FAQ

For technical/client-related issues not covered in this guide, please refer to the official osu! Help Centre.

Common Questions

What does MAP stand for?

MAP stands for Mapping Appreciation Project (come on guys).

What is Double Elimination?

If your team loses a match in the winners bracket, you’ll get a second chance by moving to the losers bracket. However, if you lose a match in the losers bracket, you’re eliminated from the tournament.

When are matches played?

All tournament matches take place between Friday 23:59 UTC and Monday 23:59 UTC on their designated weekends. This applies to all stages of the tournament outside of Qualifiers.

When should matches be rescheduled?

  • Reschedules must be submitted before Thursday, 23:59 UTC of the match week
  • All scheduling must be done in UTC timezone
  • Both teams must agree to the new time
  • The new time must fall within the Friday-Monday match window
  • Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis

What is the MAP Pool Rejects?

The MAP Pool Rejects is a collection of tournament-suitable maps submitted for the tournament that were reviewed by the Pooling Team but ultimately not included in the final pools. These maps are recognized for their significant mapping quality but were excluded due to factors like redundancy or pool balance.

After the Grand Finals, a Google Sheet will be released showcasing these maps with notes explaining their exclusion and searchable parameters.

How do I repair my osu! client?

Follow these steps when encountering technical issues:

  1. Start osu! while holding down the Shift key
  2. Continue holding Shift until you see the osu! recovery dialog
  3. When the osu! configuration dialog opens, click Reset Settings
  4. If problems persist, open the dialog again and click Repair osu!

Troubleshooting

Map Loading or Game Freezing Issues

When does this happen?

  • When trying to play a map and the game freezes
  • When the referee uses !mp start but your game doesn’t respond
  • When you can’t join or spectate a multiplayer match

How to Fix:

  1. Exit Game Area 
    If you're in a multiplayer lobby, leave it first!
  2. Delete the Map
    • In osu!, navigate to Play → Solo
    • Locate the problematic mapset
    • Right-click → Delete
    • Select “Yes, delete all difficulties!”
  3. Close osu!
    • Exit osu! completely
  4. Download Clean Version 
    IMPORTANT: Click "Download without video" specifically
    • Go to the map’s page on the osu! website
    • Click “Download without video”
  5. Open osu!
    • Start the game

Missing Audio Issues (DMCA)

When does this happen?

  • When a downloaded map has no audio
  • When the song has been removed due to DMCA

How to Fix:

  1. Exit Game Area 
    If you're in a multiplayer lobby, leave it first!
  2. Delete the Map
    • In osu!, navigate to Play → Solo
    • Locate the mapset without audio
    • Right-click → Delete
    • Select “Yes, delete all difficulties!”
  3. Close osu!
    • Exit osu! completely
  4. Download Alternative Version 
    IMPORTANT: Use beatconnect.io for this step
  5. Open osu!
    • Start the game

If you continue to have problems after following these steps, please contact a referee.

Bancho/Invite Connection Issues

When does this happen?

  • When you can’t see a teammate online for inviting to the lobby
  • When Bancho shows a teammate as offline despite them being online
  • When lobby invites fail to reach teammates

How to Fix:

  1. Verify Connection
    • Ensure your teammate is logged into osu!
    • Verify Bancho connection status
    • Check that you’re both using the same server
  2. Use Chat Workaround
    • Have your teammate send you an in-game message
    • Click their name in chat to open their profile
    • Try inviting them through their profile
  3. Try Alternative Invites
    • Ask another teammate to attempt inviting the player
    • Request the referee to send an invite
    • Have the player try joining through someone else’s profile
  4. Client Troubleshooting 
    Try these steps in order, testing after each step:
  5. If Problems Persist
    • Contact your assigned referee
    • Consider requesting a reschedule (with opponent’s agreement)
    • Document the issue for staff

Tournament Glossary

Game Terms

  • Bancho: osu!’s game server system that handles multiplayer lobbies and chat.
  • Drain Time: The actual playing duration of a map, excluding breaks.
  • IRC: Internet Relay Chat, the system osu! uses for its chat and lobby features.

Tournament Terms

  • ABAB Order: A picking/banning sequence where teams alternate turns (Team A → Team B → Team A → Team B).
  • Double Picking: When a team selects two maps from the same mod pool consecutively.
  • Double Banning: When a team bans two maps from the same mod pool.
  • Free Agents: Players who aren’t on a team but are looking to join one. Free agents can register individually and may be matched with other players or teams needing members.
  • FreeMod: A special pool where different players must use specific mod combinations.
  • Rank Buffer: A small allowance in rank eligibility that lets players slightly outside the specified rank range participate. For example, a tournament with a maximum rank of #10,000 and a buffer of 200 allows players ranked up to #9,800 to join.
  • Triple Picking: When a team selects three maps from the same mod pool consecutively.

Match Terms

  • Best of X: Number of points needed to win = (X+1)÷2 (e.g., Best of 9 needs 5 points to win).
  • Bye: A situation where a team automatically advances to the next round without playing a match, typically occurring when their scheduled opponent forfeits or is disqualified.
  • Match Point: When a team needs only one more point to win the match.
  • Pick Order: The sequence in which teams select maps during a match.
  • Secured Tiebreaker: When a team reaches the minimum score needed for a tiebreaker to be possible (one point before match point). This doesn’t guarantee a tiebreaker will be played, but ensures it could happen if the opposing team catches up (e.g., in a Best of 9, when a team reaches 4 points, meaning the match could potentially reach 4-4).
  • Warmup Phase: The period before the match starts where each team selects a map to play for practice. Warmup maps are subject to rules, such as time limits or difficulty restrictions, and do not affect the match outcome.