Board Game Arena

Why is the cap for max number of players set at 512 players? Which is relatively low for more popular games, I would like to be able to set up bigger tournaments (625 players), but it's not possible in the current infrastructure.

Yeah, it's a bit strange. They go all the way to 512, then it's like they are thinking "let's stop there, we don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of winning a 1,000+ players tournament".

tbhp wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 14:28 Yeah, it's a bit strange. They go all the way to 512, then it's like they are thinking "let's stop there, we don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of winning a 1,000+ players tournament".

What is even stranger is I've had people come back to me and say it used to be cap higher/at 1000, I can't personally verify it, but it's very stranger if so, and likely means it changed in the latest update.

To grow both tournaments and the site the cap should be way higher than 512, like I say for popular games this isn't that high, if I'm confident I could get 625 for Heat, you must be able to get in the 1000's for say Ticket to Ride. The only reason to not allow this is saying the website can't handle it, but I am kind of sceptical that's making a big difference here.

I put up a suggestion to significantly increase the maximum player count for tournaments:

https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=207977

Please upvote, thank you.

RazorOz wrote: ↑27 February 2026, 17:07 Why is the cap for max number of players set at 512 players? Which is relatively low for more popular games, I would like to be able to set up bigger tournaments (625 players), but it's not possible in the current infrastructure.

My blind instinct is to think of 512 = 2^9. So that's 9 rounds of single elimination. Couldn't tell you what would have made that the cutoff point though.

RazorOz wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 15:11
To grow both tournaments and the site the cap should be way higher than 512, like I say for popular games this isn't that high, if I'm confident I could get 625 for Heat, you must be able to get in the 1000's for say Ticket to Ride.

There's probably only a handful of games on the whole site that are popular enough to get 1000 players in one tournament - anf games that popular have plenty of 100-500 player tournaments going on anyway. You'd only get 1000 signing up to one tournament if it was literally the only tournament for that game starting in a 2 month period.

RazorOz wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 15:30 https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=207977

58 votes already in only a few hours?? I am not sure, my friend. I hope you are not doing anything fishy with bots or sth, because that will not help.

Ceaseless wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 20:16 My blind instinct is to think of 512 = 2^9. So that's 9 rounds of single elimination. Couldn't tell you what would have made that the cutoff point though.

That's very likely why I imagine, doesn't make it right though. Like in this case I am trying to create a 625 player tournament that would be 4 rounds (given straight winner to qualify = 625 -> 125 -> 25 -> 5), it wouldn't be a long tournament at all.

mrdoctor wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 21:01 There's probably only a handful of games on the whole site that are popular enough to get 1000 players in one tournament - anf games that popular have plenty of 100-500 player tournaments going on anyway. You'd only get 1000 signing up to one tournament if it was literally the only tournament for that game starting in a 2 month period.

Firstly, that's based off the current numbers where tournaments face a lot of limitations. The tournament scene could be thriving a lot more than it is with the right input, and surely that's the goal, growth in both tournaments and the site, and capping at 512 players isn't helping.

Secondly, yes, but they are also the most player games on the site, ie. the ones driving the most traffic. Heat isn't even the most popular game here, yet my plan was to run a 625 player tournament, and it wouldn't take the length to register you say either, I would have got it registered within a few weeks. If you advertise your tournament, it's easy to get these kinds of numbers, like my 300 player tournaments tend to register in like a week, and they are heavily oversubscribed. With the right backing I'm pretty confident you could get well over 1000 for a Heat tournament, and like I say Heat isn't even the most played, I bet Ticket to Ride, Azul etc. could get in the 1000s if pushed correctly.

dschingis27 wrote: ↑28 February 2026, 21:02 58 votes already in only a few hours?? I am not sure, my friend. I hope you are not doing anything fishy with bots or sth, because that will not help.

I'm not, I posted it in my Heat Degens group on Discord, that's why.

You can see my point here https://boardgamearena.com/tournament?id=538154. Nearly 500 players registered in just a few days, and like I say Heat isn't even the most popular game, I would imagine the likes of Azul and Ticket to Ride have even higher demand. Tournaments could easily exceed 512 players, having them capped at that number is madness, and just limiting their potential, surely the site should want bigger tournaments and the potential that offers (eg. World Championships and the like).