Splinterlands Town Hall Unofficial Summary - June 19, 2025

• Conclave Arcana Update (Matt)

  Conclave Arcana, released about a month prior, was a significant event in Splinterlands history and its meta has begun to settle. The team is now focusing on the second half of 2025, with near-term plans including promo cards (like Pickle), upcoming Conflicts for Conclave Arcana cards, and new airdrop summoners. A new reward set of cards is also targeted for release in about three to four months, designed to fill gaps in the Conclave Arcana and Modern meta and integrate with conflict card airdrops.

• Major Projects for Second Half of 2025 (Matt)

  The primary focus for the latter half of 2025 is new player onboarding and retention. This includes:

  • Foundation Format: Expanding the recently added Foundation set of cards (currently level one, non-tradable) into a new format similar to Modern, where only Foundation cards can be played. New players will transition into this format after completing the updated first campaign, earning Foundation cards, before moving to Modern or other formats.
    
    
  • Campaign Mode Expansion: The first campaign was updated, and there are plans to continue expanding it with new chapters to teach mechanics. The goal is for campaign mode to become a robust Player Versus Environment (PvE) mode, potentially including boss fights, rather than just a tutorial. It will feature stories and themes tied to in-game seasons.
    
    
  • Guild Overhaul: A major project to integrate a guild system heavily with other parts of the game like rewards, Glint, land, Modern/Wild format, Survival mode, and the new Foundation format. This is considered a crucial factor for player engagement and retention.
    
    
  • Skins and Cosmetics: Plans to adjust the initial Glamour system (due to black foil and arcane variant cards not being planned initially). This includes various cosmetics for card glamour, avatar images, battlefield items, and character voice quips, allowing players to show off participation and longevity. Exclusive skins and cosmetics could be earned from beating campaigns.
    
    
  • Achievements and Quests: Starting with basic quests in the new Foundation format for new players to encourage daily engagement and exploring different parts of the game (e.g., adding liquidity, entering tournaments).
    The aim is for all these projects to be interwoven seamlessly, with elements like guilds unlocking benefits for land and campaigns, and campaign rewards benefiting other game areas. The hope is that these efforts will significantly increase new player retention, especially with new marketing efforts.

• Recent Developments & Near-Term from Development (Investigator)

  • Campaign Mode: Recently released as the new PvE tutorial, aiming to help new players understand gameplay.
    
    
  • Foundation Set: Introduced as a replacement for starter cards, currently restricted to level one. A new phase of Foundation gameplay is expected, allowing combining of these cards (though max levels will be lower than standard cards).
    
    
  • Conflicts: Updates are in progress to support Rebellion cards (now half value for points) and Conclave Arcana cards (full points). Multiple pack types (alchemy, legendary, standard) will contribute to conflict points, with higher value for alchemy and legendary packs. The first conflict is hoped to start by the end of July.
    
    
  • Socials Page: Expanded settings to allow linking Discord and Twitch accounts to Splinterlands, with future expansion to other platforms.
    
    
  • Performance Improvements: Ongoing work to improve performance for the tutorial and battle replays.
    
    
  • Yaba's Pickle Event: Sale starts soon, with crafted items for auction and fortune draws using land resources. Sound effects for the pickle card are being tested.
    
    
  • Land "Harvest All": Cryptomancer is exploring a one-button harvest for all land plots except castles and keeps.
    
    

• Marketing Update (Blaze)

  • Player Acquisition: Over 5,295 sign-ups in the past 30 days, with the daily average increasing. Test ads on X, Facebook, and TikTok are showing impressive initial results, with one campaign achieving over 130,000 impressions and 500 clicks.
    
    
  • Conclave Arcana Sales: Over 2,000 unique buyers in the main sale, totaling $3.08 million in sales. Alchemy packs lead with $1.56 million.
    
    
  • New Front Page: A redesign is coming soon to create a better first impression for new arrivals.
    
    
  • Twitch Drops: Working on setting up rewards for watching Splinterlands streams, potentially including Glint or a new "Arena Fanatic" card.
    
    
  • App Performance: Over 5,000 downloads for the app, with expectations for rapid growth once marketing begins.
    
    
  • Partnerships: The partnership with YG (broadcasting Splinterlands on social media) has been extended.

• Conclave Arcana Sales & Jackpot Prize (Dave)

  Dave highlighted the success of Conclave Arcana sales, noting that the number of participants in the general sale (over 2,000 unique buyers) doubled the number from the pre-sale, indicating new or returning players. He also drew attention to the jackpot prize pool, with 4,536 prizes still remaining out of 288 given out, suggesting odds will improve as fewer packs remain. Arcane variant conflict cards will also be added to this pool over time, making it more exciting.

• Creative Team Updates (Joey)

  Joey, the creative lead and lore master, detailed various creative projects:

  • Basic Format UI: Shared a draft screenshot of the "Basic Format" (Foundations only), designed as a free-to-play mode suitable for app stores and to attract players from games like Hearthstone. It will reintroduce daily rewards.
    
    
  • Homepage Redesign: A new, updated homepage design is coming, featuring a "Start My Adventure" button to immerse players in the Pritoria world.
    
    
  • Conflicts & Lore: Most artwork for conflicts is done. The first conflict card, Z the Underplace (a Dragon card), was revealed. Joey delved into the extensive lore behind Conclave Arcana, led by Porshe Nur, who is seeking Pritoria's secrets while the world is in disarray. Bren Pillsworn, a shapeshifter, rallies smaller splinters to oppose Porshe. The Archons (players) in Conclave Arcana join this conflict.
    
