IGOW is a version of the classic game, typically referred to as HORSE or SKATE, modified to work for a very large group of players via the internet and social media. The game is designed to be fun for all skill levels to participate. IGOW is not a super serious or intense competition, especially during the preseason training it is mostly for fun, and pilots of all skill levels are encouraged to participate! No one should make the mistake of not joining just because they don’t believe they can win. Just participating in IGOW will make anyone a better pilot and give them an excuse to go out and fly at least once a week. Plus, they will have a chance to win a ton of awesome prizes along the way! Many of the past IGOW players have drastically improved their flying skills while at the same time gaining followings and sponsorships largely due to their participation in the IGOW competitions.
This season we are allowing ANY SIZE/TYPE of QUADCOPTER for the IGOW6 Preseason and the first challenge of the IGOW6 regular season! For the regular season we try to be as inclusive as possible with our definition of a "whoop" here at IGOW. Most any build you would refer to as a whoop probably will be allowed. We have no specific requirements for any components; you are welcome to use parts from any brand or combination of brands and all video and RX link systems are allowed. All video submissions for the regular season after the first challenge and playoffs of IGOW6 must be performed with ducted quadcopters aka "Whoops" that meet the following specifications:
FRAME: Any whoop frame less than 100mm diagonal motor to motor size is allowed. There is no minimum size. All frame materials are allowed.
MOTORS: Any brand/style of brushed or brushless motors of any size and any KV are allowed.
PROPS: All propellers smaller than 2.5 inches are allowed. Any style/shape of blades and any amount of blades are allowed.
BATTERY: Any 1S or 2S battery is allowed and using two 1S in series is also allowed. Any battery connector type is allowed. Max charge 4.35V per cell.
DUCTS: All whoops must have ducts or guards that mostly enclose the prop. There are some exceptions to this rule, specifically for some stock BNFs like the Emax Nanohawk. Check with FPVSkittles by emailing IGOWhoop@gmail.com with questions about the viability of specific builds.
CAMERA: Any FPV Camera and camera angle between 0 and 65deg is acceptable for any challenge unless the challenge requirements specify otherwise. Multiple FPV cameras are not allowed.
Any flight mode including Acro, Angle, Horizon, Acro Trainer, Level Race, ect are all acceptable for challenges unless otherwise specified in the requirements. Any type of mode where you are not making the stick inputs in real time are also not allowed. This would include preprogrammed stick motions or any type of computer/AI flying.
Pilots can fly either FPV with goggles or a screen or they can fly Line of Sight for any challenge unless the challenge requirements specify otherwise.
Pilots can submit any goggle recorded DVR (analog, HDZero, Walksnail, DJI, ect), any onboard DVR (Caddx Turtle, Runcam Spilt, Walksnail, DJI, ect), or any separate action camera footage (Caddx Peanut, Insta360go, DJI, GoPro, Runcam Thumb, ect) for their weekly challenges. Any external recording devices like a PowerPlay or similar are also allowed. If any stabilization is used it must be noted in the submission form. Note: Some challenges may require timing which can be done via OSD or via external video with a stopwatch.
Pilots can fly different whoops for each challenge or even each requirement within a challenge as long as all the whoops used meet all of the above requirements.
Weekly Challenges
Unlike a standard game of HORSE/SKATE where all players get in order and take turns attempting tricks, in IGOW most every week a Challenge will be released in video format on Thursdays and then all active players will have ~8 days to complete the challenge requirements and enter their video submission via the weekly Google Form before the specificed deadline on the following Saturday. Then on Saturday, I will host a livestream where I will watch all of the weekly video submissions and decide if each is a pass or fail for the given challenge. If a pilot cannot successfully complete all of the challenge requirements and properly enter their submission before the deadline then they will receive a letter. If a pilot receives 4 letters I-G-O-W, they will spell IGOW and thus they will be eliminated from the game. This is commonly referred to as "Whooping-Out" by players of previous seasons, and yes it still makes sense to say whoop-out even though there are only 4 letters now because the last letter you get when you are knocked out is in fact a W, which stands for Whoop, so you still most certainly would be valid in refering to that elimination as a whoop-out. I rest my case.
