This is the first of three posts covering all new features coming to Skyweaver in early 2024. This post is about our new In-Game Tournaments; the second post (Draft Mode) will be released on December 8th, and the third post (New Economy) on December 22nd, 2023.

Compete to become the 2024 World Champion in Skyweaver’s official integrated Tournament system. In this new format, we welcome players to create new and fun strategies to outpace and overtake their opponents in hopes of becoming the best! The Song of Scales update will introduce new ways to compete for cash prizes and exclusive collectibles during our first championship cycle.

Right now,  in order to participate in a Skyweaver Tournament, you have to improvise or use a third-party solution. While those will remain valid options, we recognize the need to organize and handle Tournaments from within Skyweaver itself.

When the Song of Scales update launches, you will find two new types of official Tournaments in Skyweaver: Constructed Tournaments and Draft Tournaments. Constructed Tournaments are traditional Skyweaver where you bring your own deck; Draft Tournaments utilize our new Draft format (be sure to check out our December 8th post for full details.) Different Tournaments will have different ways of entering them, either by using Spark, Weave (both new in-game currencies that will be detailed in our third post, on Dec. 22nd), and/or Tickets.

One feature that we’re especially proud of is that the entire system is Free-To-Play; anyone can advance all the way to the top without spending anything. For those that want the thrill of competition and to play against the very best but don’t have time for the grind, Weave can be used to buy-in all the way up to the Seasonal Championship level. But only the best of the best will fight their way into the first Skyweaver World Championship!

Constructed Tournaments 

We're creating new competitive offerings for our existing Constructed mode:

Daily Ascent (Constructed):

Kick off your competitive journey in a Daily League! These Tournaments are always available, and players can join once a day using Spark, every day of the week. The goal is to have fun and compete with your strongest deck across five matches in hopes of qualifying for the Weekly Cup. Wins earn you Weekly Cup Tickets, so start racking up those wins to get to the Weekly!

Weekly Cup (Constructed):

In our Constructed Weekly Cup, you will do battle in a Swiss Tournament against other players. This will run twice per week, once each Saturday and Sunday. The Weekly Cup can be entered with Weave or Weekly Cup Tickets (Constructed). The number of rounds depends on the number of entries, and these contests will be held on a rotating time schedule (to ensure people from different time zones have a fair shot).  As with all our Weekly and Seasonal Tournaments, all rounds are played synchronously (at the same time.) Prizes will include Weave, USDC and entries into the Seasonal Championship.

Seasonal Championship (Constructed):

Each Season will have its own Championship, which occurs during the first weekend of the following season. For example, if Season 27 ended on Monday December 18th, its Seasonal Championship will be held that weekend (Dec 23rd/24th). This will be a challenging Swiss Tournament, where we cut to a Top 8. Players can enter with Weave or a Seasonal Ticket (Constructed). Each player participating in the Seasonal Championships will also receive a special cosmetic, not available anywhere else. Join this grand, season-culminating battle for significant USDC and Weave prizes, and most importantly, a chance at the coveted Worlds Invitation!

Draft Tournaments 

Our newest Mode will also be a haven for combatants from around the world, and thus will have its own set of different Tournaments! The intention behind this is to support Constructed and Draft as equal parts of the game. More details surrounding the gameplay of Draft will be released on December 8th.

Daily Ascent (Draft):

Daily Ascent Draft Tournaments will be exciting and dynamic events, your daily dose of Limited Format competition. They follow the same format as the Constructed Ascent; battle across five matches to win tickets into the Weekly Cup. Like their Constructed counterpart, these contests are entered with Spark and are also asynchronous, allowing you to play your games whenever it’s most convenient for you. Do well here, and greater challenges await!

Relic Draft:

You never know what you’re going to get! Relic Drafts are available on demand and are entered with Weave. Just hop in the queue to start drafting anytime, and every player is guaranteed to open at least one tradable card in every draft. Just like Daily Ascents, Relic Drafts are asynchronous - after completing the draft, players play five matches at their convenience and receive prizes based on their performance, including Weave and tickets into the Weekly Cup.

