Trevor Baker
Battle Hardened – a Brief History
What originally started as the final tune up before a Calling, later became the closing act after a Calling, then became its own star of the show on the World Tour. Our Battle Hardened event series has a long history. Digging through the GEM archives, we find that the first Battle Hardened took place 6 years ago, a Welcome to Rathe Sealed Deck tournament hosted by The Games Cube on Friday, November 8, 2019.
For the next couple of years, the Battle Hardened would continue as the penultimate act, just before the Calling would get underway. A last chance to test your mettle before the big stage. As our organized play expanded in late 2021 and throughout 2022, Battle Hardened found its place on Sundays, your last chance to find your resolve, snag a Professional Tournament Invitation, and claim some spoils on the weekend. From 2023 onwards, the Battle Hardened has been front and center, on the World Tour, operating both in conjunction with other tournaments and as its own headline act. As time went on, the Battle Hardened series provided Legend Story Studios with an opportunity to service many destinations at a distance, at a time when the world was re-entering live events. It was a beautiful way to scale Flesh and Blood organized play, as we built out our infrastructure to serve the world.
Through its 6 year history, Battle Hardened tournaments have played a pivotal role for players, judges, and tournament organizers alike. A first chance at elite competition, an exhibition of competitive play, an opportunity to showcase your event design chops. As of writing, over 180 Battle Hardened tournaments have taken place across 29 countries around the world. By the time we’re done, we’ll have crossed 200 Battle Hardeneds.
Wait, did I just say, “we’re done?”
The Battle Hardened series hasn’t come without its challenges. With a one size fits all fixed prize pool, as we grew, the prizes largely stayed the same. The needs of a Battle Hardened alongside a Calling would be different than the needs of a Battle Hardened taking place at a convention, or as Battle Hardened that was a standalone offering on the World Tour.
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when it’s been a friend that’s treated you well.
The World Tour is Calling
As Flesh and Blood has grown, so must our programs which support organized play. At World Championship: Osaka last year, we took a first step towards connecting our premier play programs with inspiring players to take an unexpected journey, to travel somewhere new, to find and form friendships, to build camaraderie with those you share a common language with. The World Tour was born.
The umbrella of the World Tour expanded the reach of our premier play to incredible depths, far and wide, 120 iconic destinations, more than 50 countries, it all sounds exciting! But there is a moment where we must acknowledge that not all World Tour experiences were made the same. While an array of tournaments will continue to support our range of organized play initiatives, it’s important that we dial in what it means for something to be a stop on the World Tour.
Starting from Set 18 (PEN), all World Tour stops feature a Calling.
Players shouldn’t have to dive beneath the surface and investigate what is on offer. This needs to be obvious. As you may have seen in the World Tour Points – 2026 Update, we’ve already taken steps to align a specific set of tournaments that grant World Tour Points… and you guessed it, these tournaments exclusively take place on the World Tour.
It is our intention to keep this messaging simple, concise, and also just be more realistic when it comes to expectations for stops of the World Tour.
So, what is this final tournament we previously mentioned?
Introducing the Showdown
Replacing Battle Hardened on the World Tour is the Showdown! These will typically take place on Sundays, and as the name suggests, it’s a tournament that closes out the show!
A couple noticeable differences coming to the Showdown are an increased prize pool of $5,000 USD and extra Gold Foil prize cards to round out the Top 4. Additionally, as we commit the Showdown to supporting Silver Age for all of 2026, you can expect higher event caps than were previously possible with other constructed formats. Make sure to pack your favorite Silver Age decks whenever you head out on the World Tour, for there will be plenty of great tournaments like the Showdown for you to dive into.
Tournament Structure: Swiss Rounds based on attendance, followed by a cut to Top 8
Format: Silver Age
Prizes
| Place | Prize Money (USD) | World Tour Points | Promos and Invites |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $ 1,500.00 | 4 | Gold Foil Blossom of Spring (Micro Text), PTI |
| 2nd | $ 800.00 | 2 | Gold Foil Blade Beckoner equipment, PTI |
| 3rd – 4th | $ 400.00 | 1 | Gold Foil Blade Beckoner equipment |
| 5th – 8th | $ 225.00 | ||
| 9th – 16th | $ 125.00 | ||
| Total | $ 5,000.00 | ||
| Participation | Tournament Pack | ||
As the Battle Hardened tournament series comes to a close, you can expect to see a history of Battle Hardened participation promos popping up all throughout January 2026, as we reflect on its beautiful 6 year legacy! While we’ve covered the retirement of the Battle Hardened and the introduction of the Showdown on the World Tour in this article, there is still more in-store for 2026. You can expect to hear more news soon.