In the history of competitive pinball, very few (36 in fact) have had the chance to call themselves a Major Champion. Like professional golf or tennis, the opportunity to join this elite club only happens a handful of times every year. After hosting the European Pinball Championship, Austria played host to the IFPA20 World Pinball Championship as well! This year brought together two finalists looking to add their name to this list (Viggo Löwgren and Garrett Shahan) and two finalists looking to add to their already established legacies (Jason Zahler and Arvid Flygare).

After qualifying as the #7 seed, Jason Zahler defeated Zach Sharpe (4-0), Preston Currie (4-1), Arvid Flygare (5-3) and Viggo Löwgren (5-3) to capture his 3rd Major Championship, becoming only the 10th player in competitive pinball history to do so.

With his 2nd place finish, Viggo Löwgren earned his fourth top 4 finish in Major Championships. 3rd place went to Arvid Flygare who earned his fifth top 4 finish in Major Championships. 4th place went to Garrett Shahan who earned his first top 4 finish in Major Championships.

To view the most current list of Major Championship stats, click HERE.

The IFPA20 World Pinball Championship has begun. Follow along here!

BRACKET

GAME LIST

SESSION 5 starts at 8:30pm

The IFPA20 World Pinball Championship has begun. Follow along here!

STANDINGS:
https://app.matchplay.events/tournaments/198978

STREAM:
https://www.twitch.tv/jdl_pinball

GAME LIST:
https://www.ifpapinball.com/ifpa20/games/

Follow the action LIVE!
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/jdl_pinball
Game List: https://www.ifpapinball.com/ifpa20/games/

USA – 34 points
EUROPE – 29 points

It takes 32 points to win the Epstein Cup

Team USA:
Members –> Jason Zahler, Zach McCarthy, Luke Nahorniak, Eric Stone, Gregory Kennedy, Josh Sharpe, Cayle George, Derek Thomson

Team Europe:
Members –> Arvid Flygare, Viggo Löwgren, Daniele Celestino Acciari, Paul Englert, Timber Engelbeen, Johannes Ostermeier, Julio Vicario Soriano, Peter Andersen

Game Choices –> Star Trek (Bally), Indianapolis 500, AC/DC

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Here are the May 2025 IFPA winners for Player of the Month and Biggest Movers:

Player of the Month:
Gregory Kennedy from Ravenna, OH (726.51 WPPR’s – MAIN)
Leslie Ruckman from Seattle, WA (147.27 WPPR’s – WOMEN’S)

Biggest Movers:
Alexandre Regeffe from France (+37,837 spots)
Greg Lege from Charlotte, NC (+27,475 spots)
Nick Delehanty from Chicago, IL (+26,418 spots)

These players have now all qualified for the Stern Rewards Program for 2025. Congrats to everyone!

In the history of competitive pinball, very few (35 in fact) have had the chance to call themselves a Major Champion. Like professional golf or tennis, the opportunity to join this elite club only happens a handful of times every year. The 2025 European Pinball Championship brought together two finalists looking to add their name to this list (Paul Englert and Bart Volman) and two finalists looking to add to their already established legacies (Johannes Ostermeier – 2-time Major Champion, Arvid Flygare – 1-time Major Champion).

In the Semifinals round Paul Englert defeated Bart Volman 4-2, while Johannes Osetermeier defeated Arvid Flygare 4-3. Paul then went on to sweep Johannes 4-0 in the Finals to capture his first Major Championship.

With his 2nd place finish, Johannes Ostermeier earned his 6th top 4 finish in Major Championships. 3rd/4th place went to Arvid Flygare who earned his 4th top 4 finish in Major Championships and Bart Volman who earned his 1st top 4 finish in Major Championships.

To view the most current list of Major Championship stats, click HERE.

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Photo credit: Gene X Hwang/Orange Photography

The IFPA Women’s Advisory Board is excited to announce that two new members have joined the board. Jackie Olson, from San Francisco, CA, and Crystal Cory, from Salt Lake City, UT, joined the IFPA as Directors and Board Members in February 2025 and immediately jumped in to support the 2025 IFPA Women’s Championship Weekend in Portsmouth, NH. Jackie is the founder of San Francisco’s Queer Pinball League, and Crystal runs the Wasatch Women’s Series and co-runs the Utah Ballers League.

The IFPA Women’s Advisory Board was founded in October 2019 with the goal of representing the needs and perspectives of women pinball players in IFPA initiatives. The Board currently includes founding members Karyn Kiser, Kim Martinez, and Zoe Vrabel, as well as Samantha Bacon, who joined in November 2023. Questions and feedback for the Board can be sent to ifpawomen@gmail.com.

The IFPA is excited to announce that Stern has added D&D Pro, D&D Premium and Metallica Remastered Premium to the rewards program!

Detailed rules for the Stern Rewards Program, including an updated list of qualifiers and updated list of rewards available can be found HERE.