# GDS Prize Structure Update GameDay Squad is making changes to round prize structures across Aussie Rules, Rugby League and IND Cricket. We know a change like this isn't going to land well on the headline, and we understand that. We're asking coaches to read the full update before forming a view. These changes are driven by sustainability. The short of it: prize pools at GDS are funded by pack sales and transfer market activity, and the structure has to reflect that reality if the platform is going to stand the test of time. Every seasonal prize that's already on the table stays exactly as it is. As part of this update we're also adding to the seasonal prize pool, which is covered below. On a first read, the headline won't look great. On a deeper read, there's real upside in here, especially for coaches who weren't otherwise in line for meaningful rewards: * Every affected paid position in Aussie Rules and Rugby League now earns an exclusive pack reward every round. These packs aren't available in the store and can only be earned by placing in competition. * Seasonal additions include new prize cards for competitions that previously had none, and doubled rewards through Primetime seasonal. Effective rounds: * **Aussie Rules:** Round 9 onwards (two weeks from the announcement) * **Rugby League:** Round 10 onwards (two weeks from the announcement) * **IND Cricket:** Round 40 onwards (two weeks from the announcement) *** ### Important: seasonal rewards are protected Under our terms, seasonal rewards cannot be reduced mid-season. Every seasonal prize that exists today stays exactly as it is, across every sport. As part of this update, we're actually **adding** to the seasonal prize pool. Those additions are covered below in their own section. *** ### Why we're doing this Three reasons, in order of importance: * **Sustainability.** Prizes at GDS are funded by pack sales and transfer market activity, not ad revenue or a parent company's budget. There are two sides to what we're navigating right now. Externally, times are tough, and we know that isn't unique to us. This season we've seen a significant increase in platform withdrawals and a decrease in pack sales, both of which we attribute to the broader economic environment. Internally, GDS is going through a period of significant change behind the scenes. We're confident in where we're heading and we believe these moves set the platform up for the long term, but there are unknowns we're still working through. The last thing we can afford is leaving the prize pool exposed to something we couldn't forecast. This is not a panicked decision. We're making this change now, on our terms, to protect the long term future of the platform. The worst outcome for everyone involved would be leaving this unaddressed and finding ourselves in a far harder position later on. * **Realignment with sport specific activity.** Each sport's prize pool is now funded directly by that sport's own pack sales and transfer market activity. Structures need to reflect the reality of each sport's economy, which is why the reductions are different sport to sport. From this update onwards, every sport stands on its own activity. * **Rewarding more coaches at the bottom levels.** We're introducing exclusive, non purchasable packs across every affected paid position in Aussie Rules and Rugby League. These are going to coaches at competition levels who wouldn't realistically earn packs of that quality any other way. It's a genuine step up in what's on offer beyond the top of the leaderboard. *** ### Aussie Rules: Round 9 onwards Where a comp is not listed, nothing changes. | Comp | Position | Cash | Additional pack reward | | ---------- | ------------ | ------------------ | ---------------------- | | Classic | 1st | $400 to $250 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Classic | 2nd | $75 (unchanged) | Unique Legend Hunter | | Classic | 3rd | $50 (unchanged) | Unique Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 1st | $750 to $500 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 2nd | $100 to $75 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 3rd | $75 to $50 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Champion | 1st | $1,000 (unchanged) | Elite Legend Hunter | | Champion | 2nd | $250 to $150 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Champion | 3rd | $100 to $75 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Primetime | 1st | $1,000 to $750 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 1st | $250 to $125 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 2nd | $150 to $0 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 3rd | $50 to $0 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 4th to 5th | $25 to $0 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 6th to 10th | $10 to $0 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Under 22s | 11th to 20th | $5 to $0 | Unique Pack (standard) | *** ### Rugby League: Round 10 onwards Where a comp is not listed, nothing changes. | Comp | Position | Cash | Additional pack reward | | ---------- | ------------ | --------------- | ---------------------- | | Classic | 1st | $400 to $250 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Classic | 2nd | $75 (unchanged) | Unique Legend Hunter | | Classic | 3rd | $50 (unchanged) | Unique Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 1st | $750 to $500 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 2nd | $100 to $75 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Challenger | 3rd | $75 to $50 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Champion | 1st | $1,000 to $750 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Champion | 2nd | $250 to $150 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Champion | 3rd | $100 to $75 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Primetime | 1st | $1,000 to $750 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 1st | $250 to $125 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 2nd | $150 to $0 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 3rd | $50 to $0 | Elite Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 4th to 5th | $25 to $0 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 6th to 10th | $10 to $0 | Unique Legend Hunter | | Under 24s | 11th to 20th | $5 to $0 | Unique Pack (standard) | Rugby League's reduction is larger than Aussie Rules. The honest reason: Rugby League's current pack sales and transfer market activity is significantly lower and not supporting the larger prize pool. Each sport's prize pool is funded by its own activity, and the structure has to reflect that. *** ### IND Cricket: Round 40 onwards IND Cricket is a smaller restructure. **All 1st place prizes are unchanged across every comp.** Only smaller 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions are being reduced. | Comp | Position | Cash | | ---------- | -------- | --------- | | Classic | 2nd | $10 to $0 | | Classic | 3rd | $5 to $0 | | Challenger | 2nd | $25 to $0 | | Challenger | 3rd | $10 to $0 | | Champion | 4th | $10 to $0 | | Champion | 5th | $5 to $0 | The top of the leaderboard is completely untouched in every IND Cricket comp. Champion 1st, 2nd and 3rd all remain at $100, $50 and $25 respectively. *** ### Additions to the seasonal prize pool Yes, we're reducing round prize cash in the tables above. We also want to be upfront that this update gives us an opportunity to revisit the seasonal prize pool and update some things we feel we got wrong in the off season by not including them. Every seasonal prize coaches are currently competing for stays exactly as it is. What follows is additional value stacked on top. #### Aussie Rules **Contender 1st place: prize card (37th pick in the prize card draft)** We made a mistake in not including a prize card for the Contender competition in the off season. Contender is an important competition for coaches progressing through the ranks, and earning a prize card pick for coming 1st should have been there from the start. We've learned from that. In addition to the current seasonal prize, Contender 1st place will now receive the 37th pick in the prize card draft. **Under 22s: three additional prize cards (picks 38, 39, 40)** Under 22s is the biggest loser from the round prize changes above, but we still really value this competition. Even in its first year, we want to show it's a valuable competition and a genuine path for coaches progressing. We're adding three additional seasonal prize cards to this year's draft: * Pick 38 goes to 2nd place * Pick 39 goes to 3rd place * Pick 40 goes to 4th place These selections must be made from 22-eligible players from this season and are not subject to the Fez Rule. **Primetime 2nd to 50th: all current rewards doubled** All current pack rewards for seasonal 2nd to 50th in Primetime will be doubled. A coach finishing 21st who currently earns one 9-player All-Star Rare pack will now earn two. #### Rugby League **Contender 1st place: prize card (38th pick in the prize card draft)** Same reasoning as Aussie Rules. We got this wrong in the off season and we're fixing it. In addition to the current seasonal prize, Contender 1st place will now receive the 38th pick in the prize card draft. **Under 24s: two additional prize cards (picks 39, 40)** Under 24s is the biggest loser from the round prize changes above, but we still really value this competition. We're adding two additional seasonal prize cards to this year's draft: * Pick 39 goes to 2nd place * Pick 40 goes to 3rd place These selections must be made from 24-eligible players from this season and are not subject to the Fez Rule. **Primetime 2nd to 50th: all current rewards doubled** All current pack rewards for seasonal 2nd to 50th in Primetime will be doubled, same as Aussie Rules. #### IND Cricket No seasonal additions at this stage. *** ### What are the Legend Hunter packs? Two brand new pack styles launching with this change: * **Elite Legend Hunter.** 10 player cards. Best chance to pull a Legend card ever offered. * **Unique Legend Hunter.** 9 player cards. Unique pack style with significantly increased Legend card percentage. Three critical facts: * **Not available in the store.** They cannot be purchased. Competition placement is the only way to earn them. * **Best chance in the game to pull Legend cards.** Not a guarantee. Significantly increased odds compared to anything else currently available, including anything launching as part of the upcoming updates. * **Full pack contents, card pools and odds** will be communicated in the weeks before launch. These packs are going to coaches across every affected paid position, not just the top of the leaderboard. For many coaches at lower competition levels, it's the first time they'll have access to a pack with this kind of Legend card opportunity. *** ### Every sport's prize pool is now independent Historically, Aussie Rules and Rugby League have shared identical prize structures. From this update onwards, **every sport's prize pool is independent**, and will remain so going forward into next season and beyond. Each sport's prize pool is funded directly by that sport's own pack sales and transfer market activity. Without current activity