vying for the four remaining spots alongside the 20 players already chosen to compete in Stockholm. Prior to this, we are excited to announce that Trevor "rainbolt" Rainbolt will be hosting a pre-qualifier event, where two players will secure their place in the closed qualifier. In summary, GeoGuessr will invite 14 players directly to the closed qualifier, while an additional two players will emerge from the "rainbolt World Cup Pre Qualifier."

The inaugural GeoGuessr World Cup will unfold at the esteemed Space Arena in Stockholm, a venue befitting the magnitude of this landmark event. We have made a conscious decision to curate the player roster for this GeoGuessr World Cup, ensuring the highest standards of competition and the utmost quality. We are fully committed to delivering an extraordinary experience that aligns with our vision.

While the current format entails invitation-based qualifiers, our ambition is to open up future World Cups to broader participation through inclusive open qualifiers.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire GeoGuessr community for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. Together, let us witness the birth of an extraordinary legacy in the realm of competitive gaming.

The qualifying format will be as follows:

Group Stage (Best of 3)
4 Groups with 4 players in each group, following a round-robin format.
The top-ranked player from each group will advance directly to the end bracket.
The second and third-ranked players from each group will move on to the Knockout stage.
The fourth-placed players will be eliminated from the tournament.

Knockout Stage (Best of 5, 4 Matches)
The winners from the Knockout stage will proceed to face the first-placed players from the groups.
The losers from the Knockout stage will be eliminated from the tournament.

End Bracket (Best of 5, 4 Matches)
The winners of the End Bracket matches will secure their qualification for the GeoGuessr World Cup.
The losers of the End Bracket matches will compete in a third-place game to determine the final rankings for the qualifiers, with additional invite considerations.

Qualifier Details

Match format: Duel, 1vs1, Best of 3/Best of 5
Date: Saturday, 26th of August, 2023
Players: 14 Invited players (to be announced), 2 players from the rainbolt World Cup Pre Qualifier hosted by rainbolt