It’s time for a perspective shift.

When the branch of SWU Competitive play was originally unveiled in a stream from then Organized Play Program Manager, Josh Massey, back in October 2023, we were all hopeful for the big things to come. While the naming conventions had changed, it felt right at home with the usual offerings we have come to expect of FFG Card games- regional level events at the store level, followed by bigger convention level events (though specifically not at conventions, a great change), all leading up to Worlds. We expected that once we made it to Q3 2024 when the Competitive level started, we would hit the ground running!

Fast forward to the initial round of PQ announcements (or lack thereof), and FFG adjusted their messaging- now, the outlook was that Season 0 was going to be a “learn and grow” experience as they listen to feedback.

What this has ultimately translated to is this: we are all playtesters for the Star Wars Unlimited OP program. Why do we believe that? Well, there are more than a few factors that have landed us here.

The Judge Program

Starting a dedicated judge program dedicated to Star Wars Unlimited is a fantastic undertaking that will have long term benefits for the game. Unfortunately, for Season 0, they got it up and running way too late.

The program officially launched in August, simultaneously with a Season 0 PQ Application. Since the judge program was still in its infancy (and doesn’t have any true judge certifications yet), they had to roll with a simple quiz to filter qualifications and send out recommendations to PQ organizers.

While it’s been encouraging to see that over 1,000 users that have joined the Judge discord with aspirations to become a SWU judge, a lot of them have zero experience judging in TCG’s and this has thusly been an entirely new experience for them. With the judge program in its infancy, these judges have mostly been set up for failure at the first round of PQs, lacking the resources and knowledge that could have been available to them had the program kicked off with the launch of the game almost 8 months ago now.

What has ended up being most discouraging about this to me is the censoring of discussion, and a lack of learning from mistakes in these early days. In case you haven’t heard about the Berlin PQ this past weekend, there was some wild stuff that took place and an unfortunate situation for all parties involved (The player’s POV can be found in a video here with a few comments from other players– keep in mind that this is only one perspective), but discussion over how this software mistake could have been handled better or how to address these problems in the future is not being allowed on the SWU Judge Discord.

While we understand wanting to avoid potential witch hunts and protecting the privacy of involved parties, curbing discussion of real-world events that could be learned from feels like a wasted opportunity.

Tournament Software

While FFG had good intentions creating their own Tournament software (TEC), it unfortunately set the competitive scene back. Universal panning of their in-house solution led to a 4th quarter FFG audible, with the studio signing a contract with Melee.gg to right the ship.

Unfortunately, this has not been the smoothest course correction. The first weekend after the announcement found early adopters that had double losses experiencing Melee.gg treating the match as a draw and incorrectly awarding points. This led to issues and drama at a Star City Games Cash event, among others.

We’ve had a few reports of Planetary Qualifiers that ended up incorrectly pairing the Top Cut. While we aren’t sure if this is user error, a melee bug, or manual deviation after the fact, I think it’s safe to say this wouldn’t be happening if many Tournament Organizers weren’t using Melee for the first or second time at a Planetary Qualifier.

But none of these incidents hold a candle to that previously mentioned (and soon-to-be legendary) first Berlin PQ, where several Round 1 players did not show up, but their opponents were not awarded a victory after they were eventually dropped from the tournament. While cooler heads did not prevail at the Berlin PQ, this whole situation could have been avoided if Melee.gg was better calibrated for Star Wars Unlimited. It takes time to work kinks like these out, and time is exactly what we didn’t get.

Prize Support

Most baffling of all, FFG reduced the prize support for Star Wars Unlimited compared to their previous Card games. Take a look at the 2019 Prime Championships for Star Wars Destiny. Players were awarded the following:

Somehow, we’ve gone backwards? Fewer playmats, fewer prizing levels (no Top 32), lower quality prizes (several of the above were acrylic cards as opposed to regularly printed SWU promos), and less fan-favorite characters on cards. Star Wars Unlimited is FFG’s biggest and best-selling card game to date, and players fully expected the prizing to match that.

There also needs to be accountability for the stores, and better developer vetting on the stores that are hosting these events. Many stores that were chosen for the initial round of Planetary Qualifiers completely dropped the ball on adding prizing for the event. If the suggested price of a PQ ticket is $40-50 (basically what we have seen all of them charging) and you’re collecting fees on up to 128 players, that’s anywhere from $3,200 – $6,400. Despite these hauls, many stores added 0 additional prize support. We’ve even heard tale of a store that openly told players that they didn’t add additional prize support because they used the PQ entry fees to purchase chairs for the store to be able to accommodate the size of the event.

Look at it from the player perspective: you want a shot a qualifying for the Galactic Championship. You might have to travel 5+ hours, pay for lodging, pay for food, and pay a $40 entry fee. At the end of that, to only walk away with a cardboard Top 64 promo for getting 17th place is ridiculous. Shoutout to stores like Chicago’s Pastime Games and Dallas’s Common Ground Games that threw showcases, store credit, and more boosters into the prize pool, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Stores have to step up, and FFG has to be more careful about partnering with stores that will.

The Life Of A Guinea Pig

This may feel like another purely negative article about Organized Play, but that isn’t our intent. What we’re encouraging here is a perspective shift. Like most players, we’re always looking for ways that playing Star Wars Unlimited can be more fun and rewarding. We also need to be identifying the issues and kinks, so that FFG can fix them going forward.

In this endeavor, let’s keep a few things in mind:

• Mistakes are inevitable. This is the first time Star Wars Unlimited is being played competitively. There will be mistakes made by players, judges, and tournament organizers- and that’s okay! Everyone who loves SWU, from players to judges to developers, should embrace the opportunity to learn from these experiences, adjust expectations, and make the future better.
• We may not get to play in as many events as we would like as the system is built out and expanded, and those events may not always go as we hope, but that will change.
• Despite the issues, they’re centered around a great game that remains fun and approachable, and it’s a privilege to be a part of the Star Wars Unlimited community in whatever ways you are. Make the most of the opportunities you are given!

FFG has already demonstrated they’re listening to feedback and have responded by vastly increasing the number of PQ’s for set 3 (~40ish to ~150ish), and they have also responded rapidly to the prizing concerns. We also have reports that FFG will be centrally announcing the next round of Planetary Qualifiers for set 3. Hopefully, that’s just the start of what improvements will be made to SWU competitive play as we move toward the first Galactic Championship.

Whatever happens in the future, the GarbageRollers will be there with our trademark formula of scorching editorial coverage, gorgeous team members, and regrettable thumbnails.

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How has your Organized Play experience been thus far? Is FFG meeting your expectations? Have your expectations shifted?