San Diego Aftermath
San Diego Aftermath, also known as Aftermath and ASG Aftermath, is an American professional paintball team established by player and coach Mike Hinman. The team has competed in Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP), the NPPL Super 7 and the National Xball League (NXL), with documented national tournament appearances dating to 2005.[1][2]
Aftermath won the 2005 PSP Division 3 X-Ball season championship, the 2006 PSP World Cup Open X-Ball division and the 2007 PSP Open Class season championship. It subsequently entered professional competition, winning the 2008 NPPL Jacksonville Open.[3][4][5][6]
The organisation later rebuilt its competitive programme, winning the 2018 NXL semi-professional season championship. It returned to the professional division and competed during the 2025 and 2026 NXL seasons under the name Perris ASG Aftermath.[7][8]
History
[edit]Formation and early competition (2005)
[edit]Aftermath was founded by Mike Hinman, an American professional paintball player who had previously competed with the Bushwackers, Chicago Aftershock and San Diego Dynasty.[1]
The team developed through the divisional tournament system in Southern California.
Its first documented national championship season was 2005, when San Diego Aftermath competed in Division 3 X-Ball in the PSP.
Aftermath won four of the five tournaments that season, finishing first at the SoCal Open, Orlando Open, Chicago Open and Paintball World Cup.
The team finished second at the Northeast Open.
These results secured the 2005 PSP Division 3 X-Ball season championship with 492 ranking points, ahead of East Coast Empire and Tippmann Effect.[3]
At the 2005 World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida, Aftermath defeated Tippmann Effect 7–4 in the Division 3 X-Ball final.[4]
Progression through the divisions (2006–2007)
[edit]After its Division 3 championship, Aftermath advanced to Division 1 X-Ball for the 2006 PSP season.
The team recorded second-place finishes at the Las Vegas Open, SoCal Open and Mid-Atlantic Open, together with third place at the Chicago Open.
At the 2006 World Cup, Aftermath entered the Open X-Ball division and won the tournament championship.[5]
The team subsequently competed in the PSP Open Class during 2007.
Aftermath finished second at the Los Angeles Open before winning consecutive events at the Mid-Atlantic Open and Chicago Open.
The team finished second at the River City Open and the World Cup.
These results secured the 2007 PSP Open Class season championship with 475.39 ranking points, ahead of Team Impact and Avalanche X.[6]
The championship established Aftermath as one of the leading teams competing immediately below the professional division.
Professional debut and NPPL championship (2008)
[edit]Aftermath entered professional competition during the 2008 season.
The team competed in both the PSP professional X-Ball division and the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) seven-player series.
In the NPPL, it competed under the name Escondido Aftermath.
At the 2008 NPPL Jacksonville Open, held from 16 to 18 May at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Florida, Aftermath won its first documented professional seven-player tournament championship.
The team defeated the New England Hurricanes in the semi-finals before facing the Golden State Ironmen in the final.
Aftermath won the first two games of the final to secure the professional title.[9]
The roster during this period included established professional players such as Chris LaSoya and Alex Goldman.[10]
In the PSP professional division, San Diego Aftermath finished second at the 2008 Chicago Open.
The team finished 11th in the overall PSP professional season standings.[11]
Continued professional competition (2009–2010)
[edit]Aftermath continued competing in the PSP professional division during 2009.
At the Chicago Open, it reached the final and finished second behind the Philadelphia Americans.
The team also recorded fifth-place finishes at the Phoenix Open and World Cup.[2]
In 2010, Aftermath competed in professional X-Ball at the Chicago and Mid-Atlantic events.
The team finished third at the Mid-Atlantic Open and fifth at the Chicago Open.[2]
Divisional competition and rebuilding
[edit]Following its initial professional period, Aftermath continued to appear in divisional tournaments.
Official PSP records document San Diego Aftermath competing in Division 1 X-Ball during the 2013 season.
The team finished fourth at the Mid-Atlantic Open and 14th at the Dallas Open.[2]
The organisation subsequently returned to higher-level competition through the NXL semi-professional division.
2018 NXL semi-professional championship
[edit]Aftermath won the 2018 NXL semi-professional season championship.
The team opened the season by winning the Las Vegas Open and Texas Open.
It finished fifth at the Atlantic City Open before winning the Chicago Open.
At the World Cup, Aftermath finished third.
The team accumulated 473.08 ranking points, narrowly defeating Indianapolis Mutiny, which finished second with 472.59 points.[7]
The championship was decided by a margin of 0.49 ranking points.
Aftermath's season included three individual tournament victories.
ASG Aftermath and return to professional competition
[edit]During the 2020s, the team competed under the ASG Aftermath name, reflecting its association with Action Star Games in Perris, California.
The name Perris ASG Aftermath subsequently appeared in official tournament registrations.[2]
The team returned to the NXL professional division and competed throughout the 2025 season.
Its 2025 professional results included:
- Tampa Bay Open – 17th.
- Atlantic City Open – 15th.
- Midwest Open – 18th.
- Lone Star Open – 16th.
- World Cup – 23rd.
