"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

–Han Solo, Star Wars: A New Hope

Hello, X-Wing™ fans. Do you want to attend the 2019 X-Wing World Championship? Then pay attention. We have big news for you!

Starting in 2019, the X-Wing World Championships will be invite-only. If you want to take part in the galaxy's greatest starfighter battles, you will need to earn your way to the Fantasy Flight Games Center. And then, once there, you can expect top-level, high-energy competition from your very first volley, all the way through your final engagement.

How do you earn your invitation? With the introduction of X-Wing Second Edition, there are now two competitive tracks that both lead toward the X-Wing World Championship—the System Open Series and the Hyperspace events. The top players at each of these events will earn their invitations!

The Top 8 players at each System Open.

All undefeated players in a System Open Hyperspace Qualifier.

The winner of each Hyperspace Trial.

The Top 2 players at each Hyperspace Cup.

Keeping the Systems in Line

First introduced in 2016, the X-Wing System Open Series has proven to be a tremendous success. Each year, the System Open Series features a limited number of massive, high-energy events. These events are held at various locations around the world and draw hundreds of players looking to celebrate the game and its fan community.

In addition, the System Open Series has historically featured an array of side events, a display of all the game's top strategies, and a wealth of exclusive prizes, including the opportunity to qualify for the Coruscant Invitational.

Now, as we look forward to all the action of the 2018 Coruscant Invitational, we are happy to announce that the System Open Series will continue to offer you the chance to test your favorite second edition builds against massive fields of enthusiastic players. It will continue to feature side events alongside the main tournament. And the winners will still be invited to wrap the series at the Coruscant Invitational, which the community will continue to shape.

But this is not all the System Open Series will offer.

Starting in 2019 and going forward, the System Open Series will offer a gateway for all top participants to attend the X-Wing World Championship. Similarly, the Coruscant Invitational will take place at the Fantasy Flight Games Center, the day before the X-Wing World Championship, and the System Open Champions in that event will compete for a set of prizes that include paid flight and lodging for the next year's X-Wing World Championship.

The result is that the System Open Series is better integrated with the rest of the X-Wing Organized Play program, and your participation will set you on the path toward the game's ultimate competition—the X-Wing World Championship!

You can look for more information about the 2019 System Open locations and prizes in the weeks to come.

Making the Jump to Hyperspace

If you don't qualify through the System Open Series, there's another way you can get to the World Championship—by making the jump to hyperspace!

As we stated in our first look at X-Wing Second Edition Organized Play, the Hyperspace Trials are the broadest level of competition leading to the game's World Championship. Large events held at qualified retailers, these Hyperspace Trials allow you to meet and compete with players from throughout your region, and you'll enjoy a level of competition that's a step up from the tournaments supported by the game's seasonal Attack Run Kits and Deluxe Wave Kits.

With an invitation to the World Championship on the line—as well as a slate of additional prizes—these Hyperspace Trials bring out the ace squad leader in everyone attending. You'll find yourself up against the Empire's most disciplined fighter pilots, the Scum faction's brashest mercenaries, and the Rebellion's most inspiring heroes. You'll fly against squadrons that are veterans of numerous battles, and you'll encounter pilots and strategies hoping to drop out of hyperspace and catch the field completely by surprise.

The result is that the Hyperspace Trials are an excellent opportunity to discover all that is possible within X-Wing, even as you make new friends among the players who have traveled great distances to discover new battlefields.

Importantly, there are several key details that further distinguish these Hyperspace Trials from other X-Wing events:

There are two periods of Hyperspace Trials each year.

Each period of Hyperspace Trials will introduce new challenges and refresh the metagame with event-specific squad-building requirements. These will be communicated through the app.

There is no pre-set limitation on the number of Hyperspace Trials. Each qualified retailer will be able to host one of these events, but only once per year.

Hyperspace Cups are upgraded versions of Hyperspace Trials that come with additional prizes and offer an experience befitting a premier level of competition.

The U.S. and Canadian application deadline for these Hyperspace events is tomorrow, so be sure to talk to your local retailer today about hosting one of these exciting X-Wing competitions!

Join the Fight

Are you one of the galaxy's greatest aces? Then we want to see you at the 2019 X-Wing World Championship!

The time has come to plot your path. We'll soon see the first players qualified at the 2018 Coruscant Invitational, and you can battle for your invitation at the Hyperspace Trials and 2019 System Open Series.

Keep your eyes open for more information about these events—including locations and prizes. For now, be sure to talk to your favorite local retailer about applying to host a Hyperspace Trial!