In the past few days, we had an important piece of news in Splinterlands that may have gone unnoticed by some more casual players, but in practice, I believe it will affect us all: Survival Mode has been put on temporary pause to go through significant changes. This happened because a proposal in the SPS DAO was approved, and now we will have a Beta Test with brackets and a new proportional reward system.
You can check the proposal here:
@clayboyn/sps-dao-proposal-survival-test
Survival Mode was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting additions to the game in recent times, but it’s also true that the mode wasn’t working as well as it should. The initial idea was amazing a different, dynamic mode with great competitive potential but in practice, some issues started to appear right away: low participation, imbalance between players, and a reward system that didn’t seem fair to everyone.
Now, with the proposal approved, we have a path to fix these problems. The change is bold and could truly define the future of Survival Mode.
So, what will change?
The main change is in the format. Instead of being something continuous and somewhat loose, Survival Mode will now work in brackets, meaning ranking tiers that better organize players according to their level. This prevents beginners from facing much more experienced players and ensures the competition is fairer and more fun.
This Beta Test will last 3 months (approximately 6 seasons) and will have a pool of 850,000 SPS per season, allocated only for the tests.
During this period, the mode will be divided into 11 different brackets, from Novice to Unlimited, each with its own rules, such as:
- Limits on summoners and card levels, to balance the battlefield.
- Restrictions for bots, which will vary depending on the bracket’s difficulty.
- Adjusted cooldowns depending on the bracket. For example, in Novice the cooldown will be only 10%, while in Gold it reaches 50%.
This means that each player will need to carefully choose which bracket to join, since it will not be possible to switch brackets during the season.
One of the most striking points in this proposal is the new reward distribution model. Previously, rewards were fixed for each bracket, which ended up creating inequality: some brackets had low participation but still received a considerable share of the prize, while others were overcrowded.
Now, the system will be proportional. Here’s how it works:
- At the end of the season, the total CP (Collection Power) across all Survival Mode brackets is calculated.
- The total prize is divided proportionally among the brackets, based on how much each contributed in CP.
- Within each bracket, players receive their share according to their performance.
A practical example helps visualize this:
- Let’s say Survival Mode totaled 500 million CP in a season.
- Bracket 8 contributed 100 million CP, that is, 20% of the total.
- If the prize for that season was 1 million SPS, that bracket would receive 200,000 SPS, which would then be distributed proportionally among the players in that group.
This removes arbitrariness and creates a much fairer system, where those who actually participate are the ones who move the prize pool.
But what is Survival Mode?
Similar to Wild format, any card in the game may be used (except for Gladiator cards without a Conscript Summoner or Ruleset), and the use of battle helpers and automation tools will be allowed as well. There is not currently planned to be any pass or payment required to participate.
This post Introducing Splinterlands Survival Mode can better explain all the content and the concept behind Survival Mode and how it is built.
I really like the idea. I’ve felt for a while that Survival Mode needed a refresh because, although exciting at first, the experience wasn’t as fun as it could have been. I myself ended up in situations where it simply wasn’t worth continuing to play because the rewards didn’t match the effort. With this new system, I see two major advantages: first, it will be much fairer since players will be rewarded according to the bracket they choose and their participation in it; second, it will generate valuable data for the future of the game.
Splinterlands has always had this characteristic of reinventing itself and testing new things, and that’s something I really value. I believe some players will complain about not being able to change brackets mid-season, or even about how bots will be controlled. But that’s exactly what this Beta Test is for: to identify problems and adjust before making it permanent.
The pause in Survival Mode may have left some frustrated, but I truly believe this change will be positive.
The new system with brackets and proportional rewards seems much fairer and more competitive, and the three-month testing period will be essential for gathering feedback and concrete data.