Aftermath finished 19th in the overall 2025 NXL professional season standings.[8]
2026 season
[edit]Perris ASG Aftermath continued competing in the NXL professional division during 2026.
The team's recorded results through September were:
- Tampa Bay Open – 15th.
- Mid-Atlantic Open – 10th.
- Midwest Open – 18th.
- Lone Star Open – 8th.
The team's eighth-place finish at the Lone Star Open was its highest professional tournament placing of the season through September.[2]
After four events, Aftermath occupied 12th place in the published NXL professional season standings with 312 ranking points.[12]
The 2026 World Cup was scheduled for 11–15 November and had not taken place as of October 2026.
Coaching and player development
[edit]Mike Hinman established Aftermath and was closely associated with the team's competitive development during its early history.
In a 2023 interview with Paintball Nerd, Hinman discussed his work founding the team and helping develop players who subsequently reached professional competition.[1]
During 2026, Richard "Opie" Loughran served as the team's professional coach.
Loughran had previously worked with professional organisations including San Diego Dynasty, Baltimore Revo and Arsenal.
His appointment and approach to developing Aftermath's roster were discussed in a May 2026 episode of The Coaches Show.[13]
Official tournament records identify Loughran as coach at the 2026 Tampa Bay Open.[14]
Players registered for that tournament included Eric Arrieta, Zack Carter, Jeremy Doan, Grayson Gladstone, Stephen Mazurek, Devon Stuart, Julian Velazquez and Cody Woodruff.[14]
Equipment and sponsorship
[edit]Aftermath has maintained relationships with several paintball equipment manufacturers during its history.
During the 2025 season, DYE Precision announced an agreement to supply LT-R loaders to the team.[15]
The team's official website has also identified commercial relationships with HK Army, Planet Eclipse, Tranzfuse and Action Star Games, among other suppliers.[16]
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Competition | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | PSP SoCal Open | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st |
| 2005 | PSP Orlando Open | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st |
| 2005 | PSP Chicago Open | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st |
| 2005 | PSP World Cup | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st |
| 2005 | PSP season championship | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st |
| 2006 | PSP World Cup | Open X-Ball | 1st |
| 2007 | PSP Mid-Atlantic Open | Open Class X-Ball | 1st |
| 2007 | PSP Chicago Open | Open Class X-Ball | 1st |
| 2007 | PSP season championship | Open Class X-Ball | 1st |
| 2008 | NPPL Jacksonville Open | Professional 7-man | 1st |
| 2008 | PSP Chicago Open | Professional X-Ball | 2nd |
| 2009 | PSP Chicago Open | Professional X-Ball | 2nd |
| 2018 | NXL Las Vegas Open | Semi-professional X-Ball | 1st |
| 2018 | NXL Texas Open | Semi-professional X-Ball | 1st |
| 2018 | NXL Chicago Open | Semi-professional X-Ball | 1st |
| 2018 | NXL season championship | Semi-professional X-Ball | 1st |
| 2026 | NXL Lone Star Open | Professional X-Ball | 8th |
The table lists selected documented results and is not a complete tournament history.
See also
[edit]- National Xball League
- Paintball Sports Promotions
- NPPL Super 7
- San Diego Dynasty
- Chicago Aftershock
- Paintball World Cup
References
[edit]- Paintball Nerd – Industry Impact Interview with Mike Hinman. 6 June 2023. Documents Hinman's involvement in founding Aftermath and developing professional players.
- PBLeagues – Perris ASG Aftermath Team History. Official tournament records covering the team's historical PSP and NXL competition.
- PBLeagues – 2005 PSP Season Rankings. Official Division 3 X-Ball season results.
- WARPIG – 2005 PSP World Cup. 23–30 October 2005. Contemporary reporting documenting Aftermath's Division 3 championship.
- WARPIG – 2006 PSP World Cup. 7–12 November 2006. Documents Aftermath's Open X-Ball tournament victory.
- PBLeagues – 2007 PSP Season Rankings. Official Open Class season championship results.
- PBLeagues – 2018 NXL Season Rankings. Official semi-professional results and championship standings.
- PBLeagues – 2025 NXL Season Rankings. Professional championship standings.
- WARPIG – 2008 NPPL Jacksonville Open. 16–18 May 2008. Contemporary report documenting Escondido Aftermath's professional victory.
- S E B U R O – May 2008 Tournament Coverage. Contemporary coverage of Aftermath's professional roster and Jacksonville Open.
- PBLeagues – 2008 PSP Season Rankings. Professional tournament and annual results.
- PBLeagues – 2026 NXL Season Rankings. Official standings through the fourth event.
- The Coaches Show – Episode 114: Coach Richard "Opie" Loughran of ASG Aftermath. 22 May 2026.
- PBLeagues – Perris ASG Aftermath, 2026 Tampa Bay Open Roster. Official player and coach registrations.
- DYE Paintball – ASG Aftermath Chooses DYE. Official 2025 equipment partnership announcement.
- ASG Aftermath – Official Team Website. Team information, merchandise and sponsors.