How Seasons Work
ChessVS runs in seasons — competitive cycles, each with its own theme, card collection, club spotlight, and championship.
The season cycle
Each season runs 13 weeks, followed by a 1-week off-season.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | New card collection drops, the season opens, new boards release |
| Weeks 2–12 | The ranked ladder runs, with a community event almost every week |
| Week 13 | The Grand Championship — the season finale |
| Off-season week | Season settles, rewards pay out, the next season prepares |
A typical season's events
| Week | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Collection drop, board sale, Omega Vault opens (if voted) |
| 3 & 5 | Club Packs — featured-club card drops |
| 4 | Puzzle Sprint — bonus XP and FOCUS |
| 5 | Lore Drop — story content for the spotlight club |
| 6 | Mid-Season Cup |
| 9 | Club Wars — cross-club team tournament |
| 12 | Diamond Tournament |
| 13 | Grand Championship |
The off-season
The week between seasons is when everything settles. Ranked play pauses (Blitz Arena stays open), and behind the scenes:
- Final season rankings are locked in and rewards distributed.
- Card durability is processed — Epic and Omega cards carry over; unplayed Gambit Cards are cleared.
- The community votes on the next season — including whether to open the Omega Vault.
- The next season's content is deployed and patch notes are published.
What resets, what stays
| Resets each season | Stays forever |
|---|---|
| Seasonal XP → 0 | Lifetime XP |
| Rank tier rewards | Your ELO rating |
| Account tier → Debut | All your cards and boards |
| Common/Rare card durability | GM Stars and milestone badges |
| Unplayed Gambit Cards | Cohort designation, Battle-Worn trait |
The reset is intentional. It means every season is a genuine competition with a real finish line — and newer players always get a fair shot at the next one.
Balance changes get advance notice
Significant gameplay balance changes get a 14-day preview before they take effect, shown in-game as "upcoming adjustments." You're never surprised by a major change mid-season.