VPL Mahjong League Returns With Pair Team Battle Format and Fan Voting
The addition of fan voting that directly determines a Grand Championship slot marks a structural shift in how VPL blends competition with oshi-katsu, turning viewer support into a competitive lever rather than a passive activity.
Reporting from 2 sources: ASCII.jp, PANORA.
The VTuber Mahjong Pro League VPL and the metaverse facility Sora no Ue Shopping Mall announced the second annual Sora no Ue Shopping Mall Cup. The tournament introduces a Pair Team Battle format and a Popularity Vote Slot that lets fans vote a pair directly into the Grand Championship. Qualifying rounds run from May 2026 through November, with the final in February 2027.
The second VPL x Sora no Ue Shopping Mall Cup will run four qualifying rounds starting May 24, 2026, and culminating in a Grand Championship on February 28, 2027. The tournament adopts a Pair Team Battle format, where two-player teams collaborate and strategize together, replacing the previous individual structure. A new Popularity Vote Slot lets fans vote for their favorite pair each round; the pair with the most support earns a spot in the Grand Championship alongside the winning and runner-up pairs. The metaverse venue Sora no Ue Shopping Mall will host a Special Arena with large-screen viewing and interactive elements. Round 1 commentary is by Sho Yayoi, with analysis by Hako Hino.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.