sustaining each pool, the old levels aren't viable. If one sport grows faster than the others going forward, the other sports' prize pools will not be auto matched. All sports remain a focus for growth, but each has to stand on its own revenue. *** ### Are we allowed to do this? Yes. Per our terms and conditions, prize structures can be changed with two weeks' notice, and we're providing that two weeks' notice with this update. We're comfortable we're within our rights to make this change. It's not a change we want to make, and we don't take it lightly. But we're making it because the long term future of the platform depends on the structure reflecting current activity. Two weeks of notice before any position is affected gives every coach the ability to plan around it. Seasonal rewards are separate. Under our terms, seasonal rewards cannot be reduced mid-season, even if we wanted to. What we can do is add to them, and that's what we're doing (see above). *** ### FAQ #### Why are you changing the prize structure? Prizes at GDS are funded by pack sales and transfer market activity, not ad revenue or a parent company's budget. Two things are driving this. Externally, times are tough and we've seen it show up in platform withdrawals and pack sales this season. Internally, GDS is going through a period of significant change behind the scenes, and while we're confident in where we're heading, we can't leave the prize pool exposed to unknowns we're still working through. We're also using this change to realign rewards, including getting exclusive non purchasable packs out to coaches at competition levels who wouldn't realistically earn them any other way. #### Why is Rugby League reduced more than Aussie Rules? Each sport's prize pool is funded by that sport's own pack sales and transfer market activity. Right now, Rugby League's activity is significantly lower than Aussie Rules'. The structure has to reflect that reality. Continuing at the old level when the current activity doesn't support it isn't sustainable. From today, the two sports have independent prize pools going forward. #### Are all sports going to have the same prize pools going forward? No. From this update onwards, every sport's prize pool is independent. Each one is funded by, and scaled to, its own pack sales and transfer market activity. If one sport grows faster than the others, its pool won't automatically pull the others up. This applies for the rest of this season and into next season. #### Can I buy the Legend Hunter packs? No. Both Elite Legend Hunter and Unique Legend Hunter are not available in the store. They cannot be purchased. The only way to earn them is by placing in competition. This is intentional. They are designed as exclusive rewards for active coaches, and that exclusivity is what gives them their value. #### Am I guaranteed a Legend card from a Legend Hunter pack? No, there is no guarantee. These packs offer the best chance in the game to pull Legend cards, with significantly higher odds than anything else currently available. Full card pools and odds will be communicated before launch. #### I spent money in the past on cards and packs. Isn't it unfair to reduce the prize pool now? We understand the concern, and we don't take it lightly. The honest reality: ongoing prize pools are funded by ongoing current activity, not by historical revenue. Continuing to pay out at a level the current activity doesn't support would put the entire platform at risk. #### Why pay packs instead of cash? Shifting more reward into exclusive, non purchasable packs is how we get high quality pack rewards into the hands of coaches at competition levels who wouldn't realistically earn them otherwise. The Legend Hunter packs offer the best chance in the game to pull Legend cards, and they're now going to every affected paid position every round. #### Are you allowed to make this change? Yes. Per our terms and conditions, prize structures can be changed with two weeks' notice, and we're providing that two weeks' notice here. Seasonal rewards cannot be reduced mid-season under our terms, and we're not reducing any. What we are doing is adding to seasonal prize pools, which is covered above. #### Is this permanent? This is the decision we're making based on where current platform activity sits. We're not going to promise this is the final shape of the prize structure for the rest of the season. If activity or the broader economic environment shifts meaningfully, we'll review and make further changes if they're needed, with the same two weeks' notice we're providing with this update. Ahead of next season, we'll review the prize structure again based on what we've learned and the activity of each sport. What will stay permanent is the independence between the sports' prize pools. Those won't move together going forward. #### Does the pack reward apply to all sports? The Elite Legend Hunter and Unique Legend Hunter pack mapping applies to Aussie Rules and Rugby League only, every round, from the effective round onwards, same mapping across both. #### This is going to hurt engagement / you'll lose users We hear the concern. The call we've made is that the risk to the platform's long term future from running an unsustainable prize pool is greater than the short term engagement risk. We'd rather make a sustainable decision now than keep an unfixable problem running. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://gameday-squad.gitbook.io/gameday-squad/other-information/gds-prize-structure-update.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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