Tournaments? For SPS? I laughed, I yield-farmed, and now I'm back. And the ROI is Nuts.
It probably won't surprise anyone that I stepped away from playing tournaments for a while. Let’s be honest. The amount of time invested versus the SPS payouts I was seeing back then… well, it felt a bit lopsided. I'm sure you know the feeling, putting in the effort, strategizing, and then the prize pool reveals itself and you're left wondering, "Is that really it? Was that just the pump before the pump… of my own energy?"
So, like many others looking for a more efficient way to engage, I explored yield farming. Specifically, I put a good chunk of focus into the liquidity pools. The idea was simple a more sophisticated, hands-off approach to generating some crypto. No more frantic card rentals, no more sweating every mana cap. Just… passive income. And for a time, it was fine. It was pretty okay, actually. Stable, yes. Explosive? Not so much. It was low-energy, which had its appeal for a bit, but also… a bit too low-energy, you know? It contributed to the ongoing goal of financial freedom, but it didn't exactly ignite any passions. More of a quiet, steady hum.
Then the whispers started. About "Wild Tournaments." "All Cards." "Alpha plus Chaos." My first reaction was, frankly, skeptical. "Here we go again," I thought. "Another iteration designed to soak up time for marginal returns." But then I started seeing more consistent chatter. Not just the usual hype, but from the more analytical corners of the community, detailing actual numbers. My natural cynicism, which tends to be quite wary of sudden optimism, began to shift.
And then, of course, came the official word. The rather significant announcement that SPS rewards from the liquidity pools would be removed by the end of July 2025. Suddenly, that seemingly stable, passive income stream had a definite expiry date. That cozy, low-energy hum was set to fade out. So much for that "convertible bond strategy" I was leveraging.
Given the changing landscape, I decided to do some… research. Just basic, surface-level stuff, because who wants to admit they might have been overlooking something, or that a seemingly solid play was about to lose its incentive? But the data was pretty compelling. These newer tournament structures, which finally allowed me to utilize my full card collection that wasn't just sitting in cold storage like some forgotten UTXOs, were showing payouts that seemed… surprisingly generous.
I dipped into a few. Tentatively at first. Just to confirm. And, well, the prize payouts were genuinely good. Not just "that's a nice bonus" good, but undeniably "this is actually performing better than my liquidity farming" good. The "All Cards" format, allowing for pretty much everything you own to be deployed, felt almost like an "easy mode" for high-level competitive play. And "Alpha plus Chaos," that's just a fantastic space for anyone who's built up a decent collection over time.
Check out my Tournament Prize Payouts in the screenshot, pretty decent overall!!
It’s a bit ironic, really. I spent so much effort trying to optimize my DeFi strategies, convinced that was the premier move. And while those opportunities still exist, the ROI I'm seeing from these specific wild tournaments? It's been pretty compelling. I was navigating the "wall of worry" in DeFi, watching my LP rewards wind down, while unexpectedly significant gains were waiting in Splinterlands tournament prize pools, just waiting for me to adjust my focus.
So, here I am. Back in the mix. My time exploring yield farming certainly provided some insights, but it also underscored the point that sometimes, the most profitable opportunities are the ones we might initially dismiss. And, occasionally, what seemed like a reliable, long-term passive income strategy turns out to have a built-in end date, prompting a necessary pivot. If you’ve been on the sidelines, perhaps thinking tournaments aren't worth the fuss, or if you’ve been watching your liquidity pools steadily, patiently accumulate, it might be worth taking another look. Don't be like me, initially assuming the market for your in-game skills had seen its best days. These new formats are clearly performing well, and my SPS wallet is certainly reflecting that. I mean, who knew that playing the game could actually be more profitable than just holding down a few buttons? Just kidding, I know we're all constantly looking for the next optimal strategy. But genuinely, this feels like one of those moments where the game truly rewards your expertise.
Splinterlands is a Digital Collectible Card Game Powered by Blockchain Technology. Blockchain technology is powering the future of gaming allowing players to trade sell and lease their card assets. Splinterlands makes it easy to earn daily. Go to Splinterlands.com to get started today.
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