If you haven’t heard, last week UVS Games flew out some of the biggest creators in the game to break bread and talk about the future of Universus. I was lucky enough to be invited and it was an INCREDIBLE weekend. We went over effectively the ~8 months of content for the game and there’s a ton that I can’t even legally talk about quite yet. But there’s PLENTY I’m going to get into right here! Now there is a concern or two, but those are so specific that I can’t mention them, but I WILL be making content on that when I can.

I like to handle elephants in the room first, so let’s kick this article off with the thing that’s been bothering the player base the most recently, confidence in the UVS Games Senior Staff. Bringing in people from competing card games feels like inviting invaders into your home. It can feel like they could destroy your game at any moment. “There’s a reason these people were available” I hear players say. Well, we got to spend all day with the heads of Game Design (Bill Stark), Creative (Zoe McNamara), and Sales (Mike Dunlap) and I came away impressed with each member of the team.

Bill has been the internet’s latest Boogeyman recently. Players have been quick to question his love of the game and his willingness to cut several critical sections that make UVS the game system we love today. I can tell you with complete confidence, BILL STARK DOES NOT WANT TO DESTROY YOUR GAME! We went through several aspects of UVS, from the onboarding process to gameplay at the highest level. I can’t give too many specifics on these conversations, but I can say that everything the design team wants to do comes with a thought out reason why and a projected outcome. That’s the most important thing from my perspective, that the people in charge aren’t copying strategies from other games or taking shortcuts. The team has clearly thought up several plans for the future, debated the potential impacts, and carefully selected the right path. We talked at length about why decisions were being made, and if other measures would have worked and EVERY time Bill had a knowledgeable answer that specifically took Universus into account. I came into the weekend not knowing what to think, as most people had jaded my view of Bill, having never met him myself. I leave impressed, encouraged, and excited about what this means for the game’s future

“Bill Stark = Human Being“

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Bill even was keen to take criticism on the way he’s chosen to disseminate information and is open to other forms of communication when the team has more time and resources. Anybody say J’office? Also Bill Stark = Human Being. I’d even venture to say a pretty cool guy.

Apologies to Bill and Mike, but the star of the show for me was the Executive Creative Director Zoe McNamara. We actually got to hold the future in our hands, and I can’t begin to tell you how incredible it looks. Most people (myself included) are/were concerned that the manga Attack On Titan art style is too harsh and bitter leading to an unenjoyable set. After all, we JUST got to see the art team REALLY hitting their stride with Girl Power. Bright colors, Custom artwork, and Fun imagery! I mean look at the smiles…

Contrast that with the imagery from Attack on Titan’s manga – Chapter 1.

It’s clear to see that the art style this next set will have to shift. AoT’s manga art style is intense and can be uncomfortable. But after seeing what this team has been able to do, I’m stunned. The art is all custom, no screenshots! The team was able to convey the serious nature of the AoT universe while still giving the cards a playable nature with color. It’s hard to describe, but again my biggest concerns were put to rest. I can’t wait until this preview season.

As I ponder new content for my channels, I am strongly considering Market/Financial content, so I was very interested in Mike’s presentation even though I had no idea who he was prior to the event itinerary hitting my email. Another former WofC employee, Mike has been around the block and it shows with his knowledge of the landscape. Now unlike Game Design and Art, there’s literally nothing I can repeat about this section, but I can say that if I was running UVS Games, I’d want Mike on my team! As I go back through articles, he seems to be the one who pulled the plug on the DLC’s (unconfirmed), which was clearly a great move. I gave my best pitch for getting these monthly LGS reprints put into a pack (effectively Plus Ultra Packs), but we’ll just have to see what becomes of that. Mike and the team were gracious to take my suggestions and also let me know the reasons behind these changes, which really gave me a sense they aren’t just firing from the hip, even if all this info isn’t relayed to the public.

Ultimately, the team was really what UVS Games needed the community to buy into. People mostly don’t rage about this because of how decisions affect them. Most of the time, they rage because they think decisions will scare off new players and stunt the growth of the game. That comes from a lack of confidence in the team. I hope this article can shine a ray of sunshine on the simple fact that Paul and Louhan are FRICKIN THANOS and they’ve ASSEMBLED THE INFINITY STONES! I had the chance to meet Josh Massey (Sr. Manager of the UVS Organized Play team) at the regional in Las Vegas last month. Not to toot my own horn, but UUUUUsually, when I tell someone my thoughts, there’s some things in there they haven’t thought of or been asked yet. Josh, in the short time he’s been with the company, has thought of everything I threw at him and seemingly had deeper plans than anything I mentioned. From Judge program, to OP prizing, to LGS support, I’m expecting great things from the new OP pillar that still being built.

Game Design, Art, Sales, Marketing(Levi, we all know what an Ace he is), and OP. 6 stones, 5 Pillars. So what’s the last stone? Of course it’s the hardest one to attain. It’s the player base that we deserve. Growth is always the goal, as it should be and without saying too much, the 2nd half of 2024 is the BEST TIME TO START PLAYING UVS SINCE MY HERO SET 1. The new demo experience (article inbound) is a much easier first step to teach new players! Attack on Titan is a GREAT set to start playing the game! AND MORE! LIKE, WHEN THEY SAID ———REDACTED——– AND ———–REDACTED————– AND OMG WHEN ————————————REDACTED———————- WHOOO! 😅😅😅 I can’t wait until I can say all that without censoring it. Until next time friend, I’ll see you on the tables!