Another pile of paintball rumors have come across the ProPaintball news desk. Check out the latest on DC Arsenal, Shane Howe, Markus Nielsen, Alex Savino, X-Factor and more!

Contrary to rumors suggesting the teams demise, DC Arsenal is rumored to be starting a divisional farm program. In addition, team owner Tom Fore is said to be taking a more active role in the team and will be competing on the pro field. According to ProPaintball insiders, Shane Howe is making the leap from BLAST to Arsenal for 2012.

Alex Savino and Markus Nielsen are said to be back in paintball for 2012. Markus was killing it at the 2011 PALS World Cup Asia with Malaysian pro team XTIONEER XFOX and expressed sincere interest in returning to the US division 1 and Pro fields in 2012.

Alex Savino took a break from professional paintball in 2011. After playing back to back seasons for nearly 10 years, he decided to take some personal time and focus on life. ProPaintball insiders tell us Savino has the paintball itch and is ready to jump back in the mix.

Players Chris LC Wilson (former Thunder) and Drew Hire (former Aftershock) were spotted at San Antonio X-Factor practice trying out for the team.

Speaking of X-Factor, the team is rumored to be jumping into the Ultimate Woodsball League starting with the Dallas event. Right on guys!

Chad George of Impact was said to be playing with Houston Heat last week during the teams first practice.

Ryan Martin is rumored to be in talks with LA Critical for NPPL league play in 2012. Last season Martin played with Sacramento XSV (NPPL) and Top Gun Union (PSP). A few weeks ago he announced he would be leaving both teams to join the LA Ironmen (PSP) team, and leaving options open for NPPL play. LA Critical is said to be using crossfire air systems, HK cleats, shooting Bob Long G6R’s

ProPaintball insiders report that Sup’Air is preparing to unveil an upgrade kit for the 2012 Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP) regulation paintball field.

Are more bunkers coming to paintball fields?

The current Sup’Air paintball bunker set for PSP fields comes in at 44 pieces. According to inside information made available to ProPaintball, the upgrade kit will feature 8 new bunker pieces. While we are not sure if these will be in addition to, or designed to replace existing bunkers, ProPaintball insiders report the new bunker kit will primarily effect the snake side play.

Is the paintball field changing?

ProPaintball insiders mentioned that Sup’Air has been looking for ways to reduce the cost and increase the life span of the paintball field kits. Unfortunately these changes will come a price tag of $1100.00 per 2012 upgrade kit.

The community has long called for adjustments of field layouts to open competitive paintball to players of different shapes and sizes. Fields have requested that Sup’Air end the yearly bunker upgrade kits to help reduce costs and standardize play. Unfortunately it does not appear that upgrade kits are going anywhere in the near future. However, the addition of 6-8 new bunkers raises some interesting possibilities.

What is your opinion? What adjustments can we make to improve paintball game play?

Pro Paintball insiders are pointing to new directions and possibilities for top pro paintball players Brandon Short and Nick Slowiak. Read on for the latest Pro Paintball news and rumors.

Pro player Brandon Short, LA Ironmen

Brandon Short (Ironmen) is rumored to have been practicing during the off season with some of the guys from San Diego Dynasty. Short has been a long time friend of Ollie, Fraige, Greenspan and Yosh. Being a solid player, local to San Diego, and friends with the core Dynasty group can’t hurt his chances with the team. Was BShort enjoying a weekend of paintball with his friends, or trying out for the top professional paintball team? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Pro paintball player Nick Slowiak on the move

After we broke the news that pro player Nick Slowiak had left Chicago Aftershock, questions and emails started flooding in asking where he was going next. A few hours later we started receiving intel that pro teams are looking to (or talking about) picking him up. All we have to say is you better act fast. We hear professional paintball teams Russian Legion and Chicago Heat are both in the market for talent.

Will Brandon Short leave the Ironmen for Dynasty?

What professional team do you think Nick Slowiak will play with in 2012?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

San Antonio X-Factor and New England Avalanche are rumored to be making moves. Read on for the latest Pro Paintball news and rumors.