Preseason aka IGOW Training Ground (8 Challenges - 9 Weeks)
*Any Size/Type of Quadcopter is allowed!*
IGOW6 will have a similar format to the previous season designed to maintain appeal to everyone from the novice pilots just trying to learn FPV freestyle basics to the expert pilots looking for top level competition. Like IGOW5, this season will have a preseason with 8 challenges. These challenges are for any skill level pilot to progress from a beginner level to intermediate level or for an experienced pilot to brush up on their fundamentals. The IGOW Training Ground is designed to acclimate new players to the game format and to replicate the first ~2-3 months of the game in past seasons which featured skills that use to be difficult with a whoop but now are considered basics due to the rapid progression in both technology and pilot skill over the last few years. Pilots are NOT required to participate in the preseason and there is no risk of elimination if you participate in the preseason challenges.
Regular Season (10 Challenges - 13 Weeks)
**See Rules below for allowed Whoops**
The "Regular Season" of IGOW6 will begin after the last preseason challenge with the first official IGOW6 challenge being released on May 28th. The first challenge will be unique in that pilots will have THREE WEEKS to complete the challenge and submit their videos via the official google form. The 2nd challenge will have a 2 week deadline and then the remainder of the regular season challenges will have the standard ~1 week deadline. There will then be a total of 10 challenges in the regular season. If a pilot fails or misses 4 total challenges during the regular season then they will spell "IGOW" and be knocked out of the competition. After the 10 challenges of the regular season the field will be narrowed down to 32 pilots who will compete in the playoffs.
Playoff Group Round (2 Weeks)
The playoff for IGOW5 will function like a March Madness bracket. The top 32 pilots will be seeded into the bracket by the judges based on regular season and playoff performance. The pilots will compete head to head in mini games that test different skills. Each pilot must use a combination of skill and strategy to move through two rounds of bracket matchups to make the Elite 8. Note: This is a basic summary of the full playoff rules that can be found below.
Playoffs Head to Head Bracket Rounds (3 Weeks)
In the Group Round, pilots will be split into 2 groups of four. And everyone will try complete as many as 4 total challenges; the 3 challenges created by the other three pilots in their group and their own challenge. The field with narrow from 8 to 4 with the 2 top pilots from each group moving on to the head to head rounds Note: This is a basic summary of the full playoff rules that can be found below.
Finals (3 Weeks)
The finals of IGOW6 be a competition between the four top pilots with just one emerging as the IGOW6 Champion. The format involves creating a customized and personalized FPV freestyle line set to music that you will have up to two weeks to practice, memorize, and perfect. Then final weekend you will have a very limited time window to perform the freestyle line you created as cleanly as possible with just a handful of attempts. Your final score will be based on a combination of items including your freestyle line's TPW score on the IGOW6 Finals calculator sheet and the judges scoring of other elements including overall impression, difficulty, execution, style/flow, and musicality. Note: This is a basic summary of the full playoff rules that can be found below.
All video submissions for IGOW6 must meet the following criteria:
All videos must be submitted made via the corresponding weekly Google form before the specified challenge deadline typically on Saturday about 3 hours before the review livestream. The submission links will be available on the website www.InternationalGameOfWhoop.com
All videos must be uploaded to youtube with the pilots name listed in the Title. This is to ensure there will be minimal copyright music issues during the review livestreams.
All videos must be a maximum of 90 seconds long unless otherwise specified. That is the total video length including any intro and outros. You are welcome to upload an unlisted video for your submission to meet the time requirement and then also post a longer edit on your channel pubically even if it is just to add a typical youtube outro.
All videos must show the challenge requirements completed in real-time with no edits. Each challenge week will have its own specific requirements, but the one universal requirement for every week is to show all the weekly challenge requirements being performed from start to finish at regular speed with no editing of the footage. However, as long as a video includes one regular speed clip of the requirements then a pilot is welcome to include slow-mo and other cool effects to the rest of their video. We absolutely encourage music, creative cuts and edits, sound effects, slow-mo, and LOS views all of which will go a long way to making a video stand out among the crowd. It is fully encouraged for a pilot to make their video as entertaining as possible! Just make sure all the requirements are clearly shown at least once somewhere in the video.