    
  • Player Avatars: Six to nine starting races are being developed for player avatars, with customization options for eyes, mouth, hats, and clothes. Decisions on free vs. premium avatars are being made.
    
    
  • Campaign Mode PvE: UI/UX is progressing for a roguelike dungeon experience where players fight a series of teams leading to a boss monster, with a story themed around Pritoria's kingdoms.
    
    
  • Glamour & Art: Work continues on Conclave Arcana Glamour (frames, gold/black foil, arcane variants) and art for upcoming cards.
    
    
  • Twitch Streamer Card: An "Arena Fanatic" card was designed to reward players for watching Splinterlands Twitch streams, representing dedicated fans within the game's lore.
    
    
  • Land Updates: New icons and updates for land are in the works.
    
    
  • Campaign Mode Prologue: The recently released interactive prologue (an in-game trailer) features voice acting (all four voices by Joey) and introduces the story, culminating in final battles that test learned skills. Additional chapters on leveling cards, blockchain basics, and LPS (Liquidity Provider Skills) are being worked on for the campaign mode.
    
    
  • Sound Effects: Testing sound effects for cards, starting with the Pickle card.
    
    
  • Lore Integration: Collaborating on the Pantheon for Splinterlore and hinting that lore on Conclave Arcana cards might reveal abilities of future conflict cards.

• Survival Format & Land (Matt)

  Matt discussed the recent relaunch of the Survival format, emphasizing a cautious approach to changes to avoid chaos. The goal is for the format to be beneficial for the ecosystem, providing utility for cards (including duplicates), and potentially funded by the DAO based on community decision.

  Regarding land, Matt clarified that it is a definite, ongoing project with Cryptomancer fully dedicated to it, working towards the Land 2.0 plan from the white paper. The aim is to heavily integrate land with other systems like guild overhaul, campaign mode, and skins/cosmetics, allowing land resources to craft items in other areas and vice-versa.

Q&A

• Is there a land card in the works?
  Yes, the developers have agreed to create some type of card produced from land resources. Its exact use (whether for land mode only or ranked play) is still to be determined (TBD), but it's a high priority and part of the broader plan to integrate land into the rest of the game.

• Could there be a "Beaver" land promo card?
  Joey, the creative lead, noted that if a land card is made, a Beaver card "would probably make it there". He loves incorporating community suggestions where possible, though he makes "no promises".

• Will guild upgrades integrate with land, and will guild buildings be on land plots?
  Yes, there will be 100% integration between guilds and land. However, the specific details on how this will work, including whether guild buildings will be built on land plots, are in the early design phases and are subject to many changes before final implementation. More information is expected in future Town Halls.

• Will some of the next reward cards be community-designed?
  Not at this point. While community feedback for character ideas is valued, designing new cards is now more complex due to the need to balance bloodlines, stats, and abilities. They might consider opportunities for community input later if there's strong demand.

• Do you have early data on new player conversion and retention rates?
  There's positive progress in new player sign-ups (over 5,295 in 30 days). However, it's too early to provide specific retention rates. Tools are being developed for proper measurement and attribution tracking of marketing campaigns. Historically, retention and conversion rates have been low due to a "poor onboarding experience", but they are starting to improve, and this is a main organizational focus.

• Are there opportunities to link to Hive posts from the game to bring players to Hive?
  While opportunities exist, the current primary focus is on attracting and retaining players within Splinterlands itself. The belief is that a strong Splinterlands player base is the best long-term strategy for bringing users into the broader Hive ecosystem. They do plan to contribute indirectly via PeakD articles and an in-game news feed.

• What are the plans for conflict contribution points and their impact on regular foil decks?
  The numbers are still being finalized. Contribution points will "definitely be higher than they were for Rebellion" as more card types are now eligible. The goal is to incentivize players to acquire and hold more cards, which ultimately benefits the entire ecosystem by increasing card market values and token prices. This means the system is designed to encourage players to get more cards.

• What additions are planned for the Glint store and will there be limited-time items?
  The Glint Shop will be integrated with all new features including skins/cosmetics, guild updates, campaign mode, and land. It will be a cyclical system where Glint can be both earned and spent across these new areas. Limited-time items are likely, especially with new skins and cosmetics.

• When can we expect new developments regarding guilds?
  More information on the plans and ideas for guilds is hoped to be shared by the next Town Hall. The target for the release and completion of major projects, including the guild overhaul, is by the end of the year.

• When is the next Town Hall?
  The next Town Hall is scheduled for July 17th at 7:00 PM Eastern time.

• Should there be an in-game bulletin board for community posts?
  The team acknowledges the need for in-game notifications and bulletin boards, as they currently "lean a bit too heavily on Discord". They plan to implement a system for in-game pop-ups or notifications for new releases and general community updates, like "Pickle Shirts" or referral programs, to ensure all players are informed.

• When are the new conflicts set to start?
  A fixed date is not yet available, but the team is "shooting for by the end of July". Exact details, such as points needed for guaranteed cards, will be announced closer to the launch.

• Can there be a "Troll Master" title for new players who beat the troll on their first try?
  The idea was well-received. While titles have in-game benefits requiring careful balancing to prevent exploitation, a special cosmetic or battlefield item (like a "dead troll" or "troll head") could be considered as a reward.

• When is the next content creators town hall?
  It will resume next month. Content creators are considered "super super important" for marketing efforts.

• Will there be a "Saber Investigator" card?
  This was noted as a suggestion for the creative team's design bucket, potentially even for a beaver card.

• Will Runi be involved in conflicts?
  No current plan for Runi to be involved in conflicts. However, there's interest in involving Rooney in other reworks like guilds and campaign mode where it makes sense.

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