Hey everyone.
Our last article dropped on June 18th, right after WCT7 Worlds wrapped up. Since then, we’ve been quiet. No livestreams. No articles. Just a much-needed break to recharge before what’s shaping up to be the biggest season yet.
But while we were gone, a lot happened. So let’s catch you up.
WCT8 Is Official
The new season is here. The transfer window opened on August 1st and closed on August 31st. Rosters are now locked until January 2027.
Two new teams emerged this summer, and they’re already making noise.
Blast Paris is born. Esteban Noguera left Fakaw Paris to start his own project, taking Luc Yan and Roger Maurice Galathée with him. Three athletes from one of France’s most established teams, gone. Fakaw Paris continues under new captain Antoine Crépin.
Sauvages might be the scariest team announcement in years. Gabin Pariel, the Squared™ number one ranked player, left Parkour59 to build something new. He brought Benjamin Garcia (Knight of Flight at WCT6 – Worlds MVP), Valentin Fiancette from KIMEO, plus Quentin Roch and Dustin Thao from Mamba. That’s a superteam on paper.
We’ll get to see both teams competing at both the Stockholm Chase-Off™ this week-end and WCT8 France in October.
Other notable moves:
- Daan Van Dissel (World Champion with Rooftop Kings) → UGEN
- Mohamed Ayari → back to Parkour59 after one season with UGEN
- Amy Baldwin from Anarchy → Fakaw Women
- Audrey Johnson → returns to competition with World Champions Volt
- Derrick Bajada → Hollywood Freerunners, because that roster needed to get even scarier
- Jesse Redegeld (World Champion with Rooftop Kings) → back to Karma
- Elias Poe Second State Squonks → Dexterity Depot
- Fernando Arce Apollo captain → Second State Squonks
The full breakdown is in the official WCT8 season announcement.
No More Wildcards
This is the big one.
Starting this season, there are no wildcard invitations to official events. Nationals, continentals, Worlds… if you want in, you need to earn it through the rankings.
Every ranked event counts towards the official leaderboard. The leaderboard determines who gets invited.
This changes everything and is pushing gyms to host more events than ever before. Teams that used to rely on reputation now need to show up and perform and there’s a clear(er) roadmap for any team wanting to reach Worlds.
All upcoming ranked events are listed here: worldchasetag.com/upcoming-events
New Rulebook and Code of Conduct
WCT released an expanded rulebook for the season, along with a new code of conduct. Worth a read if you’re competing as it includes major changes on qualification, sudden-death, transfers, new competition format and more.
WCT8 France Announced
We got our hands on the official invite email sent to teams. Here’s what we know:
- Date: October 24-25, 2026
- Location: UBC40, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse
- Invited Teams:
- Parkour59 (2x French Champions)
- Fakaw Paris
- The Crow
- Is Back
- Sauvages (new)
- Blast Paris (new)
- Tximistak (new, local team)
- Wild Cats
- Broadcast: Live on World Chase Tag® official channels (English) and Quadside (French). Alex will be on the French call for Quadside.
- The winner qualifies directly for WCT8 Worlds.
No women’s tournament is currently confirmed, but WCT is reaching out to women’s teams to try and organise a ranked event if enough teams commit.
One more thing: every athlete competing in ranked events now needs a license (€25, valid August 2026 to July 2027). The new system is live at license.worldchasetag.com.
Tag Truths Is Live
While Quadside took a break, our team member Moua launched something new.
Tag Truths is a separate project focused on athlete stories, mindset, culture, interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and POV chases. It’s hosted by Moua and lives on Instagram.
Follow here: @tagtruths
New Voices for the Women’s Division
Two new accounts popped up this summer dedicated to women’s Chase Tag®:
More coverage, more visibility and hopefully more women joining the sport!
Quadside FR Is Back on Twitch
The Thursday night shows returned on September 3rd, and we’ve got a new format for the season.
Every Thursday:
- 21:00 – 21:20 – QS News: 20 minutes of headlines. Events, transfers, rule changes, articles, what’s coming.
- 21:20 – 22:30 – QS Premium: A rotating concept show (~60 min). Interviews, analyses, reactions, creative chaos. The community votes every Monday on which concept runs that week.
Special coverage for competition weekends, plus debriefs the following week.
We learned a lot from last season. Some of you want just the news. Some of you come for the vibes. The new format gives you both, we hope it’ll make you happy!
The Quad™ in Israel Reopens
Good news for the local community: the Quad™ in Israel found a new home and reopened in late August. The community had been without a Quad™ for almost a full year. Welcome back.
Thanks for sticking around. The break was needed, but we’re recharged and ready. See you Thursday nights on Twitch, and throughout the season wherever Chase Tag® is happening.
Let’s go.
-Quadside