Genesis Player guide

How do I register for G8? What are venue passes and event fees?

For most tournaments like Genesis, venue passes are what get you through the doors into the tournament hall. This is what you'll see in Step 1 of smash.gg registration. Spectator passes and Competitor passes are both types of venue passes. You will need a competitor pass if you intend to compete in the official Genesis events. Otherwise, a spectator pass will suffice. There are a few events that can be entered even with Spectator passes, but this is not normally the case for most other tournaments.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT GENESIS 8 REQUIRES PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION TO ATTEND. YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY WITH NO REFUND WITHOUT IT.

SEE https://www.genesisgaming.gg/covid FOR FULL INFO.

Where do my fees go?

Venue fees, in general, go to the organizers who use these fees to run the tournament itself. Some of these costs include, but not limited to paying for the venue, internet access, streams, console/equipment rentals, and paying staff.

Event fees always go directly into the prize pool for that event. So if 1000 people enter a $10 event, the total prize will be at least $10,000.

I got my venue and event passes, when do I see my bracket and schedule?

You can view this by going to your Tournament Dashboard on smash.gg. In general, the Dashboard is the best place to look at information relevant to you.

What do I do when I show up to the venue?

1: Get your proof of vaccination checked

2: Pick up your badge

3: Show up to your pools on time

Take a look at the diagram of the convention center. All Genesis 8 events are taking place in Halls 1-3 which are all connected. Before going inside, you'll need to get your vax status checked, and then pick up your badge.

The vaccine check will take place in the Marriott 2nd floor foyer, which is just through the doors from the convention center 2nd floor. You'll show your ID plus your vax proof (either your physical card or a photo of your card) to the person at the desk and they'll hand you a wristband to snap on. You must have had the final shot in the series before April 1, 2022.

After that, you can pick up your badge. Badge pickup is at tables just outside Hall 1. When you get to the front of the line, you'll show your vax wristband and your proof of registration to the person at the desk (this can be your ID, the email receipt you received when you registered, or an email/smashgg verification), and they'll hand you your badge, lanyard, and top 8 wristband (which will be black and red) if you bought one. Don’t lose your badge or wristbands! You must pay to replace them if you lose them!

If you bought a custom badge, or are staff, vendor, media, or VIP, there is a special faster line for your badge pickup.

Badge pickup is available Thursday 6pm-10pm, Friday 9am-8pm, and Saturday 9am-5pm.

We HIGHLY recommend you pick up your badge Thursday night so you don't have to wait in line before your pools on Friday! Doors to the venue open at 9am Friday morning.

If you're planning to arrive shortly before your bracket starts, make sure to give yourself enough time to park, find the badge pick-up desk, get through the line to pick it up, and then get into the venue and find your station! To be safe, expect 30 minutes from getting to the venue to sitting down to play!

What do I do if I’m only coming for Sunday Top 8?

You won't go to the convention center at all, instead you will show up to the civic center and there will be a door specifically for top 8 only attendees. You will show your vax proof and registration to the people at the desk, receive your top 8 wristband, and then you're good to watch the show!

Is there security at the venue?

Yes, there will only be one set of doors through which attendees may enter the venue, and bags will be checked at this entrance. There will be another set of doors which is exit only and where guards will be posted. We also have guards roaming inside the venue at all hours. If you have an issue with misconduct/harassment with any attendee or staff member, we will have a contact for you to report them. If you have a general security concern, please approach someone at the TO desk.

What do I do if I’m only coming for Sunday Top 8?

How do I find where and when I'm supposed to play my match?

Once our brackets are published, you'll be able to see your schedule on smash.gg by going to your Dashboard. Competitions with a lot of entrants are split up into more manageable smaller chunks called pools that we run bit by bit.

Every event you're in will have a pool named with a letter and a number, like "A12" or "K6." The letter refers to the "wave" of the bracket. Each wave is a block of time, usually 2 hours long, which you'll be able to see on a schedule that we'll publish along with our brackets.

