How Seasons Work
ChessVS runs in seasons: competitive cycles, each with its own theme, card collection, story chapter, and championship.
Every season, Bitcoinia and Etheryst race each other in the Banner Race, and the Season 1 winner carries its lead into Season 2. The game rolls out in phases, beginning with the web-based competitive game and expanding features and clubs over time.
The season cycle
Each season is 13 weeks of play, followed by a 1-week off-season.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| Opening week | New card collection drops, the season opens |
| Mid-season | The ranked ladder runs, with a community event almost every week |
| Final week | The season championship — the season finale |
| Off-season week | Season settles, rewards are distributed, the next season prepares |
A typical season's events
| Stage | Event |
|---|---|
| Opening | Collection drop, the Banner Race opens and the Woodpusher Cup |
| Early season | Clubmate Invitational and Captain's Cup, open to everyone |
| Mid-season | Halfway week: the next chapter of the Bitcoinia and Etheryst story and a featured Bitcoinia vs Etheryst match on stream |
| Mid-season | Mid-season cup |
| Late season | Banner Week: wins and draws against the rival club count double |
| Late season | Cross-club team tournament, arriving in a later season |
| Late season | Late-season tournament |
| Finale | Season championship, and the Banner Race closes |
The Banner Race
Starting with Season 1, Bitcoinia and Etheryst race each other all season for the season's banner. The only way to score is to win games, or draw them.
- What scores: every finished ranked or tournament game between a Bitcoinia player and an Etheryst player, once it reaches at least 8 moves. Beating a higher-rated opponent scores more than beating a lower-rated one.
- The score is a share. Each club's score is its share of all the points, for example Bitcoinia 51.8% and Etheryst 48.2%, so a club can't win just by having more members.
- The big weeks: the race opens at 50–50 in week 1, week 9 is Banner Week (every point counts double), and the race closes on the championship stream in week 13. The Season 1 winner goes into Season 2 leading 1–0, as the defending club.
- Rewards: play 10 race games for your club to earn an XP bonus, and if your club wins, the season's Banner badge and Banner profile frame too. No FOCUS and no packs.
How the Banner Race works: how a game scores, worked examples, the two-season race, rewards and fair play.
The off-season
The week between seasons is when everything settles. Once the full seasonal calendar arrives, ranked play pauses for the week (Quick and Casual play stay open), and behind the scenes:
- Final season rankings are locked in and rewards distributed.
- Your card collection carries over to the next season.
- The community votes on aspects of the next season.
- The next season's content is deployed and patch notes are published.
What resets, what stays
| Changes each season | Stays forever |
|---|---|
| Season rewards are earned fresh, from the highest rating tier you reach | Your XP and XP Rank: a career total |
| Tempo drops one level | Your ELO rating |
| The ELO-gain leaderboard starts over | All your cards |
| Card uses reset at season end by rarity (see Battle Cards) | Milestone badges and your founding cohort designation |
Every season is a genuine competition with a real finish line. Your cards and career progress are never taken away. The season is ranked on ELO gained, so a newer player who improves a lot can finish above a veteran who barely moved, without anyone's history being deleted to make that true.
Balance changes get advance notice
Significant gameplay balance changes are announced on the official Discord 14 days before they take effect. You're never surprised by a major change mid-season.