Weekly Cup (Draft):

Our Draft version of the Weekly Cup mimics the format of its Constructed counterpart - a Swiss Tournament held every Saturday and Sunday. This Tournament can be entered Weave or Weekly Cup Tickets (Draft), which are predominantly obtainable through the Daily Ascent or Relic Drafts. There will be a variable number of synchronous rounds based on attendance. Players will compete for a combined reward of USDC, Weave and Seasonal Tickets!

Seasonal Championship (Draft):

The Seasonal Championship (Draft) for each season is held on the first weekend of the subsequent season (just like the Constructed Seasonal Championship). Compete in a challenging Swiss Tournament, where we cut to a Top 8. Players can enter with Weave or a Seasonal Ticket (Draft). Join this grand battle to compete for  USDC, Weave, and most importantly a chance at the coveted Worlds Invitation, the key for Skyweaver’s grandest prizes!

World Championships (Constructed/Draft):

All the Daily, Weekly and Seasonal Tournaments culminate in our first World Championship, where only the best get to compete for the biggest prizes in Sky! Our first World Championships will see our biggest prizes ever in USDC given out as well as coveted and unique tradables. This Tournament will also offer players their first chance to design and/or appear in a Skyweaver card by collaborating with our celebrated art and design teams. The only way to participate is to receive one of 32 Worlds Invitations, obtainable by winning a Seasonal Championship or through other exclusive criteria throughout the year.

We want to provide everyone with meaningful competition at all skill levels. Tournaments are a great incentive to learn how to play better and gauge your progress in the game, and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

We hope to see you all in this competitive calendar, and please share your feedback with us once the competition starts!

Q&A: 

Q: Where do you get Tickets to enter?
A: Tournament Tickets are mainly acquired through participation in the Tournament system. However, there will be opportunities to acquire Tickets through other methods. 

Q: How do I get Spark and Weave so I can participate?
A: Most Tournaments will be accessible with Spark or Weave. Both of these in-game currencies are new to Skyweaver and will be discussed in an Economy post on December 22nd.

Q: Do Tournament Tickets expire?
A: Seasonal Tickets are only valid for a specific Seasonal Cup, thus all unused Seasonal Tickets will expire once the corresponding Tournament concludes. This is the same for Worlds Invitations—they are only valid for a specific World Championship. All other tickets (including Relic Draft Tickets) do not expire in this manner and can be used for any Tournament of that type.

Q: What is a Swiss Tournament?
A: Swiss Tournaments unfold across a number of rounds; during each round, competitors are matched based on their prior performance. So in the fifth round, a player who is 3-1 so far will be paired against another 3-1 player whenever possible, and so on. 

Q: Can I trade the Tickets I earn?
A: No. Tournament Tickets—including Worlds Invitations—are not tradable between players. 

Q: What’s the difference between Synchronous and Asynchronous Leagues?
A: Synchronous leagues play out immediately; players are paired with specific opponents and are expected to attend their matches at the specified time. In Asynchronous Leagues, matches can be played at any point within the established time frame of the competition.

Q: Will participating in these Tournaments affect my rank?
A: Yes. Your Constructed rank will be affected by Constructed Tournaments. With the launch of this update we will also sunset all players' Discovery rank and will replace it with a Draft rank. This Draft rank will also be affected by all Draft Tournaments including Relic Draft. 

Q: How does the pairing system work?
A: The methods used to find an appropriate opponent will vary from Tournament to Tournament based on industry standards and player pool limitations. For example, Daily Constructed and Draft Tournaments will aim to pair players based on their current standing within the Tournament. If that's not possible due to the number of Tournaments and queues happening in Skyweaver at any given time, the system will try to pair based on hidden MMR.

Q: What happens to Conquest when this feature rolls out?
A: Conquest Mode will be absorbed by this Tournament system. All existing Conquest Tickets will be automatically converted to another in-game currency when these features are live. 

Q: What about the Conquest Treasure system?
A: This will also be phased out. Holders of tradable items will have a chance to engage in a new reward system that will be discussed at a later date.

Q: Can I create my own Tournaments or help organize a branded Tournament with this system?
A: Not right away, but we have created a robust Tournament infrastructure that will allow for this in the future! We know how much value community-led Tournaments bring to the game.

Q: Can I enter more than one Tournament at a time?
A: You can register for more than one upcoming Tournament, and participate in multiple asynchronous Tournaments at once, but players can only ever play one match at a time.

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