Tournament Bracket System
Host comprehensive tournaments in your Discord server for movies, TV shows, video games, board games, or books! Features a complete group stage with smart search integration, wildcard system, and single-elimination knockout bracket. Perfect for entertainment communities running competitions like "The Shudder Discord Gore Cup" or similar events.
Quick FAQ
Q: How many entries can participate in a tournament?
A: Specific valid sizes only, to ensure clean tournament structures:
- Bracket Mode: 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 entries (powers of 2 for balanced brackets)
- Group Stage Mode: 36, 40, 44, or 48 entries (multiples of 4 for complete groups)
The bot only allows these specific values to prevent awkward structures like incomplete groups or brackets with excessive byes.
Q: How do I choose which mode to use?
A: You don't! Just specify the max number of titles when creating (/bracket create max-titles:16). The bot automatically detects the best tournament structure based on size. Discord shows a dropdown with labeled options like "8 titles (Quarterfinals)" or "36 titles (9 groups)".
Q: What types of tournaments can I run?
A: Movies, TV shows, video games, board games, or books. Each tournament must be a single type (can't mix movies and TV shows in the same tournament).
Q: How does the search integration work?
A: When adding entries with /bracket manage-titles action:"Add Title", the bot searches TMDB (movies/TV), RAWG (video games), BoardGameGeek (board games), or Google Books. If it finds a single match, it's added automatically. If multiple matches are found, you'll see a selection menu (just like /movie or /tv) where you can choose the exact title you want.
Q: Who can create and manage tournaments?
A: Only server administrators and moderators can create, manage, and advance tournaments. All members can vote.
Q: How do wildcards work?
A: After group stage, the top 2 from each group advance automatically. Then the system calculates how many third-place finishers are needed to reach the next power of 2 (4, 8, 16, or 32). For example: 8 groups = 16 direct + 0 wildcards = 16 total; 12 groups = 24 direct + 8 wildcards = 32 total.
Q: What happens if there's a tie?
A: The bot automatically creates a short tiebreaker voting round (default 1 hour, configurable). A voting embed is posted with a button for each tied option — members click a button to cast their vote and can change it any time before the deadline. Live vote counts update in the embed as votes come in. When the deadline passes, the scheduler automatically tallies votes and resolves the tie (random fallback if nobody voted). Admins can also end a tiebreaker early with /bracket resolve-tiebreaker — leave the winner blank to resolve by current votes, or specify a number to manually override.
Q: Can users change their votes?
A: Yes! Users can change their votes anytime before the group or matchup is closed.
Q: Can we run multiple tournaments at once?
A: No, only one tournament can be active per server at a time. You must cancel or complete the current tournament before starting a new one.
🚀 Quick Start Guide
Want to run your first tournament? Here's a complete walkthrough from creation to crowning a champion!
Step 1: Create Tournament (Admin Only)
/bracket create name:Horror Movie Showdown groups:4✅ Tournament created! Only you can see this message. Continue setup privately.
Step 2: Add 4 Titles to Each Group (Admin Only)
Group A:
/bracket manage-titles action:"Add Title" group:A type:movie title:The Thing
/bracket manage-titles action:"Add Title" group:A type:movie title:Alien
/bracket manage-titles action:"Add Title" group:A type:movie title:The Exorcist
/bracket manage-titles action:"Add Title" group:A type:movie title:The ShiningRepeat for Groups B, C, D with different movies.
💡 Tip: If multiple matches appear, you'll see a dropdown menu to select the exact title you want (just like /movie).
Step 3: Announce Tournament (Admin Only)
/bracket announce message:🎬 Horror Movie Tournament starts NOW! Vote for your favorites!📢 Now everyone can see the tournament exists!
Step 4: Open Groups for Voting (Admin Only)
/bracket open-groups groups:A,B,C,D duration:24h🗳️ Members can now vote! They'll see a balanced 2x2 grid of all groups.
→ Learn more about setup and group voting
Step 5: Members Vote (Everyone)
Click the "Start Voting" button on the voting message to see your options!
How voting works:
- Click 2 buttons to select your favorites in each group
- Your selections are saved instantly
- You can change your votes anytime before voting closes
Check your voting status: /bracket my-votes
Step 6: Close Group Voting (Admin Only)
/bracket close-groups groups:A,B,C,D📊 Results calculated! Top 2 from each group advance. Best 3rd place finishers become wildcards.
