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Arcade league software that runs the night itself

Contender OS is the arcade league platform behind the National Arcade Championship: signups, brackets, high-score nights, results, standings and payouts — run by the system, not by a staff member with a clipboard.

I'm an operator — keep me posted

Live today on Contender OS. No staff work. No paperwork.

What it is

Barcades and arcade bars run great crowds and terrible paperwork. Contender OS takes the whole league night off your hands: players sign up and pay entry online, the bracket seeds itself at start time, both players report each result from their phones with a photo of the screen as proof, published automatic rules settle disputes, and season points post to the standings as results confirm.

How the night runs

STEPSignups take themselvesPlayers register and pay online, pick the venue and night, and land on the roster in order.

STEPThe bracket seeds itselfAt start time the system seeds the 1v1 single-elimination bracket — or opens the high-score field for the night.

STEPPlayers report, photos proveBoth players report from their phones with a score photo. Agreeing reports confirm instantly.

STEPStandings and payouts build themselvesSeason points post as results confirm, and the payout queue is ready the moment the night ends.

What's built in

1v1 single-elimination brackets — the head-to-head format arcade players already know.
High-score nights — score-attack formats for the games that aren't head-to-head, with photo proof of every score.
Photo-proof results — a picture of the screen backs every reported result; the system can even read the score off the photo.
Automatic dispute rules — published rules decide conflicts from the evidence. No staff member settles anything, ever.
Season points and standings — every night feeds one season table your players can follow.
Live TV board — the bracket, who's up, and the standings run on the room's screen all night.
Payout queue — winners and amounts are queued automatically when the night closes.
End-of-night media kit — results and highlights packaged for your socials when it's over.

Who it's for

Built for barcades, arcade bars, breweries with cabinets, and league operators running weekly head-to-head or high-score nights — anywhere a bracket currently lives on a whiteboard, a spreadsheet, or one exhausted regular's phone.

Pricing

Contender OS — $99/mo per venue runs this format with the full system. Early venues can lock the Founding Operator rate of $59/mo for 12 months with the first season free. Prefer a season at a time? 6 weeks for $149 or 12 weeks for $249. Brackets-only starts at $39/mo with Bracket Box. Full details on the pricing section.

Questions

What is Contender OS for arcade leagues?

It's an arcade league platform that runs the whole night automatically: online signups and entry, self-seeding 1v1 brackets and high-score nights, player-reported results backed by score photos, automatic dispute rulings, season standings, and a payout queue — with no staff work during the night.

What does it cost?

Contender OS is $99/mo per venue for the full system, or $59/mo locked for 12 months on the Founding Operator rate with your first season free. Season passes run $149 for 6 weeks or $249 for 12 weeks, and the brackets-only Bracket Box tier is $39/mo. One flat price per venue — no per-player fees on the monthly plans.

What does my venue need?

Your cabinets or stations, a screen for the live board, and Wi-Fi. Players use their own phones to sign up, report results, and follow the bracket — there is no app for them to install.

How does a league night run?

Players sign up online ahead of time. At start time the system seeds the bracket (or opens the high-score field), calls matches, collects photo-backed reports from both players, settles any dispute by the published rules, posts points to the season standings, and queues payouts when the night ends.

Also runs on Contender OS

One system for every league night in the building.

Pinball Bowling leagues Rack sports — darts, pool & cornhole Trivia Night Karaoke Night Contender OS — all formats

Operators: get on the list

Contender OS is in live league play now with its founding operator, the National Arcade Championship. Outside operators come next. Tell us about your room and your league, and you'll hear from us as seats open.