All entries must be from a single participant and it must be the same pilot for the entire competition. Pilots are not allowed to have anyone else perform any of the challenge requirements for them. This includes any type of preprogramming of stick movements, using AI to fly, etc. Each pilot can only participate once, no mutli accounting.
All weekly challenge requirements must be new footage performed during the current challenge week unless otherwise specified in the challenge requirements. A pilot cannot use old footage as the only clip shown to pass a challenge requirement but they are welcome to include previously filmed content in addition to the freshly performed challenge requirement for the week.
Do not attempt to cheat. Cheating includes but is not limited to attempting to hide cuts, speeding up or slowing down footage to gain an advantage, and using whoops that do not meet the requirements. If a pilot is caught cheating in any way, they will be eliminated from the game and forfeit any pending prizes. Don’t even try to cheat. It’s not worth it; the community will catch you and shame you.
Obviously, IGOW is not responsible if you break your whoop or injure yourself or others, or damage property while attempting any challenges. IGOW does not encourage or condone the breaking of any local laws/rules/regulations while attempting to complete the challenges. If you do not feel safe or don’t want to take the risk of any challenge you can just skip that week and it will only cost you a letter. DO NOT feel pressured into anything you do not want to try! Remember, this is all for fun! By submitting a video you are allowing IGOW to use that content for any future purposes. The Tiny Whoop Team Pilot Sponsorship offer for the IGOW champion is pending Jesse Perkins approval of the winner; he retains the right not to offer the sponsorship for any reason.
IGOW6 Playoff Rules
In the first round of the playoffs all 32 pilots will compete in 5 different Skill Tests. Each test will rank the pilots from 1st to 32nd and the top 20 pilots will move on top the next round. The secret hand sign that must be show before or after each clip is "Got my eyes on you" where you point to your eyes and then to the screen. You can also put "Eyes" or something similar on your OSD so you don't have to remember to do the hand sign every time.
1st tiebreaker winner is the pilot with less letters from the regular season. 2nd tiebreak winner is the pilots with more challenges fully passed during the regular season. 3rd tiebreak winner the pilot who ranked higher in more Skill Tests. 4th tiebreak winner is whoever has the best individual Skill Test rank. 5th tiebreak loser is whoever has worst individual Skill Test rank. 6th tiebreak winner is the pilot with the higher rank a randomly selected skill test. Repeat 6th until there is a winner. Last resort rock paper siscors best 2/3.
Obstacle = TGS aka Triple Gate Stack. 28in/71cm MAXIMUM opening size for a square gate. Bottom must be set on the ground.
Performance = Perform as many Trippy Spins through the gates of a TGS as possible in the following pattern: 2 bottom, 2 middle, 2 top, 2 middle, 2 bottom, repeat. You start on any gate but you must repeat that gate and then continue the sequence from there. You can keep going as long as possible in one continuous clip until you miss the gates entirely, bump something, or hit the ground. Then you do the same except with the opposite rotation. Seperate clips are allowed for each rotation direction or if you can perform a trippy rewind and then continue trippy spinning in the opposite direction and through the gates in the correct sequence then you will get a 2x multiplier on whichever rotation direction had a lower score.
Scoring = You can earn up to 10 points for each time you pass through a gate cleanly in trippy spin motion and while following the pattern. Each perfect trippy spin earns you 10 points while a barely passable one earns you 7 points. The location and movement of the pole and in your FPV view and the smoothness of your trippy spins are the factors that will be considered for scoring. If you perform a trippy spin that is not passable or goes through the wrong gate it will earn you zero points but it will not end your run you can keep going if you dont hit anything or miss the gates completely. Add together your scores from you best run in both directions to get your total score. If you performed both directions together linked with a trippy rewind then you get 2x the points for whatever direction had a lower score. Pilots will be ranked from highest to lowest score.
Obstacle = MAXIMUM ~112in/2.85m, ~4 gate tall by ~56"/142cm, ~2 gate wide obstacle with a divider set at any height creating an upper and a lower opening. Anything smaller with an upper and lower opening would also be allowed.
