diff --git a/app/core/tournament/mapList.test.ts b/app/core/tournament/mapList.test.ts
index 9f087e259..309c1eede 100644
--- a/app/core/tournament/mapList.test.ts
+++ b/app/core/tournament/mapList.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Stage } from ".prisma/client";
+import type { Mode, Stage } from ".prisma/client";
 import clone from "just-clone";
 import { suite } from "uvu";
 import * as assert from "uvu/assert";
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { generateMapListForRounds } from "./mapList";
 
 const MapListForRounds = suite("generateMapListMapForRounds()");
 
+const ALL_MODES_LENGTH = 4;
 const mapPool: Stage[] = JSON.parse(
   `[{"id":923,"mode":"TC","name":"The Reef"},{"id":925,"mode":"CB","name":"The Reef"},{"id":927,"mode":"SZ","name":"Musselforge Fitness"},{"id":929,"mode":"RM","name":"Musselforge Fitness"},{"id":934,"mode":"RM","name":"Starfish Mainstage"},{"id":942,"mode":"SZ","name":"Inkblot Art Academy"},{"id":943,"mode":"TC","name":"Inkblot Art Academy"},{"id":947,"mode":"SZ","name":"Sturgeon Shipyard"},{"id":948,"mode":"TC","name":"Sturgeon Shipyard"},{"id":953,"mode":"TC","name":"Moray Towers"},{"id":959,"mode":"RM","name":"Port Mackerel"},{"id":960,"mode":"CB","name":"Port Mackerel"},{"id":972,"mode":"SZ","name":"Snapper Canal"},{"id":978,"mode":"TC","name":"Blackbelly Skatepark"},{"id":980,"mode":"CB","name":"Blackbelly Skatepark"},{"id":985,"mode":"CB","name":"MakoMart"},{"id":987,"mode":"SZ","name":"Walleye Warehouse"},{"id":988,"mode":"TC","name":"Walleye Warehouse"},{"id":994,"mode":"RM","name":"Shellendorf Institute"},{"id":995,"mode":"CB","name":"Shellendorf Institute"},{"id":1007,"mode":"SZ","name":"Piranha Pit"},{"id":1012,"mode":"SZ","name":"Camp Triggerfish"},{"id":1019,"mode":"RM","name":"Wahoo World"},{"id":1020,"mode":"CB","name":"Wahoo World"},{"id":1027,"mode":"SZ","name":"Ancho-V Games"},{"id":1034,"mode":"RM","name":"Skipper Pavilion"}]`
 );
@@ -42,4 +43,25 @@ MapListForRounds("Should have all the map and mode combos", () => {
   assert.equal(mapPoolToEmpty.length, 0);
 });
 
+MapListForRounds(
+  "Should not repeat mode (except SZ) in a round before other modes have appeared",
+  () => {
+    for (const side of [mapList.winners, mapList.losers]) {
+      for (const round of side) {
+        const modes: Mode[] = [];
+        for (const stage of round) {
+          if (
+            modes.includes(stage.mode) &&
+            modes.length < ALL_MODES_LENGTH &&
+            stage.mode !== "SZ"
+          ) {
+            throw new Error(`Repeated mode: ${JSON.stringify(round, null, 2)}`);
+          }
+          modes.push(stage.mode);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+);
+
 MapListForRounds.run();
diff --git a/app/core/tournament/mapList.ts b/app/core/tournament/mapList.ts
index d674af5ef..e2b6dafd7 100644
--- a/app/core/tournament/mapList.ts
+++ b/app/core/tournament/mapList.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export function generateMapListForRounds({
   }, []);
   let currentModes = clone(modes);
   const hasSZ = mapPool.some((stage) => stage.mode === "SZ");
+  const allModesLength = modes.length + Number(hasSZ);
 
   return {
     winners: rounds.winners.map((round) => roundsMapList(round)),
@@ -81,8 +82,18 @@ export function generateMapListForRounds({
       resetCurrentModesIfWouldHaveToRepeatMode(previous);
       currentModes = shuffle(currentModes);
       currentModes.sort((a, b) => {
-        if (previous && previous === a[0]) return 1;
-        if (previous && previous === b[0]) return -1;
+        // Don't repeat a mode before all the modes have appeared in a round
+        const modesOfTheRound = Array.from(new Set(resultWithNoNull));
+        if (modesOfTheRound.length < allModesLength) {
+          if (
+            modesOfTheRound.includes(a[0]) &&
+            modesOfTheRound.includes(b[0])
+          ) {
+            return 0;
+          }
+          if (modesOfTheRound.includes(b[0])) return -1;
+          if (modesOfTheRound.includes(a[0])) return 1;
+        }
 
         return b[1] - a[1];
       });
@@ -171,7 +182,7 @@ export function generateMapListForRounds({
           !stagesAlreadyIncludedThisRound.includes(mapPoolMap.name)
       );
 
-      // TODO: handle this smarter
+      // TODO: handle this fallback behavior smarter
       if (!stage) {
         stage = stages.find((mapPoolMap) => mapPoolMap.modes.includes(mode));
       }