The Network is privileged to announce the Official Season 36 Mid-Season Champions: those the Network believes have the greatest chance of taking home the Championship titles (or ones to set your sights on if you're looking to take the position yourself!). All of these competitors will be invited to the Mid-Season Mansion where they will be able to live together in lavish luxury for the duration of the season.

• Heavyweight: Blanket (Hard As Nails)
• Lightweight: Chaser (Deathbreath)
• Double Team 1: Crash (Mechagraviton)
• Double Team 2: Blade (Dark Steel)
• Ultimate Survivor: Nocturne (Toxtor)
• Fan Favourite: Pluck (Jaws of Defeat)
• Swimsuit: Midnight (Shrapnel)
• Network's Choice: Sprocket (The Nyoominator)

A Mid-Season prize arranged by Trend and Todo List of the Creative Branch will be presented during the next Conference.

The Mid-Season has been one of the more bloodthirsty periods in most Seasons, and Season XXXVI has been no exception, with some powerful plays putting big names in comfortably high places in all Leagues. With half a season to go, it's still all to play for from any Division to try to get as high as possible, and for those in Alpha and Beta divisions to make their plays for those all important Championship titles!

The full rankings can be viewed here. The Network reminds loyal readers that the Shuffling moves the top 1/3 of each Division up and the bottom 1/3 down before each League Conference in order to make things interesting. The order is decided by points earned by beating other competitors in the Arena (5pts for wins in the Division above, 3pts for the same Division, and 1pt for the Division below).

• Mechagraviton (Crash) and Doomigator (???) move UP to Alpha from Beta Division
• The Nyoominator (Sprocket) and Thorn (Thistle) move DOWN to Beta from Alpha Division
• Wreckatar (Pennythrift Steeple) and Annihilatron (Executioner) move UP to Beta from Gamma Division
• Howling Terror (Corsair) and The Intertianator (Sprocket) move DOWN to Gamma from Beta Division
• Basilica (Angler) and Friendly Fire (Arch) move UP to Gamma from Delta Division
• Owing to withdrawals, there is no movement down into Delta Division

• Pepper (Saffron) and Your Worst Nightmare (Zenith) move UP to Alpha from Beta Division
• MonoChrome (Malbec) moves DOWN to Beta from Alpha Division (Rocksaurus-Rex is saved this fate due to the withdrawal of Night)
• THE TENT (Pennythrift Steeple), Murk (Noggin'), and Victory Viper (Zephyr) move UP to Beta from Gamma Division (Victory Viper moving owing to withdrawals)
• Jaws of Defeat (Pluck) and Rollerpedes (Morose Progress) move DOWN to Gamma from Beta Division
• Omega (Tatters), Gearbox (Dashboard) and Tick (Fatesmith) move UP to Gamma from Beta Division (Tick moving owing to withdrawals)
• Maximus (Gintrap) moves DOWN to Delta from Gamma Division (Diamon is saved this fate owing to the withdrawal of Seer)
• Doughball (Maximum Taste), Angler (Gintrap), Titch (Ash Moon), and THE CAT (Vice Executive Diamond) all move UP to Delta from Epsilon Division (half of these owing to withdrawals)

Heavy Metal and Team Legit make significant gains in points at the top of the Double Team League, with Shards Falling falling behind - the disappearance of KRYSTALKORPION could spell doom for them, and perhaps give Team Slime and Cat Fight a boost. Doomstorm looks to be done for with the death of Block and death of Tackle, but the Network is looking for volunteers to rekindle a relationship with Spikeby's trainer, Muzzle, by the auction of Doomigator. Meanwhile, Beetle Circus are looking on the rocks, as a brutal display saw THE TENT jumping into the crowds, disqualifying the team from winning their match this round.

A number of Trainers have withdrawn from the Leagues:

• DYNAMITE withdrew from Heavyweight after Knight-Mare was disintegrated by METROVORE
• Two-Eyes withdrew from Heavyweight after the death of Doomatros
• Shocktrap withdrew from Heavyweight after the death of Gigazaur
• Night withdrew from Lightweight after the defeat of Omnisquid
• Two-Eyes withdrew from Lightweight after their death at the hands of Mycosaurus, which was subsequently killed
• Wonder has been withdrawn from Lightweight
• Seer has been withdrawn from Lightweight

There have been a few new additions to the Lightweight League:

• Pluck has registered Luminous Point
• KHAOS has registered KREEPIEKUBE
• Nectar has registered Black Diamond (which bears striking resemblance to KREEPIEKUBE)
• Gintrap has registered Angler
• Yarn has registered Strike

It has been revealed that the Lightweight Masked Monster was the Monster Blastdigger, owned by nefarious villain Blastshot. Blastdigger has been removed from the League after Blastshot's very brief Gladiatorial Career came to an end.

The Heavyweight Masked Monsters have been revealed to be Ferrosaur, owned by Bygones, and Friendly Fire, owned by Arch.

Owing to a failure for EITHER side of the fight to show up, METROVORE vs KRYSTALKORPION is postponed until one or both Monsters deign to enter the Arena. The Network is privileged to apply a holding fee of 9R per day starting a day after the 5th League Conference should the Monsters not appear for their scheduled fight.

The Network would like to report the resignation of Vice Executive Masters. Her successor is named as Vice Executive Diamond, known for her work in Finance Branch and her training of THE CAT in the Season XXXVI Lightweight Tournament.

The Network would also like to report the death of Junior Executive Blaze. His current position remains open and his successor will be determined by the remaining three members of Executive Branch over the following weeks.

The Network is deeply saddened to report the death of Season XXXV Double Team Champion Block, trainer of Doomigator. His death in Competitors' Village is pending investigation by Competitors' Village security teams, but the Network would like to remind all Competitors that the Village is the most secure place to reside in all of Bastion, and that this awful tragedy is the utmost exception.

Residents of Competitors Village are advised that construction works to improve the quality of residences available to Competitors are still ongoing.

The wealth report is in, and Sentinel is as ever pleased to announce the 10 Wealthiest Stakeholders in the Arena, with rough worth estimated in Kyat (as used elsewhere in the City, the present exchange rate being approximately 1R:10,000K).

1. Paradigm, 7,300,000K
2. Noggin', 4,950,000K
3. Crash, 3,780,000K
4. Maximum Taste, 3,680,000K
5. Dashboard, 3,430,000K
6. Vice Executive Diamond, 3,030,000K
7. Bullhorn, 2,610,000K
8. Suture, 2,610,000K
9. Todo List, 2,270,000K
10. Midnight, 2,060,000K

What a fantastic season for Ultimate Monster Battle Arena stakeholders!

The Network is pleased to announce that Doomigator will be auctioned off during the next Conference.