REMEMBER TO SHOW UP ON TIME! We have to run on a tight schedule and you will be fully disqualified from the bracket if you are 15 minutes late.

The number of your pool indicates the station number. A station is a group of 2-4 setups/consoles, and each game will have its own set of station numbers, which will be on clearly visible signs. You should show up to your station 10 minutes before your pool starts. If you show up more than 10 minutes late, you might be disqualified, and we do not offer refunds for DQ'd players.

For example, if you're in pool A12 for Ultimate, Wave A might be at Friday 10am-12pm, so you will go into the venue hall by 9:50am (having picked your badge up already!), find the area of the venue with the Ultimate setups, and look for the sign with 12 on it. Each pool will have a “pool captain,” who is responsible for running the pool, and generally, they will have a special shirt on and be holding a clipboard.

Find the pool captain for A12, give them your gamer tag and they will help you with the rest! While most events at Genesis are double elimination, (you are done after you lose twice) this is not always the case. Make sure to double check with your pool captain to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

I’m at my pool, now what?

Your pool captain will have a distinctive shirt on and a clipboard with a paper bracket. Check in with them and give them your name, and stay near your pool station while you wait for your pool captain to call your matches. If you have questions about rules or procedures, your pool captain will be there to help you. When you are done with your match, it is the winner’s responsibility to report the score, but it is encouraged that you confirm that the match is reported correctly regardless of who wins. Always stay near your pool until you are either eliminated or have advanced to the next round! If your pool captain cannot find you for your later matches, you may also be disqualified, so don’t wander off!

Where can I find the rules for the competitions?

Visit genesisgaming.gg/rules

Do I need my own controller?

Yes. We do not rent controllers, but there will be controller vendors onsite you can buy from.

What are the details of the Top 8 at the San Jose Civic Center program?

Our finals are held at a different venue, the San Jose Civic Center which is directly across the street from the Convention Center. We started this tradition of a finals show at Genesis 3 and it has been immensely popular each year. Entrance into the Civic Center requires an additional purchase of $40. Seating is not assigned within each section, so it will be first come first serve.

For those who only want to watch top 8 and not attend the rest of the tournament, those tickets are available after registration closes. You will pick up your pass at the Civic Center by showing your ID. It is also possible to buy passes to top 8 onsite as long as seats remain.

This year doors will open around 9am and the show will finish around 10pm; we can’t give an exact time due to the fact that tournament matches can be short or long. There will be food available for purchase in the venue.

Do you have any age restrictions or special rules for those under 18?

If you are under 18, you need explicit parental permission to attend G8.

For ages 14-18, your parents do not need to accompany you the whole time, but if they don't, they must contact us directly by email (hello@genesisgaming.gg) and designate a temporary adult guardian for you for the weekend (like a sibling or a friend).

For ages 13 and under, a legal adult guardian must accompany you.

There are no age restrictions on attendance besides these.

What else is there to do at Genesis 8?

So you got knocked out, or you’re waiting in between your pools, and you need something to do. You can:

Play friendlies in any game
Watch some matches on the stages
Check out our Artist Alley with community artists, vendors, and sponsors (list TBD)
Hop on any of our freeplay arcade machines
Play some other console games provided by our friends at Showdown
If you’re still itching to compete, we will also have some brackets on demand with prizes, or, you can also sign up for any of our side events before 11am Saturday
You can also sign up for any of our side events before 11am Saturday. Signups will be available at the check-in desk.
Visit downtown San Jose(guide to be provided soon)

Any other things/rules I should know about?

If you have an issue with misconduct/harassment with any attendee or staff member, we will have a contact for you to report them.
Do not move or disconnect any setups/equipment that do not belong to you. If there is a technical issue with a setup, contact your pool captain or someone at the TO desk.

No outside food will generally be allowed into the venue
For more details, see our code of conduct (link to be available soon)
We will have a Lost & Found at the TO booth
Badges/passes will only be replaced at full cost.

I have more questions that aren’t answered here

Email us at hello@genesisgaming.gg, or DM us on Twitter @Genesis_smash