Understanding Event and Meta Loops: A Brawl Stars Case Study

Written by Constantin-Alexandru Iorga and edited and published by Michael Kopelovich

In early September, Brawl Stars teamed up with SpongeBob SquarePants to bring an action-packed collaboration that has players buzzing! With themed content, exclusive rewards, and fresh mechanics, this event delivers a thrilling new experience that keeps players hooked and coming back for more.

At the heart of this collaboration is a special, limited-time currency called Krusty Kash. Players can earn Krusty Kash throughout the event and use it in the Krusty Krab Shop to grab exclusive items like Power Meals and SpongeBob-themed skins.

From brand-new brawlers and fun SpongeBob skins to a themed Battle Pass, trophy challenges, a club competition, and IP-based power-ups—this collaboration has it all! In this article, we’ll explore how this Limited-Time Currency (LTC)fuels the event, its impact on key game metrics, and the clever ways it ties into the game’s main loop.

The SpongeBob collaboration introduces several interconnected elements. Let’s break down the most important parts to understand how they drive engagement and monetization:

Krusty Kash: The Backbone of the Event

At the core of this collaboration is the exclusive, limited-time currency, Krusty Kash. Players can earn Krusty Kash from different game activities, and it becomes the key to unlocking the event's special rewards. Here’s how it works:

• Earn Krusty Kash: Players can collect it by participating in events, logging in daily, and completing specific challenges.
• Spend Krusty Kash: The currency can be used in the Krusty Krab Shop to purchase exclusive items like Power Meals and SpongeBob-themed cosmetics.Modifier section: Offers related boosts for specific brawler classes.

Introducing Krusty Kash gives players a reason to stay engaged throughout the event, as they’ll need it to access the most valuable rewards.

Krusty Krab Shop: A Temporary Storefront

The Krusty Krab Shop is a limited-time shop, available only during the SpongeBob event. This shop has two main sections:

• Limited-time offers: These refresh every 48 hours and provide players with items like Power Meals (a gacha-like mechanic) and Power-Ups.
• Modifier section: Offers related boosts for specific brawler classes.

Power-Ups and Power Meals: Boosting Your Brawlers

Power-Ups are special boosts tied to the SpongeBob collaboration. Here’s how they add depth and progression to the event:

• Power-Ups: Temporary abilities that boost specific brawler classes.
• Power Meals: The gacha system that players use to unlock Power-Ups. These meals act as a major currency sink, encouraging players to keep spending Krusty Kash to unlock higher-level Power-Ups.
• Progression: As players unlock Power-Ups, they progress through different levels, with Level 3 being the most powerful.

By combining Krusty Kash, the Krusty Krab Shop, and Power-Ups, the event creates a clear loop where players collect, spend, and progress through the event, keeping them engaged.

Currency Taps and Sinks: Driving Engagement

In every limited-time event, the balance between currency taps (where players earn) and sinks (where players spend) is crucial. Here’s how it plays out in the SpongeBob collaboration:

Currency Taps: Earning Krusty Kash

• Daily Log-ins: Players are rewarded with Krusty Kash by logging in daily.
• New Offers: The shop regularly reveals new offers, enticing players to check in frequently.
• Event Wins: Participating in new game modes tied to SpongeBob rewards Krusty Kash.

Currency Sinks: Spending Krusty Kash

• Exclusive Skins: Rotating skins keep players interested, with new items available every 24 hours.
• Power Meals: Players spend Krusty Kash to unlock Power-Ups, which enhance their brawler's abilities during the event.
• IP Cosmetics: Fun items like Emotes and Star Drops are also available in the shop, adding extra flair for cosmetic collectors.