💡 Tip: Add tiebreaker-duration:30m if you want faster tiebreaker rounds!
Step 7: Advance to Knockout (Admin Only)
/bracket advance-knockout🏆 Knockout bracket generated!
Check tournament status anytime:
/bracket status
Tournament status showing active knockout voting with live vote counts
Step 8: Open Knockout Round (Admin Only)
🆕 Use the smart command (recommended):
/bracket open duration:24hThe bot automatically detects which round you're in and opens all matchups!
Or use granular control for specific matchups:
# Open specific matchups
/bracket open-matchup matchup:1A,1B,2A duration:24h
# Leave matchup parameter blank for interactive button selection
/bracket open-matchup duration:24h💡 Regional Labels: Matchups use labels like 1A, 1B, 2C, 2D for easy reference across 4 regions.
→ Learn about knockout rounds and regional system
Step 9: Members Vote on Matchups (Everyone)
Click the "Start Voting" button to get your personal voting dashboard.
Personal voting dashboard tracks your progress and streak
What you'll see:
- 🗳️ All open matchups with buttons to vote
- 🔥 Your voting streak and total votes
- 💜 Purple buttons show your current selections
- ⚡ Real-time updates as you vote
- 📊 Live standings visible to everyone
Step 10: Close Voting & Advance Winners (Admin Only)
🆕 Use the smart command (recommended):
/bracket closeThe bot automatically detects which round you're in, closes all matchups, and advances winners!
Or use granular control for specific matchups:
/bracket close-matchup matchup:1A,2B🏁 Winners auto-advance to next round! Ties automatically create short tiebreaker votes.
Step 11: Repeat for Each Round
Continue the cycle: Open → Vote → Close → Auto-Advance
Rounds progress: Round of 16 → Quarterfinals → Semifinals → Finals
Step 12: Champion Crowned! 🏆
🏆 Tournament Complete!
The Thing is the champion!
Congratulations! 🎉💡 Pro Tips
Timing & Pacing:
- Use
duration:48hfor slower-paced tournaments - Use
duration:1hfor live events - Open matchups individually or by region for dramatic pacing
Keep Members Engaged:
- Announce when new groups/rounds open
- Remind members to check
/bracket my-votes - Share
/bracket viewto show visual bracket
Manage Efficiently:
- Use
/bracket statusto check progress anytime - Use
/bracket list-groupsfor simple text overview - Open 4 groups at a time to avoid overwhelming voters
→ See more tips and advanced features
Tournament Structure
Phase 1: Group Stage
- 4-12 groups (A through L) with 4 entries each
- Smart search integration with selection menus
- Members vote for top 2 in each group
- Top 2 advance automatically + wildcards if needed
Phase 2: Knockout Bracket
- Single-elimination tournament starting at Round of 32 (or smaller)
- Regional organization: Left side (Region 1), Right side (Region 2)
- Flexible opening: Open entire round, by region, or individual matchups
- Winners automatically advance to next round
- Rounds: Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarterfinals → Semifinals → Finals
Key Features
✅ Smart Search Integration - TMDB, RAWG, BGG, and Google Books with selection menus
✅ Flexible Voting - Customizable durations (5 minutes to 30 days)
✅ Regional System - Organize matchups by left/right sides with clear labels
✅ Auto-Advancement - Winners automatically populate next round
✅ Visual Brackets - Generate beautiful PNG bracket images
✅ AI Images - Generate custom matchup vs images with OpenAI
✅ Deadline Tracking - Shows time remaining on all voting embeds
✅ Voting Dashboard - Members can check their voting status anytime
✅ Granular Control - Open/close entire rounds, regions, or individual matchups
Documentation
- Setup & Group Stage - Create tournaments, add titles, manage group voting
- Knockout Rounds - Regional system, opening options, managing knockout bracket
- Command Reference - Complete list of all bracket commands
- Tips & Strategies - Advanced features, AI images, pacing strategies
Need Help?
- Check Command Reference for specific command details
- See Tips & Strategies for advanced workflows
- Use
/bracket statusto check tournament progress anytime - Use
/bracket my-votesto see your voting status