Episode 141: A BreakingBenjamin Conversation
The People's Guild: A Splinterlands Podcast
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Welcome back to The People’s Guild.
This week’s episode brings us another spirited sit-down with the one and only @breakingbenjamin —the mind behind many of Splinterlands’ most iconic characters and lore. We cover everything from upcoming game features and engagement strategies to card release cadence, avatar customization, and yes… even pickles.
If you’re a lore lover, a land manager, or just a sucker for meme ideas and Stephen King recs—this one’s got something for you.
Enjoy the show!
Card Lore and Future Updates
BreakingBenjamin discussed his creative process for naming and designing cards in Splinterlands, revealing that many characters are inspired by personal experiences and pop culture references. He shared that he is working on a blog post explaining the origins of certain cards, such as Gorgug the Endless and Bristleborn Brigand. BreakingBenjamin also mentioned that reward cards for Conclave Arcana are on the way, and he’s excited to see how they’ll fit into the larger lore. He also shared that he’s preparing for the release of legendary summoners and looking forward to the introduction of new races and bloodline Archons.
Game Features and Tutorial Success
The group talked through the recent tutorial rollout, which received praise for its clarity and storyline. FatJimmy noted how smooth and helpful it felt, especially for new players. BreakingBenjamin shared his excitement about upcoming features—player avatars, Foundations Mode, and microtransactions—and how they’re meant to broaden appeal. They kicked around ideas for avatar customization (like mustaches and skins), touched on the importance of sound design, and closed with speculation around Bitcoin's impact and a potential follow-up partnership with YGG.
Pickle Card Launch Success
The crew celebrated the launch of the new pickle-themed card, complete with lore and googly eyes courtesy of Christopher Walken. FatJimmy noted its flexibility despite lacking a weapon. The team also highlighted the success of pickle-themed merch, with items available through Amazon and Jagged’s Printify shop, featuring art by BraveTofu.
Conclave Arcana Release Updates
The team previewed new Conclave Arcana conflicts, set to roll out July 15th with 30-day intervals between battles. They discussed Zyrx the Emberglace, a new legendary monster with Charge, Bloodlust, Execute, and Burn. They also dove into current card market trends and pricing challenges, discussed favored summoners like Squirrel, Kelan Gaines, and Commander Slade, and speculated on future designs that expand bloodline mechanics beyond traditional fantasy tropes.
Conclave Arcana Release Strategy
The reward cards for Conclave Arcana will mirror Rebellion’s model: a 43-card set. Bjangles and FatJimmy suggested shaking things up with a rotating card release system—5 to 6 new cards every quarter—to keep the meta fresh. BreakingBenjamin was intrigued but flagged concerns about implementation, especially regarding UI/UX limitations and ensuring balance between whales and newer players.
Splinterlands Engagement System Overhaul
BreakingBenjamin floated a reimagined engagement system, featuring seasonal splinter themes, rule set variations, and cosmetic-based reputation rewards. The group explored achievements, prefixes, and expanded microtransactions. They also talked about making the social layer of Splinterlands more native—less reliant on Discord—and integrating avatars more deeply into the core experience.
Splinterlands Land Management Strategies
The conversation turned to land. FatJimmy and BreakingBenjamin broke down their strategies for managing multiple plots, optimizing profit by strategically allocating high-rarity cards. They shared frustrations around the 3-day cooldown on reassigning cards but agreed that long-term planning wins over short-term shuffling. Tools and third-party platforms were also mentioned as key for managing complexity.
Land Management and Feature Updates
Bjangles acknowledged the positive momentum from Cryptomancer’s efforts to turn land around. The group also looked ahead to features like avatar-linked reward cards, in-game chat, and the now-formally-named Basics Mode (BreakingBenjamin originally referred to it as “Foundations Mode”). BreakingBenjamin emphasized how game-integrated chat could deepen community engagement—especially for mobile players. The discussion ended with wildlife anecdotes and a few light UX/UI meme ideas.
Stephen King Book Club Discussion
Finally, the group closed on a personal note—swapping favorite Stephen King titles. BreakingBenjamin is working through Black House, while FatJimmy praised King’s post-sobriety writing and urged newcomers to try The Stand, It, or Salem’s Lot. They teased a future episode with Tyler to go deep on UI/UX and gave a nod to BreakingBenjamin’s most recent town hall segment for bringing the fun.
Welcome to the People's Guild
We love hearing the stories that make this community special.
Whether you're a seasoned vet or just getting started, if you've got insights, feedback, epic battles, or just want to say hey, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can find us at 📬 thepeoplesguildspl@gmail.com or Twitter.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Join us in our Splinterlands journey by creating your own battle mage!
We love hearing the stories that make this community special.
Whether you're a seasoned vet or just getting started, if you've got insights, feedback, epic battles, or just want to say hey, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can find us at 📬 thepeoplesguildspl@gmail.com or Twitter.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Join us in our Splinterlands journey by creating your own battle mage!