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What are the classic WarGames rules?
Jim Crockett Promotions, then part of the NWA, created WarGames in 1987 as a way to confront the Four Horsemen’s dominance, according to WWE’s history of the match. WWE identifies the first contest as taking place on July 4, 1987, at Atlanta’s Omni Coliseum.
The classic setup placed two rings inside a roofed steel cage. One wrestler from each team started; a coin toss determined which team would gain the temporary numbers advantage, and the remaining teammates entered in alternating order. The match became winnable only after everyone had entered, at which point it reached the phase known as the “Match Beyond.”
In that original format, the legal finish was submission or surrender. Pinfall was not an original WarGames victory condition.
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How did later WCW matches change the format?
WCW changed the template more than once, so its later variations should not be mistaken for the classic rules.
| Version | Teams and structure | Entry and win condition |
|---|---|---|
| Original NWA/WCW format, 1987 | Two teams; two rings inside a roofed cage. | One starter per team, with a coin toss determining the early numbers advantage and teammates entering alternately. The Match Beyond began when everyone was in; victory was by submission or surrender. WWE history. |
| WCW, 1998 | Three teams of three competed for a number-one contender opportunity. | Pinfalls were allowed, unlike in the original format. The cited WWE history does not state the entry intervals. WWE history. |
| WCW, 2000 | A triple steel cage replaced the classic two-ring, roofed-cage setup. | The objective was to retrieve a championship, rather than win by the original submission-or-surrender finish. WWE history. |
What changed when NXT revived WarGames in 2017?
For NXT TakeOver: WarGames, three teams of three waited in separate cages often called “shark cages,” while one wrestler from each team began in the ring area. The remaining members entered in stages: one team’s remaining competitors came out after five minutes, a second team’s after another three minutes, and the final team’s after a further three-minute interval.
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Once all three teams had entered, a wrestler could win by pinfall or submission. That combination of staggered releases and a pinfall finish made the revival distinct from the original submission-or-surrender format. WWE published the event’s rules in its 2017 explanation of the official WarGames rules.
What are the modern WWE WarGames rules?
WWE brought WarGames to a WWE-branded event at Survivor Series in 2022. Its September 19, 2022 corporate announcement said, “This marks the first time in history that WarGames matches will take place on a WWE-branded event.” The announcement described two rings inside a steel cage, staggered entry and victory by pinfall or submission after all participants had entered.
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For a more precise example, WWE’s November 12, 2024 Survivor Series match description specified two teams with one starter apiece, a five-minute opening interval and three-minute intervals for later entrants, with teams alternating. It also said disqualifications did not apply and that pinfall or submission could decide the match only after every participant had entered. Those timings and conditions describe the 2024 event; they should not be treated as a permanent guarantee for every future WWE WarGames match.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why are there two rings in a WarGames match?
The two-ring layout is part of the classic format and gives the match a larger enclosed arena for multiple competitors. In the original version, both rings sat inside one roofed cage, and the contest’s defining “Match Beyond” began only after the staggered entries were complete. Later matches did not all preserve the same arrangement: the 2000 WCW variant, for example, used a triple cage and a championship-retrieval objective.
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How to tell which rules apply
- Check the event and year. A 1987 classic, the 2017 NXT revival and a specific modern Survivor Series match do not necessarily share the same rules.
- Look at the finish. Submission or surrender identifies the original finish; pinfall appears in later variations, including the 1998 WCW match, the NXT revival and WWE’s 2024 event description.
- Check when victory becomes possible. In the cited NXT and modern WWE formats, the match could be decided only once all participants had entered.
- Do not assume the cage is identical. The classic format used two rings inside a roofed cage; WCW’s 2000 variation used a triple cage.
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