Splinterlands and the Power of Opt-In Ads

Splinterlands has always been at the forefront of play-to-earn gaming, empowering players with true ownership of their in-game assets. But what if we could take that empowerment a step further, and generate an additional revenue stream that directly benefits the entire community?

My proposal to integrate an opt-in, high-quality ad viewing system, triggered by battle wins and consumed during non-combat activities, offers a new dimension of earning and community enrichment. The true innovation lies in the thoughtful distribution of these new revenues, designed to robustly benefit players, strengthen the game's economy, and foster a truly sustainable ecosystem.

How it could work:

Imagine a new "Ad Credits" system. After winning a battle, players would earn one ad credit (5 per day).

These credits wouldn't force an immediate ad view. Instead, they'd be stored and could be redeemed at the player's convenience while they're already engaging with less action-intensive parts of the game.

For example, while you're:
• Browsing your card collection
• Surfing the market for new cards
• Managing your land plots

Each credit expires in 24hrs.

During these moments, a non-intrusive ad, perhaps taking up around 30% (MAX) of the screen, would appear. You could watch the ad while continuing your other in-game activities. This ensures the ad experience is seamless and not disruptive to active gameplay.

High-Quality, Engaging Ads

A key component of this refined idea is the quality of the advertisements. Unlike short, often repetitive mobile game ads, these would be longer-form (e.g., 45–60 seconds) and feature well-known, reputable companies. Think of the type of ads you might see on platforms like Twitch from major brands such as LG, vehicle manufacturers, other established businesses or wait for it—Splinterlands Ads!!

One of the most exciting aspects of this internal ad platform strategy is the ability to populate our ad inventory with content that is already proven to resonate with the Splinterlands community and beyond. We don't need to start from scratch with expensive ad creative development. Instead, we can tap into the incredible talent of our existing content creators.

The Power of Community-Driven Ads

Imagine an opt-in ad is selected, and it's not a generic mobile game promotion, but a familiar face:

• "Hey everyone, Bronzedrag0n Gaming here! Just wanted to show you the insane potential of the new [Card Name] ability that just dropped with the latest update!" (A quick montage of gameplay with a call to action.)



• "Welcome back to the channel. Aftersound here, bringing you Splinterlands content every single day!... LOL we love u AS! and today I'm diving deep into the strategy behind mastering [Specific Game Mode]. Get ready to climb those ranks!"

These aren't just ads; they're authentic endorsements and valuable insights delivered by trusted voices within the Splinterlands ecosystem.

The goal is to provide ads that are relatively interesting to the player, offering a more premium viewing experience that feels less like a chore and more like a brief, passive break within the game. This focus on quality would also naturally lead to higher revenue per view.

Example Payout

For a 45–60 second high-quality ad generating, say, $0.10 in revenue, the player could receive $0.05 worth of DEC. This direct and tangible reward immediately gives players buying power within the game, fostering a cyclical economy where their time investment directly supports the Splinterlands market.

1-Year Projection (Player)
Daily Earnings: $0.25
Yearly Earnings: $91.25
1-Year Projection (Company per player)
Daily Earnings: $0.25
Yearly Earnings: $91.25

The Player's Choice: Rewards or Sacrifice for the Community

To further empower players and foster a deeper sense of community ownership, we introduce a unique "sacrifice" mechanism:

The Altar of EMBERS

After watching an ad and being presented with their DEC reward, players will have a choice:

"Watch Another": Continue using up your credits

• "Sacrifice to the Altar of EMBERS": Choose to send their earned DEC to a burning address. This act would trigger a special, visually appealing animation – perhaps a glowing altar consuming the tokens, with ethereal effects and a message of gratitude from the Splinterlands gods.
• "Collect Reward": Receive the $0.05 worth of DEC directly into their in-game balance.

This gamified burning mechanism transforms a simple token burn into a meaningful contribution.

Community Recognition

A leaderboard could display top "Sacrificers" or aggregate total community burns, fostering friendly competition and recognition for those contributing to the deflationary pressure.

Players would understand that their sacrifice directly removes tokens from circulation, benefiting the overall token value for all holders and contributing to the long-term health of the game. This optional burning mechanism allows players who believe strongly in the long-term health and value of the tokens to directly contribute to deflation, offering an alternative to simply cashing out, and strengthening community bonds.

The BIG picture…

Lets Be First!

Key Proposal Highlights: Splinterlands Ad & Community Enhancement Initiative

I. Strategic Ad Integration & Player Rewards

• Opt-In, High-Quality Ads (45–60 sec) from major brands
• Win-Condition Gating (ads earned only after battle wins)
• Non-Intrusive Placement (~30% of screen during passive game states)
• DEC-Based Payouts ($0.05 DEC per view, team buys DEC from market to fund)
• Player Choice & Sacrifice: claim reward or burn for community value

II. The Ember Altar: Lore, Burn, & Recognition

• In-game lore tied to burning (magical realm sustenance)
• Burn mechanism deflates DEC/SPS, increases scarcity
• Dynamic visual effects for burn animations
• Unique apparitions or trophies for large burns
• Leaderboards track top contributors

III. Strategic Revenue Allocation for Growth & Sustainability

• 20–30% to community fund (DAO-managed growth)
• 5% to recovery fund for players migrating from distressed games
• 15% to development & ops
• 50% of remainder for burning DEC/SPS
• 50% for reinvestment (player onboarding, marketing, liquidity)

IV. Internal Marketing & Community Content Synergy

• Fund ad platform via internal ad spend
• Reduce marketing costs with UGC ads
• Promote community creators
• Optimize ad performance with internal analytics

Concluding Thoughts and Future Engagements

Thank you for taking the time to read through this post about Splinterlands and the potential for opt-in ads. As I'm relatively new to the world of blogging and reconnecting with the community in this way, your feedback is incredibly valuable.

A special thanks goes out to Dave McCoy for the inspirational lift-off and to Bjangles from the People's Guild for putting a match to this fuse creating a BLAST...

This journey of sharing my thoughts and insights is still very much in its early stages. If anything in this post seemed unclear, incorrect, or didn't quite make sense, please don't hesitate to point it out. Whether it's a misstated value or a confusing sentence, I'm always open to constructive criticism to improve the quality of my content for the final version.

In the meantime, have fun out there in the Splinterlands! I'm already working on another post, this time diving deeper into The Ember Altar: Where Magic Was Born, and Reborn! so keep an eye out for that soon.