Axie Classic Champions Invitational: field set for September 27

On September 23, 2026, Sky Mavis published the full Axie Classic Champions Invitational field and watch window. The eight-player double-elimination bracket will run on September 27, with opening matches off-stream at 6 PM PHT / 6 AM EDT and a livestream from 8 PM PHT / 8 AM EDT covering Upper Bracket Finals, Lower Bracket Finals, and Grand Finals on Axie Infinity YouTube and Twitch.

This article follows the Season 16 community handoff with the Competitive Circuit’s S13–16 finale: the studio already paused regular Classic seasons and active Classic feature work after Season 16, and the Invitational closes that arc. For viewers, September 27 is the watch date for the circuit finale.

Background

Axie Classic is the original Axie Infinity card battler. Day-to-day Axie play on Ronin now centers on live titles such as Axie Infinity: Origins, while Classic keeps a dedicated competitive audience.

Competitive Circuit 2 already framed Seasons 13–16 as a closed arc ending in a Champions Invitational, per the Season 13 Lunacian post⁠ (opens in new tab). Season 16 was the last official studio competitive season. After that window, Sky Mavis paused regular Classic seasons, halted active Classic feature development under the current structure, and removed Classic quests from the daily Bounty Board while working toward community direction. Exact governance and tooling for that next phase were still TBA when Season 16 landed; this Invitational does not replace that missing plan. It is the circuit finale the studio already promised for the eight qualifiers who climbed Seasons 13–16.

What happened

Field and opening Upper Bracket

According to the Champions Invitational Lunacian post (September 23, 2026)⁠ (opens in new tab), the eight seats are filled from Season Championships and Arena Leaderboards:

Opening Upper Bracket pairings:

Bracket format and Axie rules

The tournament uses a double-elimination bracket. A loss in the Upper Bracket sends a player to the Lower Bracket, where a run to Grand Finals remains possible.

Roster and bans, per the same Lunacian notes:

• Each player submits 10 Axies before the tournament
• Before each match, each player bans 3 of the opponent’s Axies
• Artifacts are allowed

Match lengths:

• All matches before Grand Finals are best-of-5
• Grand Finals are best-of-7
• The player advancing from the Upper Bracket starts Grand Finals with a 1-0 series lead

Watch window

Streams: Axie Infinity YouTube and Axie Infinity Twitch (channel names per the Lunacian post).

Prize pool

5,000 bAXS, paid by final placement:

bAXS is the in-season reward unit used in official Classic competitive copy. Holding or trading AXS on Ronin is a separate wallet action; treat prize-pool figures as tournament payouts, not a market signal.

Who it affects

Spectators and Classic fans

If you follow Classic brackets, mark September 27 for the streamed finals on Axie YouTube and Twitch. The Invitational is the S13–16 Competitive Circuit finale after Sky Mavis paused regular Classic seasons for community direction, not a new regular season opener.

Competitors and scholars

The eight named players enter a fixed double-elimination field with published ban and series rules. Everyone else should treat studio-backed Classic season grind as already wound down after Season 16; this event does not reopen a Season 17 ladder under the old structure.

Origins and Ronin players

Origins seasons, land loops, and other Ronin titles keep their own calendars. The Invitational does not by itself pause Origins play or change how you hold AXS for gas-adjacent or governance uses on Ronin. Use the Ronin network and Ronin platform pages for chain and hub context when you need them.

At a glance

On Web3Raider

Closest pages:

• Games hub: /games
• NFT hub: /nft
• Blockchain hub: /blockchain
• Related game: Axie Infinity: Origins
• Related: Ronin network · Ronin platform · AXS
• Related reading: Axie Classic Season 16 community handoff

What to watch next

• Livestream start September 27, 8 PM PHT / 8 AM EDT on Axie Infinity YouTube and Twitch (check the day’s posts on The Lunacian⁠ (opens in new tab) and Axie Infinity on X⁠ (opens in new tab))
• Champion and placement payouts against the published 5,000 bAXS table
• Any written follow-up on Classic community direction, tooling, or third-party competitive formats after this finale
• Separate Origins and Ronin product calendars on official channels (not driven by this Invitational alone)

Bottom line: Set a reminder for September 27, 8 PM PHT on Axie YouTube or Twitch if you want the streamed finals. Treat the Invitational as the S13–16 Competitive Circuit finale after Sky Mavis paused regular Classic seasons for community direction, and wait for a separate official plan before assuming a new studio-backed Classic season ladder.