firsttothreewins

Firsttothreewins is a term used in competitive contexts to describe a match format in which two players or teams compete across multiple games, and the first to accumulate three individual victories is declared the winner. This format is most commonly implemented as a best-of-five series, meaning that at most five games are played and the series ends as soon as one side reaches three wins.

In practice, the exact handling of draws or ties depends on the game or sport. In many esports and sports, each game results in a win for one side, and the series continues until a player reaches three wins. In formats where games can end without a winner, draws do not count toward the win tally, and the match may use tiebreakers or extra games to determine the overall winner. Regardless of the rules for individual games, the defining feature of firsttothreewins is that the match outcome is determined by reaching a total of three wins rather than by a fixed number of games alone.

The format is widely used in competitive gaming and sports, including fighting games, MOBA and shooter titles, and traditional best-of-five championship series. Its advantages include clear advancement criteria, straightforward pacing, and the opportunity for strategic adjustments between games.

See also: Best-of-five, Series (sports), Match format.