> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rivalryze.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rivalryze.com/contests/battles.md).

# Battles

A **Battle** is a leaderboard-based Contest. Every participant scores points during the Battle's duration, the leaderboard updates as platforms sync, and at the end the highest scorers win.

## How Battles work

1. **A Battle has a duration.** It runs for a fixed window — a day, a week, a month — set by the host.
2. **Everyone scores during the window.** Each participant's score updates after their gaming platform syncs (Steam, PSN, Xbox, Riot, Battle.net).
3. **The leaderboard ranks players continuously.** You can see your rank update in real time on the Battle's page.
4. **When the duration expires, the leaderboard locks.** Whoever's at the top wins.

## Score-based Objective Modes

Battles run on **Points-style** Objective Modes:

* **Achievement Points** — total achievement points earned during the Battle window across the selected platforms.
* **Completion Achievement Points** — only achievement points from games you 100%-complete during the Battle window count.
* **Dota 2 Points Battle** — Dota 2 performance metrics (MMR, win rate, match performance).

For full descriptions of each mode, see [Objective Modes](/contests/objective-modes.md).

## How winners are decided

Hosts choose a **Reward Distribution** when creating the Battle. The most common options:

| Distribution             | What it does                                                                   |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Winner Takes All**     | 100% of the prize pool goes to the #1 ranked player.                           |
| **Top 3**                | 1st place gets 60%, 2nd gets 25%, 3rd gets 15%.                                |
| **Top 5**                | 1st gets 40%, 2nd gets 25%, 3rd gets 15%, 4th and 5th get 10% each.            |
| **By Participant Count** | The platform scales the payout list based on how many players joined. Default. |

If two players have the same score, the **earlier sync time** wins the tiebreaker.

## What you do as a participant

1. **Join before the start.** Pay the entry fee from your wallet.
2. **Sync your platform.** Confirm your gaming account is connected and showing as healthy.
3. **Play.** Anything you do during the Battle window contributes to your score automatically — achievements you unlock, games you complete, ranks you climb (depending on the Objective Mode).
4. **Watch the leaderboard.** Your rank updates after each sync. Hit "Sync now" on your profile after a big session to refresh immediately.
5. **Get paid if you finish in a winning position.** Gems land in your wallet automatically when the Battle ends.

{% hint style="info" %}
Achievement-based Battles only count achievements unlocked **during** the Battle window — historical unlocks don't count. New organic unlocks always count, even if your historical achievements are flagged by [Fair Play](/fair-play/auto-pop-and-fair-play.md).
{% endhint %}

## Hosting a Battle

Pick a Points-style Objective Mode when you create the Contest. The rest of the flow (entry fee, duration, access policy, prize pool boost) is the same as any Contest — see [Hosting Your Own Contest](/contests/hosting-a-contest.md).

## Battle vs. Bounty: when to host which

| Pick a Battle when…                     | Pick a [Bounty](/contests/bounties.md) when…         |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| You want a multi-day grind contest      | You want a clear "first to do X" race                |
| You want ranked top-N payouts           | You want everyone who completes the objective to win |
| You want consistent play to be rewarded | You want a sprint with a clear finish line           |
| You're running a leaderboard event      | You're posting a challenge with a finish condition   |

## What about Collector modes?

The objective modes **Achievement Collector**, **Platinum Collector**, and **Completion Collector** are coming soon. They'll work as Battles where the score is total achievements / platinums / completions across multiple games. Watch [Objective Modes](/contests/objective-modes.md) for status.

## Related

* [Bounties](/contests/bounties.md) — the other Contest type
* [Objective Modes](/contests/objective-modes.md) — all the modes Battles support
* [Joining a Contest](/contests/joining-a-contest.md)
* [Hosting Your Own Contest](/contests/hosting-a-contest.md)
* [Entry Fees, Prize Pools & Donations](/contests/entry-fees-and-prizes.md)
* [Auto-Start Rules](/contests/auto-start-rules.md)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.rivalryze.com/contests/battles.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.