VIP Program Update

Hello, Cory here…

I wanted to take a moment to talk about the VIP program and why we need to discontinue selling it.

The idea of the VIP program was to offer a nice little way to get a pack a week at a discount so you could continue to sample HEX slowly if that was your desire. I love this idea, and I am super sad we cannot make that happen.

“Why can’t that happen?” you might be asking…

Well, we had originally decided that each player would only be allowed one account. So if you had only one account, you couldn’t abuse offers like the VIP program (or other free sample opportunities). But as we built the system, it became clear this wasn’t going to be possible. So, the VIP program has to be sacrificed for the greater good.

To explain the exploit plainly: if you can make endless accounts, you can sign up for endless VIP programs, then aggregate those 1 pack-a-week 100 platinum packs and sell them on the auction house. This would effectively make packs 100 platinum, which is not something we want to happen.

As I said, I would have loved to offer you this great value, BUT my number one job is protecting the VALUE you have already established and the value you will be establishing in the future with your virtual collectables.

I will explain the sun-setting plan for the current VIP members below (whether bought online or given in the Kickstarter). In all cases, we will provide ALL the value we have promised (frankly it is more value than promised).

Thank you for your understanding,

-Cory

VIP Program Timeline

Sep 8 at 1:00am PDT: We will turn off new subscriptions to the VIP Program. You will not be able to buy a new VIP subscription.

Sep 8 at 1:00am PDT: We will turn off recurrent billing for VIP subscriptions. This means that anything that’s scheduled to renew after 1:00am PDT on Sept 8 will no longer renew.

Sep 8 at or around 3:00pm PDT: We will add free VIP time from Kickstarter rewards to accounts that redeemed appropriate Kickstarter codes. Future Kickstarter codes will automatically grant this subscription upon redemption. Your Free VIP time subscription from Kickstarter rewards will be different from the normal paid VIP subscription. It will trigger its own VIP tournament tickets and booster packs. The length of the free VIP time from Kickstarter rewards will depend on how many and the type of KS codes you redeemed for the specific account.

Sep 8 at or around 3:00pm PDT: We will provide backdated VIP tournament entries via tickets for paid VIP subscriptions. These will not expire like the normal VIP tickets.

Sep 8 at or around 3:00pm PDT: We will announce VIP tournament schedule, entry fee, and prizes.

VIP Program FAQ

Q: What accounts get free VIP?

A: Any account that redeemed or will redeem a Slacker Backer KS code will receive 2 months of free VIP. Any account that redeemed or will redeem a Champion Tier (85-dollar tier) or higher will receive 3 months of free VIP.

Q: I redeemed multiple Kickstarter codes on the same account. Do codes stack?

A: Yes. We’ll extend your free time based on the type and amount of Kickstarter codes you redeemed on your account. For example, someone who redeemed a King tier and two Slacker Backers will receive 7 months of free VIP.

Q: What happens to Kickstarter codes that have not been redeemed yet? Do they lose out on free VIP?

A: No, when they are redeemed, they’ll award the free VIP time to the account. At some point in the far future we may offer alternative rewards upon redemption, since a free tournament entry into a tournament with nobody to play is pretty bad.

Q: How are you going to restrict tournament entries to VIP subscribers?

A: We will issue VIP tournament tickets to subscribers that will expire at the end of each month.

Q: What if I can’t make it to a tournament at the end of a specific month?

A: We will have multiple VIP tournaments at the end of each month to accommodate players with different schedules and in different time zones. We are currently looking at 5 tournaments spread across the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each month.

Q: What if I still can’t make it to any of the tournaments at the end of a specific month? What if the specific tournament I planned to attend does not happen because not enough people signed up for that tournament? Will you offer compensation?

A: We won’t offer compensation for players missing VIP tournaments as long as at least 1 VIP tournament successfully started for that month. In 2015 as we get closer to most VIP subscriptions expiring and VIP tournaments are no longer getting enough people to start, we will convert expiring VIP tickets into other event ticket types.

Q: I bought VIP for the last 3 months. Do I get credit for the tournaments that should have happened?

A: We will grant you non-expiring VIP tournament tickets to use at your convenience. Since we’re running more than one tournament at the end of each month, you’ll be able to double up on some VIP tournaments to catch up.