Last week’s announcements highlighted several significant updates, but there’s more to the story.
Actioning feedback from the community is vital to the game’s success, but explaining which feedback we considered and what signaled the need for a change is just as crucial in providing the communication our players deserve and have to expect from us.
Today, we’re taking a deeper look into Season 19’s changes, providing additional insights from Richie Choi, Third Time Entertainment’s Director of Product, on why these decisions were made, what they mean for the players, and how they came to be.
Season 19 is about to be a cook. Check out some of the newest ingredients.
Introducing: Profit Boost
While we recognize that much of the work is towards the top of the horse pyramid, we realize the non-elite horses also need something – so we’re introducing PROFIT BOOSTS.
In addition to the changes in claiming races, we’re happy to announce profit-boosted races, in which the horses compete for a larger portion of their entry fees back.
In profit-boosted races, we are enhancing the purses beyond the standard amount. Claimers, handicaps, and ALL 6-year-old+ races have had the profit boost applied to them.
This also provides a significantly more accessible path to profitability as you race your horses that aren’t necessarily the premier ones in your stable.
NEW: Juvenile Graded Series
When we feel like we’ve hit on something, we try to build upon it.
Building on the success of the Graded Series by rewarding juvenile horses with their own set of prestigious races would be a positive step forward and a direct result of our community showing us what they’ve most enjoyed.
This decision wasn’t just about adding more races, incentivizing more end-of-season racing, and giving Juveniles their moment to shine. With more rewards, we expect increased participation and competition among younger horses.
Juvenile Graded Series is one of the most significant additions to Season 19, and we can’t wait to see its impact on racing participation.
Bonus PFL Hack From Community Manager Bryce
Here is a juicy tidbit – You can tell the turn/track of a grade-restricted championship (juvenile or 3+) by the name of the race. Lunar Dash = LD.
Look at the first letter of the two names in the race. Royal Thunder, yep, it’s RT!
Making Graded Races Great Again
To be the best, you have to beat the best. To even step into that arena, you need to be willing to put it all on the line to reap the most significant well-deserved rewards.
This change isn’t just about what you’ve told us you want most, but what we know is needed most—rewards for those who race at the top of the game and spend the most in racing fees doing so.
Grade I, II, and III races have always been the pinnacle of competition in real-life horse racing, and it was time to bring that level of prestige into Photo Finish™ LIVE. By making Grade II and III races the most lucrative in the game, we’ve aligned them with their real-world counterparts.
These races now have the highest entry fees but offer the most significant rewards, making sense for races that contribute the most value to the game’s economy.
Bonus Note From Community Manager Bryce
Remember – G2/3 races are your mini-qualifiers to get in the highly juicy G1 freerolls.
With 12 per season for juveniles and 12 per season for ages 3+ G1 racing is once again the pinnacle of daily racing schedule.
EV+ Four Horse Racing
We think you’ll like this change a lot.
In addition to making G1-3 more rewarding and high-stakes overall, in Season 19, we’ve also made Grade II and III races very EV+ (expected value positive) or “Zero Risk” at just four entrants, and Grade I races now have zero entry fees.
Allocating Unused $CROWN
We’ve seen some questions regarding where the added $CROWN we’ve splashed across Season 19 is coming from, and we’re happy to report that we’re not stealing from the future; we’re simply reallocating $CROWN that was not used in previous seasons.
To explain this even further in easy-to-understand terms, we’ve had some rainy-day funds in our pocket and decided now was a great time to begin using a small portion of them.
The Role of Benchmark Undercards
Benchmark Undercards have been introduced to give horses that might not be at the top of their grade a competitive space to race. To qualify, these races require horses to participate in at least 12 Benchmark races throughout the season. Any benchmark race will count, whether it’s a benchmark stakes (72 max as an example), a last 5 allowance, or a Non-Winners benchmark.
This approach allows a broader range of horses to compete and succeed, even if they aren’t the top performers in their grade. Benchmark races have always been a topic of discussion within the community, and while they’re not perfect, they serve an essential purpose.
Benchmark races allow players to gauge their horse’s current ability relative to the population, which is excellent in approximating potential rather than an exact measure. This encourages more strategic thinking, as players must decide whether to aim for the Graded Series or focus on qualifying for freerolls in Benchmark races.
Graded Restricted Claiming & Claiming Rework
The good news is that claiming races are great!
The bad news is that they needed a complete revamp in the game!
We heard you, and we did that. And we’ll continue revamping them until they’re just as popular in the virtual horse racing scene as in the real world.
The rework of Graded Restricted Claiming and Claiming races in Season 19 is about creating fair competition.
By carefully adjusting the entry fees and adding profit boosts, these races have been made more accessible to middle-tier horses, allowing them to compete without being overshadowed by top performers.
This rework also introduces the opportunity for players to “climb” the ladder in claim price for their grade, providing a clear path for progression and growth within the game.
Thank You For Your Feedback
We hope these updates alleviate some of the pain points our community expressed in Season 18 and bring new excitement, challenges, and opportunities to the tracks.
As always, our team will evaluate the success of these changes and make adjustments as needed.
