Does a Summoner Skirmish have to cut to top 8?

Ruling: As of January 2025, top cut is optional for Summoner Skirmishes. Previously, when using the official Carde.io template for Summoner Skirmishes, a top cut was mandatory and automatically enforced by the system.

Sequence:

• For events before January 2025: Carde.io automatically enforced a top cut when the Summoner Skirmish template was properly used
• The number of Swiss rounds was automatically determined by player count (e.g., 64 players = 6 rounds, 32 players = 5 rounds)
• Top 8 players would then proceed to single elimination playoff bracket
• As of January 2025: An email was sent to TOs stating top cut is now optional for Summoner Skirmishes

Nuances:

• The change to optional top cut appears to have been implemented starting with Set 2 (Spiritforged) Skirmishes
• TOs can now adjust cut settings in Carde.io before the tournament starts
• The official tournament rules document does not explicitly state top cut requirements; the requirement was previously enforced through the Carde.io system setup
• Stores that circumvented the automatic top cut before January 2025 were running non-standard events
• There is debate about whether byes earned from improperly run skirmishes (before the rule change) should be valid