X-Factor puts the beat down on Impact

San Antonio X-Factor is playing both the NPPL and PSP paintball leagues this year. According to ProPaintball insiders, the team has signed with Valken for new paintball gear and will be wearing SLY Equipment (including sly profits, pads and other soft goods). X-Factor will be hosting tryouts this weekend and Billy Bernacchia of New England Avalanche is said to be mixing it up. Is he trying out, playing with friends for the weekend, or both?

Pro player Billy Bernacchia

For those of you scratching your heads about this New England Avalanche bit, here goes. Jeff Stein retired the New England Hurricanes and shortly after it was announced that St. Louis Avalanche and the Hurricanes were merged together. The combined team will be called New England Avalanche, and has relocated to the North East. If rumors hold true, Bernacchia, a long time Hurricane and Avalanche player, will be a big loss for the pro squad.

New paintball team by Vanguard?

New England Avalanche is in the midst of building a pro and divisional franchise program. According to ProPaintball insiders, Avalanche’s gun sponsor Vanguard is stepping it up for 2012 and merging in their teams. The Vanguard Division 2 team is said to be joining NPPL division 1, while the Vanguard D3 team will be joining NPPL Division 2. According to sources, no home field has been established for Avalanche as of yet. ProPaintball insiders note the team is setting up to maintain both a West and East Coast programs in order to create better brand recognition and increase the talent pool.

What are your thoughts on a cross country professional paintball program? Will it succeed, or encounter difficulty? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Rumors are floating around the paintball world that a new pro paintball team is in the works. Read on for the inside scoop.

Critical Paintball forming a new pro team

According to ProPaintball insiders, Critical Paintball team is looking to make their pro debut in 2012. Insiders report that a spot was opened up after Oakland BLAST announced they would not be competing in 2012. ProPaintball insiders point to Critical Paintbal’s D1 Wrecking Crew as the team best positioned to become the next NPPL Pro team. Insiders tell us the new paintball team, known officially as Los Angeles Critical, will be playing with 2012 Bob Long G6R’s, shooting Empire Paintballs and wearing head to toe Empire Paintball Gear.

Critical Paintball has had a long history of involvement in the NPPL. In 2005, the team competed in Division 1 as Critical Paintball. Later, the team rebuilt as the Critical Wrecking Crew and began working their way up  through the divisions. CWC has played every division from D4 to D1 and a move to the pro division seems like the next logical step. Recently, ProPaintball reported that LA Infamous would be rebuilding with a Mid-West squad and might be calling Detroit home, potentially freeing up the Los Angeles home city. It goes without saying that Los Angeles is a hot property of interest in the NPPL. Following in the footsteps of Sacramento XSV, San Francisco Explicit, and San Diego Dynasty, Los Angeles as a city fits perfectly in building a fully functional NPPL West Coast Franchise.

What are your thoughts on the possibility of Los Angeles Critical replacing Oakland BLAST? Will we see Zack Long, Kekoa Ferguson, or other BLAST pro paintball players surface on the roster? Share your thoughts!

Today’s report unveils a ton of divisional team rumors. Read on for the latest paintball news from the community!

Distortion Paintball team making moves. Photo: MikeDeep.com

Distortion will be picking up Sam Monville and Chad “Ya Ya” Bouchez, both former Aftershock players. According to ProPaintball insiders, the team will be making the move to division 1. This may put the kibosh on the Chicago Heat rumor.

After working through the ranks and earning their stripes, Upton 187 cRew has official left the divisional ranks. The team is rostered as a PSP Pro team for 2012. Congratulations guys!

New Pro Paintball team: Upton 187 Crew. Photo: MikeDeep.com

Critical Paintball is holding tryouts for the division 2 squad. The tryouts will be held at California Paintball Park this upcoming Sunday Jan 22 starting at 10 am. The team is looking to fill a few roster slots for this season for NPPL and WCPPL event play.

