Thanks for the reply Nate. I understand your points and I understand this is supposed to be just a new format. But the fact that it's a sectioned off F2P mode with it's own energy means this has the potential to eclipse everything else in Splinterlands if people enjoy it and word spreads. If people play enough, join Discord & guilds many, will end up buying cards and packs, especially if they are good at playing. This could be the cornerstone of some Marketing campaigns. This mode could go viral in a way the paid aspects of the game just can't, and you can promote it squarely to Web2 audiences removing the financial fear or inexperience of crypto blockers. For these reasons I'm viewing it as a new Mode, not a new format.

Why specifically can't this mode be the destination for many players? They could be ambassadors for the game and help spread the word. You could even try to encourage that behaviour for F2P players. This game is very complex, for some players that just want to play a few battles once or twice a week this is perfect and they could still contribute in different ways.