Performance = Perform as many Barani's as possible flying back and forth. You can keep going as long as possible in one continuous clip until you bump something or hit the ground. Each barani must start by flying forward through the lower opening. Then you must loop back up and be upside down and performing an inverted yaw motion as you pass through the upper opening and finish each barani by flying backward in matty motion though the bottom opening.
Scoring = You can earn up to 10 points for each barani performed cleanly in a row. Each perfect barani earns you 10 points while a barely passable barani earns you 7 points. The levelness of the inverted yaw motion and the CLM of the finish and overall trick are the execution factors that will be considered for scoring. If you perform a barani that is not passable it will earn you zero points but it will not end your run. You will earn 5 bonus points for each barani that is performed with the opposite yaw direction as the previous barani. Pilots will be ranked from highest to lowest score.
Obstacle = TGS aka Triple Gate Stack. 28in/71cm MAXIMUM opening size for a square gate. Bottom must be set on the ground.
Performance = Perform as many of the "Trick-lets" in order as possible from the list below before you get 3 strikes. Any bump, ground tap, or failed attempt counts as a strike. Also, if you fail to perform a trick properly through the designated gate(s) that also counts as a strike even if it does not result in a bump or ground tap. After getting a strike you can choose to either move on to the next trick in the current 'Trick-let" or you can move on to the next Trick-let entirely. You are allowed to designate an area where you can intentionally land to check the list of tricks to refresh your memory. You are allowed to intentionally land in the designated area up to 3 times without penalty. You can keep going as long as possible in one continuous clip until you get 3 strikes. If you complete the entire run you can restart using the opposite rotation directions for every possible trick.
Trick-let 1 = A. 360 Yaw Flat-Spin through the bottom. B. Flip through the middle. C. Roll through the top. (You should be fully inverted as you pass through the gate for the flip and the roll)
Trick-let 2 = A. Cradle around the either side of the TGS and back through the middle then cradle around the opposite side and back through the middle. B. Perform a Limbo Loop aka fly forward through the top, backward through the middle, and then perform a powerloop bottom, upside down and backward through the top, then finish by flying forward to the bottom again which is also the start of part C. Perform a Matty Shuffle. You fly forward through the bottom to finish the powerloop and start the Matty Shuffle. Then fly backward through the middle and perform a Mattyflip through the top finishing backward through the bottom.
Trick-let 3 = A. 180 Yaw before TGS and fly backward through the bottom gate B. Juicy Flick through middle C. Invert rewind through top (must be fully inverted as you pass through the gate)
Trick-let 4 = A. Powerloop middle-top-bottom*. B. Powerloop bottom*-middle-bottom**. C. Immelmann bottom**-top
Trick-let 5 = A. Mattyflip middle-bottom then top-middle. C. Back Rollback bottom-middle B. Juicy Rollback top-bottom.
Trick-let 6 = A. Jump Rope bottom-middle-bottom-top-bottom*. B. Side Loop bottom*-middle-bottom**. C. Side Loop bottom**-top-bottom
Trick-let 7 = A. Split-S top to bottom then turn around and Split-S with opposite roll direction middle to bottom. Then turn around again and B. 540 Spilt-S top to bottom then turn around and C. Split-Back top to Bottom
Trick-let 8 = A. Matty Stall Rewind (aka dolpin dive) bottom-bottom B. 2 half-matty pendulum with opposite roll direction bottom-bottom. C. 540 half-matty bottom.
Trick-let 9 = A. Immani (aka Immelmatty) bottom-top-bottom B. Powerflip bottom-top-bottom* C. Barani bottom*-top-bottom
Scoring = You can earn up to 10 points for individual trick performed cleanly. The overall execution of the trick will determine how many points you receive. You will earn 10 bonus points for completing all 3 tricks in a "Trick-let" without any strikes and an additional 20 bonus points for completing 3 "Trick-lets" in a row without any strikes. Pilots will be ranked from highest to lowest score.
Obstacle = Single gate with base on the ground. Gate must be approximately square, Max 28in71cm opening, no minimum size.
Performance = Perform the following sequence of maneuvers as fast as you can. Your time starts when you pass the gate to start the first orbit and it ends after you pass through the gate on your last powerloop. You should pass through the gate the same direction a total of 16 times (4 for each step). You must have an OSD timer and/or provide external footage with a timer visable.