LIFT is rumored to have signed with Planet Eclipse for 2012. The team is said to be shooting Geo 2.1′s, wearing Eclipse gear and Sly Profit goggles.

Lift Paintball Team. Photo: Jack Palombo

Team Static is moving into division 1. The team spent 2011 in PSP division 2 and worked its way through the ranks, placing 1st at New Jersey Open, 2nd at Galveston Open, and 4th at World Cup. You may recall that Static competed in the Open X-Ball division in 2007.

San Diego Pirates, a WCPPL Premier team, will be making the move to PSP Division1 in 2012. The team will be making its debut at PSP Galveston Open.

San Diego Pirates Paintball Team. Photo: AndrewH

Greg Pauley and friends will be competing in division 2 as AC402.com, powered by Avid Extreme Sports. The team will be making its debut at PSP Galveston.

Rumors of NPPL division 1 team HK Army going pro are gaining steam. Sources suggest that Scott Kressin and a few other HK Army members were playing at SC over the weekend in preparation for the 2012 season.

What paintball rumors have you heard? Share yours in the comments!

Pro Paintball insiders report that a new pro paintball team will debut in the 2012 season. Rumors started circulating around world cup and have continue to gain steam as the off season has progressed. Here is what we know.

Former Chicago Aftershock players on the move?

The new pro team is said to be playing under the name Chicago Heat. According to sources, the team will be composed of a combination of free agent professional players and up and coming divisional stars from PSP team Distortion. Pro Paintball insiders suggest the team might be working with Eclipse, who have been long time NPPL supporters and may hint at their direction. Being that this is a new team, insiders suggest that they will be playing D1 in the PSP or Pro in the NPPL.

Earlier in the off season Pro paintball insiders heard rumors that after the Chicago Aftershock win in NPPL Vegas (of which there were four distortion players rostered), Shock and Distortion would be teaming up for 2012. However, as is typical of off season maneuvering, plans change. Chicago Aftershock has picked up players from divisional team BOOM and Distortion is said to be making their own way.

The battle between the NPPL and PSP seems to be heating up. Earlier today we learned that Tony Mineo, former NXL commissioner and PSP field supervisor, has joined the NPPL. This move follows the recent rumor that NPPL Commissioner Tom Cole had quit to pursue other opportunities. In addition to running the UWL, Cole is said to be joining the PSP to help manage the affiliate leagues.

Tony Mineo, pro paintball commissioner, walking with his family. Photo via Warpig.com

View for the Deadbox has more on the Tony Mineo rumors. Interestingly enough, it appears that the NPPL has been listening to our complaints all along. According to the VFTD article, the NPPL laid down some serious money to bring Tony and several of of the PSP referees across with him.

This move, timing aside, was originally considered as a way to resolve reffing problems in the NPPL given that the general consensus has been for some time that the PSP’s pro refs (and staff) were the best in the business. Cole’s move may have precipitated the NPPL’s push to make this happen right now but it isn’t or wasn’t a new idea. It is rumored that the NPPL has not only offered Mineo a pile of cheese but also an ownership stake (better get that in writing, Tony) and autonomy in organizing and overseeing the officiating of NPPL events. It is rumored but unsubstantiated that part of the deal was to pull as many of the PSP trained refs over as possible.

[...]

The existence of two major leagues has been a sharp debate in recent years and whatever else anyone thought of either league they offered, between them, more options for the players. Those days are ending–at least with regards to these two particular leagues. Intended or not this move by the NPPL is a declaration of war and it won’t be over until one or both of the current major leagues is finished. It would behoove the players and teams to think long and hard about what they want and what they hope for in a major league paintball future and decide accordingly. Except of course the paintball half life of too many making such decisions is so short they won’t (and don’t) know what is potentially at stake. As VFTD as been saying for some time it is the industry that will have to choose–and it is no longer a choice they can put off. Choose wisely.

Read the rest of article at View for the Deadbox.

Is this the begining of a new major league war?

