Legal & Compliance

1.1 Nature of Service

VGC Arena is a fan-made, non-profit platform designed for managing Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC) tournaments. We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, or Game Freak. All Pokémon names and related media are identifying marks of their respective owners.

1.2 User Responsibilities

• Accuracy: You must provide a truthful In-Game Name (IGN) that strictly matches your Nintendo Switch profile. Discrepancies may lead to immediate disqualification.
• OTS Integrity: You are solely responsible for the legality and accuracy of the Open Team Sheet (OTS) text imported from Pokémon Showdown. Importing illegal sets, incorrect stats, or impossible moves will result in tournament disqualification.
• Identity & Anti-Smurfing: To prevent identity spoofing ("Smurfing"), changing your IGN or Avatar is technically blocked while you are registered for an active tournament.

1.3 Tournament Operations

• Finality of Decisions: All decisions made by Tournament Admins or Judges regarding pairings, dispute resolution, penalties, and bans are final and non-appealable.
• The "Panic Button" Clause:The organizers reserve the right to cancel, reset, or suspend any tournament at any time due to technical failures, bugs, or server instability. You acknowledge that this service is provided in "Beta" condition "As Is", and you waive any right to compensation for lost time, potential championship points, or match progress in the event of a cancellation.

1.4 Administrative Intervention ("Ghost Mode")

To ensure tournament integrity and resolve technical blocks, Staff may access your account via "Ghost Mode". This process is strictly regulated:

• Time-Limited: Sessions expire automatically after 10 minutes.
• Notification: You are immediately redirected to a "Maintenance Screen" notifying you of the active session.
• Scope: Staff can view/edit data (Teams, Registration status) but CANNOT access your password or change your email.
• Consent: Access typically requires your active Ticket Consent. Emergency access (suspected cheating) is logged and auditable.

2.1 The "Public Interest" Clause

VGC Arena collects data strictly for the purpose of maintaining competitive integrity. We generally do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your Personally Identifiable Information to outside parties for marketing purposes.

By registering for a tournament, you explicitly acknowledge and agree that your Team Sheet (OTS), Match History, and Win/Loss Record are matters of legitimate public interest for the integrity of the competitive environment.

2.2 Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

To comply with GDPR and COPPA, VGC Arena implements a strict Dual-Tier Data Architecture:

• Public Data: Your In-Game Name (IGN), Avatar, and Match History are public to facilitate the tournament functionality.
• Private Data (Sealed Subcollection): Your Email Address, Discord Handle, Account Role, and Moderation History are stored in a cryptographically secured subcollection (`/private/sensitive`) accessible ONLY to you and authorized Global Staff. This data is NEVER exposed to the public internet or other players.

2.3 Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained until you submit a formal Request for Erasure (Deletion) via our support tickets.
• Match History: Historical tournament results, standings, and pairings are retained permanently as part of the platform's "Hall of Fame" and competitive history.
• Security Records: Ban records and related metadata are retained permanently to enforce platform security and prevent ban evasion.

2.4 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

VGC Arena is committed to protecting the privacy of children. You must be at least 16 years of age to create an account on VGC Arena.

If you are under 16, you may only create an account and participate in tournaments if you have explicit, verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian. By checking the consent box during registration, you legally affirm that this requirement has been met. If we discover an account belonging to a user under 16 without verifiable parental consent, the account and all associated PII (including email) will be immediately and permanently deleted.