> 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/hosting-a-contest.md). # Hosting Your Own Contest Anyone signed in to RivalRyze can host a Contest. Hosting is free: the only gems you spend are the optional **Prize Boost** you seed into the prize pool, plus the entry fee if you also join your own Contest. Click **Create Contest**: it's in the header and next to the search box on the Contests page. You can also start from a game's page (the game is pre-filled), from a guild page with **Create Guild Contest**, or from another player's profile with **More actions** > **Challenge Rival**. The **Create Your Contest!** wizard has four steps: **Contest Type**, **Objective Mode**, **Customization** and **Settings & Prizes**. ## 1. Contest Type | Card | What it is | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Battle** (PvP) | "Settle the score through competition. Only the best are rewarded." Players compete on one objective. See [Battles](/contests/battles.md). | | **Guild Versus Guild** (GvG) | "Guilds go head to head. The top players score and the best guild wins." See [Guild Versus Guild](/contests/guild-vs-guild.md). | | **Bounty** (PvE) | Shown, but it can't be selected yet. See [Bounties](/contests/bounties.md). | ## 2. Objective Mode Pick what players compete on. Battle objectives are grouped in tabs: * **General Gaming**: **Achievement Points Battle**, **Completion Points Battle**, **Achievement Hunter Battle**, **Completion Hunter Battle**, **Platinum Hunter Battle**. * **Live Service**: **Dota 2 Points Battle**, **League of Legends Points Battle**, **TFT Points Battle**. * **Chess** and **Discord**: marked **Coming Soon**. Guild Versus Guild offers **Achievement Points Battle** and **Completion Points Battle**. Each card shows the platforms it supports and the modifiers you can set. See [Objective Modes](/contests/objective-modes.md) for how each one scores. ## 3. Customization This step (**Battle Setup**) depends on the objective: * **Pick the target** for Hunter modes: a game and an achievement (**Achievement Hunter Battle**), a game (**Completion Hunter Battle**), or a game with a platinum trophy (**Platinum Hunter Battle**). * **Choose which games count** for Points modes (**Which games count?**): **Any game**, **Set rules** (filters such as platform, genre, theme, franchise, difficulty) or **Select games** (an exact list). This never limits who can join. * **Choose queues or modes** for League of Legends, TFT and Dota 2, and how many of each player's best games count. * **Set the Battle Duration**: fixed **Start / End Date**, or **Minimum Participants** with a duration of one day, one week or one month. See [Auto-Start Rules](/contests/auto-start-rules.md). * **Allow Users to Join after Start Date** (on by default): late joiners only score from the moment they join. For Guild Versus Guild, you also set how many top players count per guild. ## 4. Settings & Prizes ### Who can join? Pick **Guild Contest**, **Public**, **Invite Only** or **Password Protected**. See [Access Policies](/contests/access-policies.md) for what each one means. ### Customize Appearance Click **Customize** to set the **Contest name**, a description, and the artwork: the **Page banner** (Contest page header) and the **Card cover** (Contest cards and Discord). RivalRyze generates artwork for you. Uploading your own art requires Premium or ownership of the guild the Contest is attached to. ### Prizes * **Participation Cost**: the entry fee each player pays. It all goes into the prize pool. * **Prize Boost**: gems you seed into the prize pool now. * **Prize Pool** distribution: **Winner Takes All**, **Top 3**, **Top 5**, **Participant Count** (default) or **Equal Top 5**. * **Guild Rewards**: Discord roles as prizes, for Guild Contests only. See [Entry Fees, Prize Pools & Donations](/contests/entry-fees-and-prizes.md) for the exact splits. ### Create The summary shows **Your Wallet**, the **Total Cost** (your Prize Boost) and the **Balance After Purchase**. If you're short, you'll be offered **Purchase Gems**. Click **Create Battle for** (or **Create Guild Versus Guild for**), followed by the gem cost, to publish. ## After you create it * **It's live right away.** Your Contest appears on the Contests page, and RivalRyze posts it to Discord: in your guild's contests forum for a Guild Contest, or in the RivalRyze server's public feed otherwise. The thread has buttons to view the leaderboard, join and boost. * **Share it.** **Share contest** on the Contest page copies its link. * **Invite players** with **Invite Rivalz** ("Send out invites to your friends and enemies"): search players, pick them and click **Send Invites**. * **Get notified** when someone joins or donates, and when a player asks to join. ## Admin Controls As the host, your Contest page has an **Admin Controls** tab with these sections: **Appearance**, **Schedule**, the match scope and counted games (League of Legends, TFT and Dota 2), players counted per guild (Guild Versus Guild), **Who Can Join**, your invites and join requests, and the **Danger Zone**. Join requests appear under **Requests**, each with **Accept** and **Decline**. Accepting enrolls the player and charges their entry fee. What you can change depends on whether the Contest has started: | Setting | Before the start | After the start | | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | Name, description and artwork | Yes | Yes | | Start date | Yes (not for Minimum Participants lobbies) | No | | End date | Yes (not for Minimum Participants lobbies) | Yes, as long as it stays in the future | | Queues, Dota modes and counted games | Yes | No | | Players counted per guild (Guild Versus Guild) | Yes | No | | Access policy, password and roles | Yes | Yes (new joins only) | | Attach, switch or remove the guild | Yes | No | | Allow joining after the start | Yes | Yes | | Cancel the Contest | Yes | No | You can't change the objective, the entry fee, the prize distribution or the minimum participants after creating a Contest. Nothing can be edited once the Contest has ended. ### Cancelling In the **Danger Zone**, click **Cancel Contest** and confirm. This is only possible while the Contest hasn't started, and it can't be undone. Entry fees go back to the participants, donations to their senders and your Prize Boost to you, automatically. Once a Contest has started, you can't cancel it. ## When the Contest ends After a short final review, the standings lock and the prize pool is split automatically. You don't have to do anything. See [Auto-Start Rules](/contests/auto-start-rules.md#when-the-contest-ends). ## Related * [What is a Contest](/contests/what-is-a-contest.md) * [Objective Modes](/contests/objective-modes.md) * [Access Policies](/contests/access-policies.md) * [Entry Fees, Prize Pools & Donations](/contests/entry-fees-and-prizes.md) * [Auto-Start Rules](/contests/auto-start-rules.md) * [Hosting Guild Contests](/for-guild-admins/hosting-guild-contests.md)