Retired pro player Tom Cole now runs the UWL

Retired Pro paintball player Tom Cole

ProPaintball insiders report that Tom Cole has resigned as commissioner of the NPPL. Prior to his position with the current NPPL organization, Tom played professional paintball with Bad Company and ran the NPPL as President from 1993 to 2001.

Sources suggest Tom will be working hard to promote the UWL in 2012. In addition, rumors are circulating that the PSP is looking to bring him on board.

We are working to verify these rumors and will update the story as additional information becomes available.

A few years ago we had an energy rush in the paintball world. Both the drinks and the money were flowing in all directions. Monster, Bawls and Rockstar Energy were all actively engaged in new market development and staking their territories in the paintball world. Not one to miss out on an extreme sport, even Red Bull was rumored to have shown interest in the market. All of these companies were trying to promote their sugar and caffeinated beverages to athletes who wanted to perform at their peak. During 2005-2010 it was not uncommon to see players chugging a few cans before jumping on the field.

Rockstar Energy Paintball Girls

In 2008, the game was on and the energy drink companies signed deals to be the Official Energy drink providers of professional paintball. Bawls signed with the PSP, and Rockstar with the NPPL. In the first year, both of these deals were heavily promoted, both by the leagues, the energy companies, and those looking to validate paintball as a mainstream sport. However, that buzz quickly faded with the economic collapse in September/October of 2008. Marketing dollars suddenly disappeared as everyone in the world decided to hoard what cash they had in fear of an all out collapse. Monster and Bawls pulled out, and the support from Rockstar was only a trickle of what it once was. Rockstar maintained a small but credible foothold in the paintball market by sponsoring a handful of teams in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Dynasty, Explicit and Rockstar Factory were once big Rockstar teams

Pro Paintball insiders report that Rockstar is planning to reenter the paintball market in 2012. Rumors of a renewed interest in developing the paintball market and licensing deals have been making waves within the pro community.

If rumors hold true, Rockstars re-entry to paintball could make a splash. Could this be the positive buzz that we have all been looking for? A sign of good things to come? Share your thoughts!

Several pro teams took advantage of the first weekend of the New Year to hit the field, knock off the cob webs and break in new paintball gear. Today’s Pro Paintball Pre-Season Rumor Report highlights several of the more interesting rumors to come across our desk.

Paintball team Chicago Aftershock working the field

• Explicit had tryouts over the weekend. Jason Barret (frmr. Avalanche & Infamous player) was spotted trying out. In recent days, pro paintball players Neil Eberle, Ryan Podesta, Tyler Harmon and Ryan Pruitt (returning) signed on with Explicit. The team is looking very strong for 2012.

Update: 1:23pst — We have just learned that Barret has signed with Explicit. Jason Barret told ProPaintball:

“I want to thank rob for giving me such a great opportunity to play with such a great team. I am real excited to play with a team that is extremely talented and has only one goal in mind, and that is to win.”

• Pro player Tristan Brown is said to be returning to Aftershock for 2012. In addition, Aftershock has picked up 3 BOOM players to fill the roster out. Last week ProPaintball broke news that Drew Templeton, Chris Sosine, Zack Patient had left for Detroit Infamous and left a void in the roster. Joining Shock for 2012 is Lance Schumann, Rob Velez and Chris Jansen.

• Shane Howe played with Oakland BLAST in 2011. With BLAST’s recent announcement that they would not be returning for 2012, Howe was listed as TBA for the 2012 paintball season. ProPaintball insiders suggest Howe will play on one of two rosters in 2012, XSV Explicit.

• Pro Paintball insiders report that Seattle Thunder has been putting in the overtime during the 2012 off season. Rumors have surfaced suggesting former Naughty Dog players will be returning to the fold. Raymond Knuth, Mikey Lew and Mapp Chim’s names have all been mentioned. Further, DLX and Seattle Thunder have inked a deal for 2012 and Thunder will shoot the Luxe 2.0 paintball gun.

What paintball news and rumors did you come across this weekend? Share your intel in the comments below.