Step #1: Pass through the gate to start the time and perform 3 Orbits (CW or CCW) passing through the gate 3 more times.
Step #2: After passing through the gate 4 total times. Turn around and perform 4 Mattyflips passing over and back through the gate flying backward in matty-motion 4 total times. (total gate crossings = 8)
Step #3: After the last mattyflip is complete fly around or over the gate then fly through the gate starting the first of 3 Orbits in the opposite direction to those in step #1. (total gate crossings = 12)
Step #4: After flying forward through the gate a total 4 times during step #4 then transition into powerloops and perform 4 total loops of the gate, passing through the gate at the bottom of each loop.
*Note you must keep the side of the gate in your FPV view for all 3 orbits of each direction.
Scoring = Time from 1st gate pass to 16th gate pass. Times are ranked from fastest to slowest. If you do the run incorrectly you will be DQ'ed and you will be ranked 32nd no matter how many pilots DQ. You must have an OSD timer and/or external footage with a timer visable.
Obstacle = Cube Obstalce set on the ground. 28in/71cm MAXIMUM size openings.
Performance = Perform as many Cube Ejects as possible from the list below before you get 3 strikes. You cannot repeat an eject on the list unless you somehow complete them all. You can keep going as long as possible in one continuous clip until you get 3 strikes. Any bump , ground tap, or failed attempt counts as a strike. Each cube eject must start by flying forward through any side of the cube and then you must eject out the top opening of the cube at least one cube height above the cube. Then you must dive back down into the top of the cube and exit out the opposite face that you entered to start.
Scoring = You can earn up to the amount of points listed below for each cube eject you complete. The height of the trick(s) above the cube, the cleanliness of the exit, and the overall smoothness of the eject are the execution factors that will be considered for scoring. Pilots will be ranked from highest to lowest score.
Eject List + Score:
Standard Eject = 10: Eject then frontflip motion look back down.
Backflip Eject = 10: Eject then backflip motion to look back down.
Left Roll Eject = 12: Eject then frontflip motion to look back down then full left roll.
Right Roll Eject = 12: Eject then frontflip motion to look back down then full right roll.
360 Flat Spin Eject = 12: Eject then full 360 yaw flatspin either direction then either flip motion to look back down.
Half Roll to Matty = 13: Eject then half roll while still looking up then finish backward with matty motion.
Frontflip Eject = 14: Eject then frontflip motion to look back down then full additional front flip.
Barani Eject = 14: Eject then half backflip to inverted then 180 inverted yaw spin then finish backward with matty motion.
Double Backflip Eject = 15: Eject then backflip motion to look back down then full additional backflip.
Backflip+Left Roll Eject = 16: Eject then backflip motion to look back down then full left roll.
Backflip+Right Roll Eject = 16: Eject then backflip motion to look back down then full right roll.
Ceiling Tap Eject = 16: Eject then invert to tap flat surface upsidedown that is at least 2 cube heights above the cube.
720 Eject = 18: Eject then frontflip motion to look back down then 2 full rolls in either direction.
Backflip 720 Eject = 20: Eject then backflip motion to look back down then 2 full rolls in either direction.
Pilots will be matched up head-to-head in a bracket based on their positioning from the Round of 32. All pilots must create at least one challenges of their own between September 12th and 19th. The pilot created challenges should of a similar style to those of the previous round with scoring that could rank pilots rather than just a pass/fail style challenge. The winner of the most challenges moves on. On September 19th the top 20 pilots will be issued a secret hand signal that they must do either before or after each of these challenges. Each pilot must perform their own challenge, as well as the challenge their partner created, and 3rd challenge that will be choose at random from one of the other pilots. If other pilots create challenges that are very similar and focuses on the same trick or skill as your challenge or your opponents than those option will not be included in the options unless it is accepted by both pilots.
Note: Each pilot can only use a challenge that focuses on a specific trick or skill once in the two Head to Head Bracket Rounds so plan accordinly. For example you would not be allowed to choose a Barani focused challenge or a speed focused in both rounds. I will make these determinations.
