Hello Dice Throne fans (and everyone who loves rolling 6s),
I’m thrilled to kick off our brand-new blog series highlighting the ever-evolving world of Organized Play. So, let’s jump right in and talk about our latest milestone: The Age of Fortitude!
What is the Age of Fortitude?
The Age of Fortitude marks our first official launch into the realm of Organized Play! For those new to the concept, Dice Throne’s Organized Play is built around “Ages” (our spin on the traditional idea of a season). Each Age is a chance to roll out new tournament formats, introduce stunning Alternate Art releases, and push into exciting new regions.
But this journey didn’t start overnight. The Age of Fortitude is the result of months of refinement, drawing on everything we learned during our soft launch, aptly named the Age of Destruction.
Lessons from the Age of Destruction
During our soft launch, we ran events in just 15 locations across the U.S. Our goal? Create a tournament format that allowed for epic comebacks and guaranteed every player a solid number of matches.
We landed on a two-stage format: a group stage that funneled into a single-elimination top cut. This allowed players to recover from an early loss and reduced table-hopping between rounds—a huge win! But we also faced challenges:
- The format was a bit too long (~ 4–5 hours).
- Odd-numbered turnouts made balance tricky.
- And the software? Let’s just say... it wasn’t quite the right fit.
So, what did we learn?
Building Something Better
After wrapping up the Age of Destruction, we knew we needed to improve:
- A software partner who’d work closely with us to enable smoother expansion.
- Shorter tournaments (~3 hours).
- A regional ranking structure with clear, scalable systems.
- More accessible ticketing—for both players and stores.
- And better exclusive support for our retail partners.
We gave ourselves six months to get it right—and we got to work.
The Power of Partnership
I personally explored over 10 different tournament software platforms, balancing cost, usability, and partnership potential. And then—pun absolutely intended—we found the ultimate match: Challonge.
Challonge is a web-based tournament platform that actually modified their system to meet our needs. Thanks to their flexibility, we’ve:
- Lowered the cost of tournament signups for stores.
- Gained more control over access to tournament templates.
- Created a new ranking system.
- And started building a powerful backend for Organized Play.
Most importantly? We expanded our footprint to Canada, France, and even Sydney, Australia—shout out to Beth down under! 🌏
If you’re looking to grow your own organized play scene, I can’t recommend Challonge enough.
Let’s Talk Alternate Art
When we looked into launching Alt Art for our first official Age, we considered one of our classic demo heroes: Barbarian, Moon Elf, Gunslinger, or Samurai—great for teaching and onboarding new players.
We initially leaned toward the Samurai (even drafted a new art board!), but then I remembered a community survey we ran last year on the most visually appealing heroes. The surprise? Barbarian came in last. By a lot.
Instead of ignoring that, we saw it as a challenge—and an opportunity. What better way to celebrate the Age of Fortitude than by giving our most accessible hero a fresh new look?
A More Fearsome Barbarian
Back in the early days of Dice Throne—when it was just Nate, Manny, Aaron, and Gavan—Manny would often hop on livestreams to share concept art. There was one sketch of the Barbarian that stuck with me: raw, intense, and fierce.
That became the inspiration for his new look. In the Age of Fortitude, the Barbarian appears battle-worn and ready for anything, arrows protruding from his armor, eyes locked on victory.
Manny knocked this one out of the park. The new Barbarian art is bold, aggressive, and full of energy—just like our players.
What’s Next?
We’re now just two months away from completing the Age of Fortitude, and the growth we’ve seen has been nothing short of incredible. The community engagement, the tournament turnout—it’s all been amazing.
If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by op.dicethrone.com and check your local event listings. In May, you’ll be able to snag your very own Alt Art Barbarian Board!
We’re also gearing up for our next Age, with plans to expand further into Australia and England. Interested in hosting a tournament? Please reach out—I’d love to connect.
Until next time,
Keep rollin’ sixes
Jonathan H.T, Director of Organized Play and Community Development