Casters,
With the MetaZoo TCG relaunch sparking renewed interest in gameplay, one community initiative is already making waves: Caster's Cup | Online.Born from the minds of passionate competitive players and longtime fans, this new online hub is creating a centralized space for players to compete, learn and connect. From weekly learn-to-play sessions to a full leaderboardand seasonal tournament structure, Caster's Cup | Online is positioning itself as the go-to destination for MetaZoo gameplay in the digital era. We sat down with Ben from Smoke Squad to talk about their vision, features, and what's ahead for this exciting community-driven effort.
MetaZoo News (MZN): What inspired the creation of Caster's Cup | Online?
Ben - Smoke Squad (Ben):With the return of MetaZoo TCG, my old competitive team and I knew that we wanted to be involved. When they launched the full list of cards, I immediately went to work in creating a TableTop Simulator mod so that we could try it out.
After days of testing, we were able to see how fun the game was to play, and knew that we wanted to share what we had learned with the community, and give players a place to play MetaZoo online.
It had become clear that community members were eager to play, so we began creating a new discord serverspecifically for gameplay discussion and online play. We were inspired by many of the communities that used to build and share what they knew about MetaZoo. Groups like the Caster Society set the precedent for what a program like this should and can look like.
After lots of deliberation about what we would call ourselves, Caster's Cup | Online resonated the most. As an homage to the greatest MetaZoo competitive event to ever take place, we knew that keeping the spirit alive and bringing it into MetaZoo TCG's future was the right thing to do.
MZN: Who are the key people behind the project and what roles do they play?
Ben: Smoke Squad Collective and MetaZooBlackMarket are the main driving forces behind the organization and operation of Caster's Cup | Online. They ensure that the server and tournaments stay on track, and full of prize support. Immortal Workshop manages and runs the Deck Builder website, which Caster's Cup utilizes for deck checks and to share tournament winning decks.
MZN: How do you see this platform contributing to the growth of the MetaZoo community?
Ben: We hope that in the wake of the Official OP for MetaZoo TCG, this community provides a home fro players looking to improve upon their gameplay. We hope that players from across the globe are able to build decks together, share gameplay information, and have friendly online games against each other.
MZN: What will the leaderboard system look like, and how often will it update?
Ben: The leaderboard system will be a very straight forward League Points based system. Both casual and competitive events award league points for attendance and placement. This will update after every event.
MZN: What can players expect from the seasonal structure you're building?
Ben: Players can expect each Caster's Cup | Online Season to run for the duration of each MetaZoo TCG set that launches. End of season rewards will be given one (1) week prior to the start of a new season. League points will reset at the start of each season.
MZN: Any plans for different formats or rulesets for competitive play (like draft play, or something similar)?
Ben: Yes! We have some incredible ideas for alternative rulesets including the return of Towers! We will have more information to share on these once we get into the swing of regular tournaments.
MZN: Will there be any "learn to play" initiatives or resources that will be accessible to the public?
Ben: Absolutely! We will be offering a weekly Learn to Play / Casual Play, where players can come to learn from Caster's Cup | Online Staff, or to play and test their decks against a community member. These events will be free and accessible through out Melee.GG account.
MZN: Piggybacking off the last question, do you plan to offer any beginner-friendly events separate from the competitive play side of the organization?
Ben: Our Learn to Play / Casual Play events will be the most beginner-friendly events that we have!
MZN: Are there plans for official or prize-supported online tournaments?
Ben: We have some INCREDIBLE prize support for online tournaments. All League Tournaments will have direct prize support for each event, as well as the End of Season Rewards at the end of each season.
MZN: Do you all plan to feature any in-person tournaments or will this be online-only?
Ben: Yes! We plan to host an array of In-Person Events, though right now we are solely focused on our online presence.
MZN: How do you see Caster's Cup | Online evolving over the next year?
Ben: We hope to see more community members hosting online tournaments within the Caster's Cup server. We are offering to assist in running and promoting any online tournaments that community members or stores want to host. The goal is for the Caster's Cup | Online Server to be the hub for ALL MetaZoo online gameplay.
MZN: Do you plan to offer international accessibility or time zone-friendly scheduling?
Ben: This is something we have discussed and we would love to explore the idea of something like this. As we expand our judge staff, including international partners would certainly allow us to achieve this.
MZN: What advice do you all have for casters hoping to climb the competitive ladder?
Ben: Keep building, keep playing and don't get discouraged! The more you play, the better you get.
MZN: Any final words for all the readers out there?
Ben: We are thankful for the many returning members of the MetaZoo community who have embraced Caster's Cup with open arms. We aim to give players an incredible experience and are working tirelessly to ensure that we do. If you are a Caster looking to improve upon your gameplay, Caster's Cup | Online is the place for you.
Thank you to Ben & everyone behind Caster's Cup | Online!
Check them out on Instagram (@CastersCupOnline)and join their Discord Server (discord.gg/casterscup)