Gun Gale Online: Squad Jam Tournament, Explained

Summary

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online focuses on a battle royale tournament, keeping the excitement constant.
The Squad Jam tournament originated as a special team-based battle royale proposal and has unique rules.
Winners of the Squad Jam tournaments included teams like LM, T-S, and BTRY, making each competition intense.

Gun Gale Online”, where the series centers on a continuous virtual tournament instead.

At first glance, the Squad Jam tournament in Gun Gale Online might appear routine, but upon closer inspection, it’s exceptionally well-executed. Spanning the entire season, this massive competition is anything but dull; every episode is thrilling and a joy to watch. So, let’s delve further into the details of this exciting event – from its origins, the rules that govern it, to the champions who have triumphed in it – here’s everything you need to know about the Squad Jam tournament.

The Origin of the Squad Jam Tournament

From Bullet of Bullets to Squad Jam

Prior to Squad Jam gaining widespread fame, there was another competition within Gun Gale Online called the Bullet of Bullets (BoB). This global tournament, which Kirito and Sinon participated in during the Phantom Bullet Arc of the main Sword Art Online series, attracted players from all corners of the world. In contrast to Squad Jam, BoB is a single-player event. However, as demonstrated in the Phantom Bullet Arc, Kirito and Sinon temporarily formed a team to outmatch their opponents until they eventually faced off against each other in a one-on-one duel.

It turned out that a well-known Japanese mystery novelist took notice of Kirito and Sinon’s team performance in the game Gun Gale Online. Impressed by what he saw, he expressed interest in witnessing more. Therefore, he put forth a proposal to ZASKAR for organizing a unique team-based battle royale tournament. Intriguingly, he was prepared to finance this new event singlehandedly. Excited by the idea, ZASKAR agreed, but only for their Japanese Server. And thus, the Squad Jam came into existence.

“It’s true. He told ZASKAR that he’d be a sponsor for the tournament. I wonder how much he spent.”

–Pitohui, Season 1; Episode 3

The Rules

Moving forward from our discussion on the origins of the Squad Jam Tournament, let’s delve into its regulations now. With the exception of a unique rule added in SJ3, all editions of the Squad Jam Tournament adhere to the same set of rules. Here are the fundamental guidelines for playing the Squad Jam:

This version aims to convey the same information but in a more conversational and easy-to-understand tone.

A Battle Royale

Like BoB, Squad Jam features a fight-to-the-finish battle royale competition. In this setup, all teams start simultaneously and have the freedom to select their targets for elimination. They can opt for one-on-one duels or collaborate to take down stronger opponents. Teams are free to utilize any strategies they prefer; however, it’s crucial to remember that the team remaining at the end is declared the ultimate winner of the entire tournament.

Preliminaries

In the inaugural Squad Jam, all teams who registered prior to the cut-off date were eligible to join the battle royale. Given the high demand for the first Squad Jam, more teams expressed interest in participating. Consequently, from Squad Jam 2 onwards, a qualifying round is held a day before the main event to reduce the number of participants. However, the top five teams from previous competitions are granted direct entry into the final lineup without needing to compete in the qualifiers.

A Team Battle

For a team to participate, it should consist of at least 2 and no more than 6 individuals. Upon registration, they must also establish their command structure, so if the leader is removed, the next person in line assumes control, ensuring the team remains active in the contest. In addition, all team members can communicate freely with each other, but they cannot interact with those who have been eliminated. Importantly, only the team leader may choose to withdraw from the tournament, resulting in the entire team’s elimination.

Starting Point

At the onset of the tournament, every competing team will find themselves in distinct locations scattered across the map. A minimum distance of 1 kilometer separates each team from one another. Given that the map encompasses a variety of terrains like dense woods, windy deserts, and deserted building complexes among others, it’s essential for each squad to tailor their strategies according to the unique characteristics of their surroundings in order to gain an advantage.

Guns and Vehicles

In this game, each participant has the liberty to choose any type of weapon they prefer, whether it’s a machine gun, sniper rifle, grenade launcher, knife, or even a futuristic photon sword. They can use these weapons whenever and wherever they desire, adopting strategies that suit their playstyle best. Additionally, scattered across the map are numerous vehicles that players are free to utilize in any manner they see fit. Whether it’s navigating the map or setting traps with explosives attached to a vehicle, the sky’s the limit.