Pilots will be matched up head-to-head based on the bracket and again the winner of the most challenges will move on. A pilot cannot use the same challenge they used in the previous round again or any challenge that is considered too similar in the skill(s) is testing. Each pilot can choose to create an entirely new challenge or use any of the challenges created by another pilot from the previous round. On September 26th the top 10 pilots will be issued a secret hand signal that they must do either before or after each of these challenges. Each pilot must perform their own challenge, as well as the challenge of their partner, and a 3rd challenge that will be choosen at random from one of the other pilots.
The finals of IGOW5 are designed to somewhat replicate the pressure to perform when it matters that is essential to all forms of competition and the main element that IGOW has lacked in all previous seasons. The nature of the IGOW game format, having pilots compete from all around the world without being in one location naturally makes it much more logistically difficult to have a typically competition where everything comes down to a final matchup or performance, however I have done my best to somewhat replicate the need to be able to perform in the pressure of the moment which this finals challenge format.
Preparation Period: Each of the pilots that make it to the Final Four will have from Saturday, October 18th until Sunday, Novemeber 2nd at 11:59:59pm PST to create their own customized freestyle line set to any song or music they choose and then practice and perfect that line as much as possible. Note: If you want to "wing it" and just freestyle you final performance you are allowed to do this but a small part of your score is based on how accurately you replicate your customized line. All runs must start with the drone landed and disarmed and the time.The pilots should submit an example clip and the IGOW5 Finals TPW score sheet of their ideal run set to the music of their choice. Link to the sheet = https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SY0eJfbJV8bC4BxZcENzL0EEFRWmO9L4jwNBQwPk9gM/edit?usp=sharing Part of the scoring will be the musicality of the run which is basically how well the routine goes with the selected music. You should try to choose music that compliments the feel of your flying and location and ideally you will have some parts of your tricks hit on parts of the song. Pilot are allowed to listen to their music while performing their run especially if that helps them his musical queues in their routine.
Final Performance: After you have finalized your freestyle line and practiced it enough that you are feel ready for your "final performance" then you will choose a starting time. This can be anytime from as early as 12:00 noon PST on Wednesday October 22nd until as late as 11:29pm PST on Sunday Novemeber 2nd. At your chosen Final Performance Time I will give you a custom hand sign. You will then have exactly 30 minutes to complete the best possible imitation of your perfect run showing your hand sign to the camera either before you begin your run or after your complete your line and send the video file of your best line to Skittles before the 30 minute timer elapses. You can just send all the lines you did during your finals time and then you can find the best one after the 30 min time period is over and add in your music for your official final submission.
Scoring: Your final score will be based on a combination of items including your freestyle line's TPW score on the IGOW5 Finals calculator sheet and the judges scoring of other elements including TPW Score, TPW accuracy, trick variety, overall impression, difficulty, execution, style/flow, and musicality. The runs will be scored by Skittles and the IGOW5 Judges.
100 Possible Points:
Overall Impression 15 = This score is everything about the final run together. This the most subjective category for the judges. We will consider how the video is presented, how it makes you feel when you watch it, and other things that don't have their own scoring category like location, obstacles used, video quality, ect ect.
Style/Flow 15 = This score is based on both how well your line flows together, your style in combining your tricks, how well your tricks link together, and how you move between obstacles. Ideally your entire line will all fit together with no setup motions required.
TPW Sheet Score 25 = The exact details of how the sheet score will be converted to points is TBD. Of course higher you score the better for this category.
TPW Accuracy 5 = This score is how accurately you replicated your declared freestyle line.
Trick Variety 10 = This score is based on the variety of tricks you have in your run and how you mix your tricks in your final run.
Execution 10 = This score is based on how well you execute the individual tricks in your run. The points of focus from the regular season challenges will be used to evaluate how well your performed the trick in your line.
Difficulty 10 = This score is based on both the difficulty of the specific tricks in your final run, the difficulty of how you combine the tricks into a line, and the difficulty of the location or obstacle the tricks are performed on.
Musicality 10 = This score is based on how well your line goes with your selected music choice. You should try to choose music that compliments the feel of your flying and location. Ideally you will have tricks or motions in your line that hit with the beats of the music. You can choose your music ahead of time and build your run with the song or you can try to find a song that matches your line after the fact.
Good Luck and Happy Whooping!