A proposal of in-game tournaments for Gods Unchained

The Gods Unchained team recently announced that changes are coming to the reward structure of the weekly Weekend Ranked event. I consider that this is a step forward, yes, but I also think that it is necessary to go further and in this article I propose an option for replace Weekend Ranked with something much better .

I'm JFA, the creator of GU Masters, and I invite you to reflect with me on How a tournament system could be proposed integrated into the game client.

What if we could enjoy something much better than Weekend Ranked?

The Weekend Ranked has become a classic , that is indisputable. The curious thing is that this event was born as a provisional solution to promote greater activity by players throughout each weekend and that provisional solution ended up becoming definitive.

The Weekend Ranked, as we have known it, presents a series of Disadvantages which are not minor. There are more, but I am going to highlight three:

1. It forces a weekly MMR reset .
2. It can be "hacked" using game formats to start at a rank and go down from that rank by playing formats to then play the Weekend Ranked matches again in Ranked Constructed.
3. Introduce a huge number of expansion cards , despite the fact that it is only possible to achieve them with decent performances in the highest ranks. And the impact of something like this on the gaming economy is not trivial.

The truth is that, for many reasons, "ladder" is not the ideal environment for truly competitive formats. And, in addition, there are limitations for a competitive environment that meets the most demanding standards. This time I am not going to go into detail, but the current API of Gods Unchained causes that there may be asymmetry of access to information; On the other hand, there are shortcomings for content creators (and, by extension, the game community) to get the most out of it (spectator mode, etc.). Despite all of the above, I believe that It would be worth it .

Replace Weekend Ranked with a competitive format really it would allow you to reset the MMR in different periods to generate leaderboards. If the reset were monthly, for example, it could be made to coincide with the release of each new Battle Pass, which It would open up a range of possibilities that could give a lot of play .

Considering all of the above, and in line with A query made by one of the team members , I detail below a Proposal of tournaments in-game for Gods Unchained, which could perfectly replace the Weekend Ranked.

Some premises Bear in mind:

1. I've taken online poker tournaments as a reference , as it is a tried-and-tested format that can be easily adapted.
2. Surely this proposal is not perfect, it does not pretend to be. The objective of this proposal is to have a Starting point to start walking .
3. The "total free", as is the case with Weekend Ranked, is not Sustainable in the long term. A system that works in a competitive context must offer rewards considering excellence in this area, on the one hand, and the level of risk assumed, on the other. Hence, the payment of a registration fee is not only reasonable, but expected.
4. It is essential to take into consideration the question of Regulatory Compliance , as many countries have regulation on online gambling and betting.

Having clarified all this, Let's go ahead with the proposal.

Proposed tournament system: the "Championship Circuit"

This model would replace the current "Weekend Ranked" for a competitive ecosystem based on risk and reward, inspired by the structure of professional poker.

The Daily "Pods"

This would be the day-to-day for all interested players in this format, as this system allows for a 24/7 competitive environment that dispenses with the weekly MMR reset.

• Format: 8-player direct elimination (Sit & Go).
• Access by MMR: you can only enter rooms of your MMR rank (e.g. "Pod Elite 1400+"). This prevents Mythic level players from abusing beginners.
• The Wait: Players sign up for a queue. As soon as there are 8 players, the draw closes and begins. If you win quickly, you wait for the other part of the painting to finish.
• Rake: Fixed commission of 10% for the GU team. The remaining 90% goes to the prize fund.
• Awards:
  • 1st Place: 70% of the fund.
  • 2nd Place: 30% of the fund.

The 64-Player Monthly Grand Showdown

It is about a prestigious event to be held at the end of each month . A fixed schedule of several days is proposed to avoid exhaustion and allow the participation of players in different time zones.

Check-in and check-in

• Entrance Fee: High stakes (e.g. 200–500 $GODS).
• Qualification: open to anyone with the money, but limited to 64 players with the highest MMR that they register first (which encourages them to rise in the ranking throughout the month).

3-day calendar ("flights" structure)

• Friday: Round of 64
  • Players play a best-of-3 (Conquest) match in a fixed time slot (e.g. 18:00 UTC).
• Saturday: "Top 16" to "Top 8"
  • Two rounds are played in a row: Round of 16 and Quarterfinals.
• Sunday: The 8 finalists (The "Final Table")
  • Semi-finals and Grand Final. This is the showcase day for content creators and the community.

Tournament Rules: "Professional Standard"

Deck Selection: Players must block 3 different domains (Gods) at the start of the tournament.

The Conquest:

• Ban phase: Each player bans 1 of the opponent's 3 gods.
• Victory: You must win 1 game with each one of your 2 remaining gods. Once a deck wins, it "folds" for that matchup.

Speed Rule (Tiebreaker):

• Limit of 30 minutes per game.
• If time runs out, the player with the Highest sum of health . In the event of a tie, whoever has the most cards in the deck wins.

Prize distribution (example for 64 players)

Total fund (with 500 $GODS buy-in): 32,000 $GODS. Minus 10% commission: 28,800 $GODS net.

Position	% of the Prize	Quantity (Example)
1st Place	40%	11,520 $GODS
2nd Place	20%	5,760 $GODS
3rd – 4th	10% each	2,880 $GODS
5th – 8th	5% each	1,440 $GODS
GU Revenue	10% (commission)	3,200 $GODS

Key Benefits

1. Aspirational factor: the "average player" participates in the 10-$GODS Pods to practice, with the dream of winning enough to enter the Monthly Grand Tournament.
2. Rank Identity: since there is no weekly MMR reset, your rank feels like a permanent accomplishment (like weights in boxing) and not a weekly chore.
3. Active Standby: while you wait for your turn in an 8-person Pod, the client should allow you to spectator the other games in your bracket to study your next opponent.

In conclusion...

Would you like something like that? From my point of view, it would bring a new dimension to Gods Unchained that it lacks now and that, in my opinion, is very important in this genre of games.

Thank you very much for joining me here, I trust that this article has piqued your interest. I want to take this opportunity to remind you that you can support GU Masters by purchasing your cards through the TokenTrove referral link (which has no cost for you) and invite you to join all the players who already receive the GU Masters newsletter to stay on top of what's new in the Gods Unchained universe: The Herald .