HazelOrb

---

We are rolling out the brand-new Redemption Pool & Star Queue system, but since this information is being released later than we would like during Week 2, we want to give everyone a fair chance to participate.

Because of this, we are extending the Week 2 deadline. For those in the USA, this now falls on Thanksgiving day. Our hope is that you are already nearly finished with your skin anyway and this will not conflict with holiday plans. If it does, please inform the SSPBL team as soon as possible!!!

---

We’re excited to officially launch SSPBL.org, a new website for organizing and presenting SSPBL in a clearer, more structured way. Made by our very own Zitzabis.

This group page will stay active, but the website gives players and organizers a much easier way to follow the season.
Instead of digging through wall posts and threads, everything is now neatly collected in one place.

Here’s what the site offers:

• A clean timeline of the entire season
• Easy-to-read matchup pages with direct links to polls
• A visible section showing active polls so you don't miss one
• Auto-updating bracket visuals for each round
• An interactive bracket that allows you to click names to see their skins and poll threads

---

⭐ The Redemption Pool & Star Queue

The biggest addition made possible by the website is a new redemption system that encourages consistency and keeps more players involved each week.

• Submit a skin every week to stay eligible!
  
• You never know when you might get added to the redemption pool. To secure a chance to rejoin the bracket, we encourage you to keep making skins every week!
  (This is optional. If you are done for the season, that's ok.)
  
  
• Redemption Pool = close losses from the previous week.
• Submitting a skin while in the Pool can earn you stars.
  
  
• Star Queue = a priority line based on how many stars you’ve earned.
• Skipping a week removes you from the Star Queue and resets your stars.
  
  
• Redemption Pool resets weekly; stars only reset if you skip.

This system rewards reliability, gives more players a chance to step in as replacements, and adds a fun new layer of strategy to the season.

Those who earned stars but we didn't need them as a replacement, will still get honorable mentions at the end of the season.

Redemption lists and star queue information is all displayed on the website!

Full explanation and strategy guide:
https://sspbl.org/guide#strategy-guide

---

SSPBL classic 1 week 1 is now live!

Thank you everyone for entering our preliminary jam, we got 61 contestants locked and loaded for a full season of SSPBL Classic 1! The week 1 match-ups can be found on the SSPBL group profile together with the palette for the week. We will generate the full bracket during week 1. Note that we have generated the match-ups through a random sampler. 3 participants will not have match-ups for week 1, but we still require they make a skin to make it to week 2.

I will also notify a few people who used colours that deviated a bit too much from the preliminary palette in their preliminary skin - we figure these are incidental/accidental so no one is dq'ed out of the preliminaries.

As for the palette; for week 1, we want to take you back to one of the original PBL palette tropes that I call the "two-paths" palette. The first season of PBL I ever entered used this palette scheme week 1 and I feel it always makes for great fun.

For week 1 I also want to welcome a new member of the SSPBL team. Two-time winner wqtermxlon is joining the team and has already contributed to palette testing for this week. Please welcome them to the team!

Good luck to everyone!

Week 1 palette:


Contestants participating in week 1:
Fatcqt BlueBoyBuilds inzanely Auri Exentrik bloomng FabryFF Way000 Winters_Bane MrJok1r Momu Caeleana MewLee Wildcard_Gamer anonpmc5913017 olarasy Zayleia Paktt SillyCookies1Rox Juillyoom Normin Bureine Hightechik Sunlity GalaxyCat24 -Lunatique Jesse_mink GingerPie sqwil Panda_ThatOnePurpleGuylol olarcyzm Zomphey Pnifey kindabland philbertman42 wacqw Tbrooks202 Swanko shizotoaster Malachai Le Moon TheGuyAcrossSpace jacyx Kalyambusik GuyFromMars Knightsundere ricewater PureNerd anonpmc5951925 VirusCott Ezio caidencestudio Reblok MaltyOtter Narutod PlagueDoktor kickonly metroidlove cloudkitty Nah

SSPBL is back! This time in a new experimental season where we return to the roots of PBL: A PBL that was made without gimmicks and without colour grids. A PBL where you mostly got 12 colours and then had to make a skin using just those colours. We call this concept SSPBL classic. Apart from the changes to palettes and lack of gimmicks, everything else you know and love about SSPBL will be the same for the season!

To enter the SSPBL classic season, please make a skin with the preliminary round palette and submit it to our season preliminary jam: SSPBL Classic I - Preliminaries Jam on Planet Minecraft


For the preliminary round, we have prepared a 12 colour autumn inspired palette. Cranio and I have tirelessly worked to test the palette to make sure you can use it in a multitude of ways, and I can happily say that we think you'll find working with these 12 colours a lot of fun:



If you need some inspiration, we have prepared a showcase skin that might give you some ideas as to how the colours could function!


Devilish, yet angelic calamity [SSPBL Classic preliminary palette showcase] by SSPBL

And we will have more to come, such that the preliminary round will be as accessible as possible for everyone! In future rounds, a showcase will not immediately be posted with the palette.

Best of luck to all of you!

---

Week 1 is kicking off! If your skin has been included in the Season 9 collection then you are in the season!
The bracket will be released tomorrow. We are working on finalizing it and getting it as balanced as we can make it.

We are giving contestants extra time this first "week" since this will be a brutal bracket. There will be a lot of 1v1v1 matchups, so take your time and put your best foot forward. This will probably be the most difficult week of the season.

Week 1 Deadline Countdown


Gimmick: You may choose up to 12 colors from the provided palette.

---

Deadline: October 14th 2024, 11:59 PM UTC / 23:59 UTC

---

Palette made by Cranio

Skin file:

PMCSkin3D Palette

---

Exciting news, Season 9 Prelims is now open and accepting entries!
If you need a refresher on how PBL contest formats work, please check our FAQ.
To secure a place in this season of SSPBL, please refer to the information below.

Preliminary Week:
You may only use up to 12 colors in your skin, from both palettes. See Gimmick below.

To enter, create a skin following these rules and post a link to it in the SSPBL guest book, or the Stream Server Discord.
Alternatively you can ping Zitzabis or Cranio to bring our attention to your skin.



Skin file:


PMCSkin3D Palette

---

Gimmick: You are limited to 12 colors, chosen from either palette.
You do not have to choose colors from just 1 palette, both are available for selection. But you can not exceed 12 colors.

---

Deadline: September 30th 2024, 11:59 PM UTC / 23:59 UTC