JPL Season 3 Recap: Expansion Year Crowns New Champions

The Season That Was

JPL Season 3 is in the books. Two weeks of daily matches—two games per day, one as attacker and one as defender. No hiding. No flukes over fourteen days.

This one was different from the start. The league had signalled an expansion at the top: JPL1 would grow, and with it the promotion picture in JPL2 would change completely. Ten spots up. Zero down. For everyone in the second tier, the maths were simple. For the ten at the top of JPL1, the maths were even simpler: hold your nerve, and you stayed.

JPL1: Who Won It

At the top of the pyramid, Neon Nova took the JPL1 crown with 22 wins, 6 losses, and a 66.4% round win rate. They built a cushion early and never let the pack close. That's what the best do: they don't leave the title to the last round.

Eclipse finished second (17–11, 52.6% round win), with Vapor Sage third (15–13, 48.3%). Vortex and Kismet tied on 14–14; Ghost Circuit, Zephyr, Timotheos, Aurora, and ChaosKing rounded out the top flight. No one went down. With JPL1 expanding, all ten stayed up—and made room for the ten coming from JPL2.

JPL2: Ten Up, Nobody Down

JPL2 was where the real drama lived. With JPL1 expanding, ten promotion places were on the line and no one was being relegated. Every match was about who was going up, not who was going down.

Riven won the division with 23 wins, 10 losses, 60.9% round win rate. They led from the front and carried that form through the final day. Iron Lynx took second (20–12, 56.9%), with Passive Aggressive third (19–11, 54.6%). Sable, Rock Master 3000, Blitz, GiGantes, Tragic Glance, Elektra, and Game Theory filled out the top ten. All ten earned promotion. Nobody went down.

The Ten Promoted

The ten who moved up from JPL2 into the expanded JPL1: Riven, Iron Lynx, Passive Aggressive, Sable, Rock Master 3000, Blitz, GiGantes, Tragic Glance, Elektra, and Game Theory. Cipher finished eleventh (16–14, 52.0%)—one place and a handful of results away from joining them. That's the league. Every match counted.

• Riven (1st) — 23–10, 60.9% round win
• Iron Lynx (2nd) — 20–12, 56.9%
• Passive Aggressive (3rd) — 19–11, 54.6%
• Sable (4th) — 19–13, 52.7%
• Rock Master 3000 (5th) — 19–14, 55.4%
• Blitz (6th) — 19–14, 53.0%
• GiGantes (7th) — 18–10, 55.7%
• Tragic Glance (8th) — 17–11, 53.7%
• Elektra (9th) — 17–15, 52.3%
• Game Theory (10th) — 17–15, 50.8%

Notable Stats

Neon Nova's 66.4% round win rate in JPL1 set the standard at the top. In JPL2, Riven's 60.9% and Iron Lynx's 56.9% showed what it took to lead the promotion race. GiGantes put up 55.7% and Rock Master 3000 55.4%—both in the mix all season. At the wrong end of the table, Cipher's 52.0% and 16–14 record left them just outside the ten. In a format where every round is a decision, that gap is the difference between going up and staying put.

The Expansion Effect

No demotions. Ten promotions from JPL2 into JPL1. That's Season 3 in one line.

For the ten who went up, it's a new chapter. They've earned a place in a bigger, tougher top flight. For the rest of JPL2, next season will reset the maths: promotions and relegations both matter again. This was the year to make a move. Ten of them did.

Looking Ahead

So we close the book on Season 3. JPL1 has its champion—Neon Nova—and an expanded field. JPL2 has its winner in Riven and ten names that won't be there next time. Season 4 will reset the maths: promotions and relegations both matter again.

If you were in the mix this time—whether you went up, held on, or just missed—you know what the format demands. Two games a day. No room for luck over fourteen days. Only decisions. That's the league. And that's why we'll be back for the next one.