diff --git a/app/features/vods/routes/vods.new.browser.test.tsx b/app/features/vods/routes/vods.new.browser.test.tsx
index 7831a6b58..e91ad05d8 100644
--- a/app/features/vods/routes/vods.new.browser.test.tsx
+++ b/app/features/vods/routes/vods.new.browser.test.tsx
@@ -177,6 +177,19 @@ describe("VodForm", () => {
 			expect(fieldsets.length).toBe(2);
 		});
 
+		test("added match defaults to Splat Zones", async () => {
+			const screen = await renderForm();
+
+			const addButton = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Add" });
+			await userEvent.click(addButton.element());
+
+			const addedFieldset = screen.container.querySelectorAll("fieldset")[1];
+			const checkedMode = addedFieldset.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>(
+				'input[type="radio"]:checked',
+			);
+			expect(checkedMode?.value).toBe("SZ");
+		});
+
 		test("can remove matches when more than 1", async () => {
 			const screen = await renderForm({
 				defaultValues: {
diff --git a/app/features/vods/vods-schemas.ts b/app/features/vods/vods-schemas.ts
index 8f2daca65..7e480208f 100644
--- a/app/features/vods/vods-schemas.ts
+++ b/app/features/vods/vods-schemas.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ const matchFieldsetSchema = v.object({
 			label: `modes.${mode}` as const,
 			value: mode,
 		})),
+		initialValue: "SZ",
 	}),
 	stageId: stageSelect({ label: "labels.vodStage" }),
 	weapon: weaponSelectOptional({ label: "labels.vodWeapon" }),
diff --git a/app/form/fields.ts b/app/form/fields.ts
index c82001579..d55389f31 100644
--- a/app/form/fields.ts
+++ b/app/form/fields.ts
@@ -565,7 +565,10 @@ export function radioGroup<V extends string>(
 			Omit<FormFieldInputGroup<"radio-group", V>, "type" | "initialValue">,
 			V
 		>
-	>,
+	> & {
+		/** Value selected when the form has no default value for the field. Defaults to the first item. */
+		initialValue?: V;
+	},
 ): v.GenericSchema<ItemValue<V>, ItemValue<V>> {
 	return register(itemsSchema(args.items), {
 		...args,
@@ -573,7 +576,7 @@ export function radioGroup<V extends string>(
 		bottomText: prefixKey(args.bottomText),
 		items: prefixItems(args.items),
 		type: "radio-group",
-		initialValue: args.items[0].value,
+		initialValue: args.initialValue ?? args.items[0].value,
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/changelog/2026-09-29-vod-new-game-splat-zones.md b/changelog/2026-09-29-vod-new-game-splat-zones.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00169b68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/2026-09-29-vod-new-game-splat-zones.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+navItem: vods
+type: bug
+---
+Games added to a VoD now default to Splat Zones like the first game