The Club Event: A Group Effort

The Club Event introduces a social and collaborative layer to the SpongeBob collaboration. In this event, players work together as part of their clubs (teams) to reach milestones and earn rewards. Here's how it works:

• Collect Krusty Kash: Each player in the club contributes by collecting Krusty Kash from various activities (daily log-ins, event wins, shop offers).
• Milestones and Rewards: The club collectively works towards reaching five milestones, with rewards including a mix of gems (90%) and exclusive SpongeBob cosmetics (10%). Upon completing all milestones, the club unlocks a final reward, which features a SpongeBob Brawler skin along with additional cosmetics.
• Social Engagement: By requiring players to contribute as a team, the event encourages collaboration and communication among club members, boosts engagement as players are motivated to log in and contribute their Krusty Kash to support the group effort, and creates a sense of peer pressure and belonging, as each player's participation directly impacts the club's progress.
• Retention Strategy: The milestone system fosters ongoing participation, as players are motivated to contribute regularly to achieve the collective goals. This social dynamic encourages players to stay active throughout the event, ensuring high retention rates.

Strategy Breakdown: Key Takeaways

Let’s take a deeper look at the strategy behind the SpongeBob collaboration:

1. A Campaign for Every Player Type

The collaboration is designed to appeal to a variety of player types:

• Social Players: The Club Event fosters teamwork and collaboration.
• Engagement-Driven Players: Players earn Krusty Kash through events and daily log-ins, keeping them active.
• Cosmetic Collectors: Players can collect exclusive skins and emotes, driving participation.
• Monetization-Driven Players: For players who want to progress faster, hard currency (HC) can be used to supplement their Krusty Kash.

2. Strategic Depth Through Power-Ups

Each Power-Up is tied to a specific brawler class, adding a layer of strategic depth to combat. This forces players to explore and experiment with brawlers they may not normally use, ensuring that they continue playing even after the event ends.

3. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Drives Engagement

All the major components of this collaboration—the new Krusty Kash, Power Meals, the rotating shop, and the daily login calendar—are temporary. This creates artificial scarcity, which drives FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Players are motivated to stay engaged and participate to avoid missing out on the fun.

4. Triggers and Nudges: Driving Player Behavior

• Progression Incentives: As Power-Ups level up, players are nudged to continue unlocking higher levels, leveraging the sunk cost fallacy. Once players start progressing, they are more likely to continue investing time or currency to fully unlock their Power-Ups.
• Daily Check-ins: The daily log-in rewards encourage habit formation, with players motivated to check both the Krusty Krab Shop and the Main Shop frequently.
• Social Motivation: The Club Event introduces a social element, where players collaborate and contribute to collective rewards. This social pressure and sense of teamwork foster retention.

5. Monetization, Retention, and Engagement

While retention and engagement are the main goals of this event, monetization is still part of the strategy. Here’s how:

• Hard Currency Sink: Players can use hard currency (HC) to supplement their missing Krusty Kash. This acts as the main monetization driver, though the emphasis is on giving non-paying users a taste of premium content.
• Whale Trap: The Power Meals system, where higher-level Power-Ups are locked behind progression, appeals to high spenders who want to unlock everything quickly.

6. Shop Visitor KPI Boost

Adding free daily LTC to the Main Shop boosts the Shop Visitor KPI. Players are encouraged to log in daily to collect free currency, which increases shop traffic. This also raises engagement with other offers, even if players aren’t spending real money.

Playing the Economy: Balancing LTC and HC

Introducing a temporary currency like Krusty Kash can be tricky, as it can destabilize the game’s economy if not handled carefully. However, this event takes a measured approach:

• Limited Monetization: Players can use hard currency to fill in for Krusty Kash, but direct monetization is limited. This avoids backlash and keeps the focus on engagement rather than pushing heavy spending.
• Safe Economy Design: By keeping most content accessible through in-game efforts, the event minimizes the risk of damaging the game’s overall economy.

Final Thoughts: SpongeBob’s Success in Brawl Stars

The SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration is a well-executed event that blends engagement, retention, and monetization. With temporary currencies, a variety of rewards, and thoughtful mechanics, it offers players a rich experience that ties into Brawl Stars’ core gameplay, while also creating opportunities for monetization and boosting key game metrics.

What do you think about this collaboration? Share your thoughts on how IP collaborations shape your in-game experiences!