Friendly Fire and Dead Players

In Squad Jam, you can unintentionally harm your teammates. It may seem illogical to attack allies, but the latest tournament has shown that this rule can be both useful and unsettling, depending on who you’re supporting. We’ll delve deeper into this soon. Meanwhile, when players in this tournament fall, their in-game characters remain on the battlefield with a “Dead” tag, while the actual players are moved to a relaxation zone. For ten minutes, these characters become indestructible, much like trees or structures.

The Sattelite Scan

Every 10 minutes, there’s a satellite sweep over the entire tournament map that pinpoints the current position of all active teams. Each player has a portable scan terminal to view these results, enabling them to modify their strategy based on this information. Notably, only the team leader’s location is shown in this scan, providing an opportunity for leaders to feign retreat and mislead opponents while their team sets up an ambush.

SJ3 Special Rules

During the third Squad Jam tournament’s final stage, a unique rule is implemented: one member from each surviving squad will be designated as a spy. These spies will form a separate team. Given they possess information about every active team, this new group holds a significant advantage. The spies have the option to either betray their original squad by eliminating them or turn against the traitor team for their former team’s sake. This is where the ‘friendly fire’ mechanic comes into play.

The Winners

It’s now time to discuss the triumphant squads. Each Squad Jam Tournament has been fierce and incredibly captivating. Although any player can assemble a team and participate in this competition, it’s these same teams – LPFM, SHINC, MMTM, ZEMAL, and T-S – who typically reign supreme. However, among them, who emerges victorious?

Winner of the First Squad Jam

In the inaugural Squad Jam competition, the victorious team was LM, composed of a team leader known as “LLENN” and a tactician/marksman called “M”. The climactic showdown featured LM against SHINC. With LLENN demonstrating astonishing speed and dexterity, and M utilizing shrewd tactics and accurate shooting skills, the formidable ambush by SHINC was successfully evaded by LM.

During the heat of battle, M suffers a mental collapse, forcing LLENN to single-handedly take out half of SHINC’s squad. Later, M recovers and joins forces with LLENN once more. Together, they defeat SHINC honorably to win the initial Squad Jam Tournament. This victory significantly enhances LLENN’s notoriety, earning her the moniker “the pink devil.

Winner of the Second Squad Jam

In a somewhat contentious turn of events, it’s Team T-S who has emerged victorious in the second Squad Jam. However, during the tournament as a whole, they seemed to be relatively inconspicuous. On the other hand, it was Team LF, led by LLENN and featuring a grenadier known as “FUKAZIROH”, that truly shone brightest throughout the competition.

In simple terms, the ultimate showdown is set between LF (a team of “Pitohui”, “M”, and four other professional players) and a character named Llenn. As we move from a three-cornered fight to what seems like a one-sided rout, there are numerous unexpected events that unfold in the lead-up to Llenn’s battle with Pito (Pitohui). Regrettably for Llenn, right after she successfully eliminates Pito, T-S appears and slays both Llenn and Fuka, thereby securing the victory.

Winner of the Third Squad Jam

I’ve just witnessed an exhilarating turn of events at the Squad Jam – Team BTRY, the cunning group we previously discussed, has emerged victorious in this year’s third installation. This tournament has been a rollercoaster ride of unexpected moments, making it the most intricate and thrilling Squad Jam to date. To add fuel to the fire, the organizers have introduced innovative elements like the traitors’ mechanic and the gradual swallowing of the map by an encroaching tide, which compels teams to battle against time.

In the climactic showdown, it’s Pitohui from Team LPFM going head-to-head with LLENN from Team BTRY. Pito uses her clever strategies against Llenn’s unyielding assaults. This battle, a part of Squad Jam tournament history, is undeniably the fiercest ever witnessed. In the end, Llenn manages to defeat Pito, claiming the championship title in the third Squad Jam tournament.

Here it is, summarized in a more conversational style: And that’s it! You now know everything essential about the foundation of the Gun Gale Online series – the Squad Jam Tournament. It’s truly remarkable how the creators keep things exciting and original, despite showing the same characters participating in the same tournament for the third time. Without a doubt, we can’t wait for another season of GGO and the upcoming Squad Jam!

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2025-01-13 20:41