Showdown - Building to Beta

What we've built together

When Stan Cifka first dreamed up Showdown in 2024, the goal was simple: build the most skill-rewarding card game ever made – a true blend of poker and TCG. Two years later, we've gone from an idea, to a physical prototype, to a live online alpha played by thousands. That's no small feat and we're genuinely proud.

The numbers tell part of the story:

• 4,227 players
• 85,000+ games
• Over 1 million minutes spent playing Showdown
• 90 minutes played per day by active players
• $270,000 in cash game volume
• $13,445 in profit between the top 10 cash players
• $47,000 in tournament winnings
• $30,743 in winnings between the top 10 tournament players

The better story are the players behind those numbers:

• HomeProtector and Anton's early dominance.
• The rise of Flash.
• Nav's unreal cash game form.
• McDuck and Zeejoong tearing through tournaments.
• HoangThao grinding nearly 5,000 games at a 59% winrate.

And many more. You built this with us, and it shows.

So why now

Showdown can be more – bigger, sharper, more rewarding – and the only way to get there is to put our heads down and build. So from Monday, June 1st, we're pausing all game modes to focus entirely on shipping a Beta we're proud to put your name on.

This is how we level up Showdown.

Closed Beta in August

Before we go live in September, we'll run a closed Beta in August, inviting our most active players to help shape the final version. If you've been grinding games, climbing leaderboards or active in our community, you're exactly who we want in the room. Closed Beta players will get hands-on with new features, giving us direct feedback, and help deliver the best version of Showdown for our public launch in September.

We'll be reaching out to selected players directly as August approaches.

We want to hear from you

We're building this for you, and want to know what you want next. New modes? Deeper progression? Different formats? Tournament structures? Please take this show survey.

You can also drop your ideas in Discord, on X or in Telegram. We read everything, and the best ideas will make it into Beta.

We're staying loud all summer with teasers, previews, milestone updates and plenty of behind-the-scenes as we go. Discord stays open in a stripped-back form, Telegram stays live, X stays live. You'll be hearing from us.

Your funds and NFTs are safe

Your funds and NFTS are yours, full stop. The private wallet tied to your Showdown account has always been in your full custody. We don't have access to it. While game modes are paused, we'd suggest either withdrawing to a wallet you use day-to-day, or exporting your Showdown wallet into something like MetaMask or Rabby. Either works. If you want a hand with the process, ask us in Discord and we'll walk you through it.

What to expect in the coming days

We’re hosting an AMA with Stan and the team on Monday at 4pm UTC to talk about the journey to Beta and answer your questions. Join us in Discord.

Also, you’ll have a final chance to beat Barry, Stan and the team one more time before summer in our season finale tournaments on Sunday.

September is the destination. We'll see you there.