This proposal was submitted and worked on by a group of multiple DAO members (synist3r, bjangles, bravetofu, bulldog1205, jeffopenscards, meredorn, vugtis, and clayboyn) for review and approved to be ran as a DAO sponsored proposal by all members of the SPS DAO Foundation.
Due to the urgency of this situation, the SPS DAO Foundation board has agreed to expedite this proposal past the draft phase.
Survival Mode Reward Structure Adjustment Seasons 4+
Author: SPS.DAO
TL;DR
| This proposal pauses DAO-funded SPS rewards for Survival Mode after Season 3 and replaces them with Glint and other in-game incentives while the Steem Monsters team refines the game mode. The remaining three SPS reward seasons (2.55M SPS) are fully preserved and will resume once the mode is properly tuned. Monthly progress updates ensure DAO visibility throughout. This is not a removal of SPS rewards. This is not a sunset. Survival Mode continues with uninterrupted rewards, and every allocated SPS token comes back. |
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Background
The DAO previously approved 850,000 SPS per season to fund Survival Mode rewards across six seasons (5.1M SPS total). The purpose was to bootstrap participation while the mode entered an experimental phase.
The first three seasons have delivered valuable data on participation trends, bracket dynamics, reward distribution, and player behavior. However, the remaining three SPS-funded seasons do not provide enough runway for the iterative design and governance process needed to fully tune the mode.
The core challenge is this: fixing Survival Mode requires rapid iteration on brackets, rewards, and mechanics. Each of those changes currently requires a separate DAO proposal—a process that generates community friction, consumes governance bandwidth, and slows development to a pace that cannot deliver results within three seasons.
Without intervention, the most likely outcome is that the mode expires before it reaches its potential—and with it, the positive effects it has already begun to have on the Splinterlands ecosystem.
Why Survival Mode Matters
Survival Mode is not just another game format—it has become a meaningful driver of demand for meta-relevant cards outside of the Wild league. For example, cards like Byzantine Kitty and Eternal Tofu, which currently have significant supply sitting on the market, derive a substantial portion of their utility from Survival Mode play.
If Survival Mode were to disappear in seven weeks without a path forward, that card market demand disappears with it. Land alone cannot sustain these values. This proposal exists to protect the mode’s future—and the broader asset ecosystem it supports—by giving the team the time to get it right.
What This Proposal Does
1. Pauses SPS Rewards After Season 3
Season 3 completes as planned with the existing 850,000 SPS pool. Beginning in Season 4, DAO-approved SPS distributions are paused—not cancelled, not removed. The remaining three seasons of SPS funding (2.55M SPS) are preserved in full and will resume once the team determines the mode is properly balanced and tuned. At that point, the community will be able to evaluate the refined Survival Mode and decide whether to continue SPS funding beyond the original allocation.
2. Replaces SPS With Alternative Rewards
Starting in Season 4, rewards shift to non-SPS incentives to maintain player participation during the development phase. Potential reward types include:
• Glint-based rewards
• Exclusive reward cards
• Cosmetics and titles
• Leaderboard incentives
• Other in-game rewards as determined by the team
The Season 4 reward structure will be announced by Steem Monsters before the season begins. Learnings from interim reward structures (for example, Glint distribution ratios and participation patterns) may also inform the future SPS reward model once those seasons resume, potentially contributing to a more sustainable long-term funding approach.
3. Enables Rapid Iteration Without Governance Gridlock
The team will have flexibility to redesign brackets, rebalance rewards, and adjust game mechanics without requiring individual DAO votes for each change. This is the central ask: let the team be responsible for game design and balance, let players test it, and then bring the results back to the DAO when it’s ready.
This flexibility comes with accountability: the team will provide monthly progress updates to the DAO covering design changes made, participation data, and the roadmap toward completing the tuning phase. This ensures the community retains clear visibility into Survival Mode’s development without slowing down the iteration cycle.
Governance & Accountability
A valid concern with any proposal granting development flexibility is ensuring the DAO retains meaningful oversight. This is not a blank check. The team is being asked to do a specific job—fix and tune Survival Mode—and they are accountable to the DAO for the results. Here are the specific commitments:
| Commitment | Details |
|---|---|
| Monthly Updates | Steem Monsters will provide monthly updates to the DAO on Survival Mode progress, including design changes implemented, participation metrics, and the development roadmap. |
| SPS Returns in Full | The remaining 2.55M SPS (three seasons at 850K each) are preserved and will be distributed once the mode is sufficiently tuned. The community then evaluates the refined mode for future funding decisions. |
| No Lapse in Rewards | Player rewards continue uninterrupted. Non-SPS incentives begin immediately in Season 4 with no gap. |
| DAO Authority Preserved | This proposal covers only the pause period and resumption of the original allocation. Any future SPS funding beyond the original six-season allocation requires a separate DAO vote. The DAO retains full authority over the long-term funding of Survival Mode. |
| Defined Scope | The team’s mandate is specific: tune and balance Survival Mode to a state that merits continued DAO investment. Game design decisions (brackets, mechanics, interim rewards) are within scope. SPS allocation decisions remain with the DAO. |
Rationale
Protect the DAO’s Investment
Distributing the remaining 2.55M SPS through an under-tuned mode risks wasting those tokens and undermining community confidence in the format. Pausing ensures those rewards are deployed when they can generate maximum participation and demonstrate the mode’s viability for future funding.
Avoid Governance Gridlock
Requiring a DAO vote for every bracket or reward change generates community friction, consumes limited governance bandwidth, and slows development to a pace that cannot deliver results within three seasons. Granting the team design flexibility—with monthly reporting obligations—lets the mode improve at the pace it needs.
Protect Card Market Health
Survival Mode has become an important source of demand for meta-relevant cards outside of Wild league. If the mode expires without a path forward, that demand evaporates—and card values that depend on it follow. This proposal ensures Survival Mode has the runway to become a sustained driver of card utility and market liquidity.
Set the Stage for Long-Term Sustainability
A well-tuned Survival Mode strengthens the broader Splinterlands ecosystem. Insights gained during the interim period—including data from Glint-based reward structures—can inform a more sustainable long-term funding model, potentially reducing future SPS emissions needed while maintaining strong participation. Combined with revenue from future mini-sets and other sources, this positions the DAO to self-fund reward pools over time.
Implementation
1. Season 3 completes as planned with the existing 850,000 SPS reward pool.
2. Beginning in Season 4, SPS rewards are paused. Non-SPS reward structures are announced and implemented by Steem Monsters before the season starts.
3. Steem Monsters provides monthly progress updates to the DAO on Survival Mode development.
4. Once the team determines the mode is properly tuned, the final three SPS reward seasons (2.55M SPS total) resume.
5. After those SPS seasons conclude, the community evaluates the refined mode and decides on future funding through a new DAO proposal.
6. Any future SPS funding beyond the original six-season allocation requires a separate DAO vote.
Conclusion
Survival Mode has the potential to become a cornerstone of the Splinterlands experience and a sustained driver of card market health. This proposal gives it the development time to get there—while preserving every allocated SPS token, maintaining community oversight through monthly updates, and ensuring rewards never lapse for participating players.
The alternative is running out the clock on three under-tuned SPS seasons, watching the mode struggle, and losing both the tokens and the format. This proposal chooses a better path.
A vote in favor is a vote for patience, accountability, and getting Survival Mode right.