History of Levels
Since its launch in 2012, Candy Crush Saga has continuously added levels and evolved its features to keep up with modern Match-3 players. This steady innovation has driven loyalty and lifetime value far beyond expectations.
But with new levels released weekly, the most dedicated, performant and high-spending players regularly catch up to EOC (End of Content) — the current final level — creating a recurring question: Why am I still playing Candy Crush Saga?
Number of Levels in Core Progression
12 Years of Continuous Content Evolution
Early Candy Crush levels and progression (2012-2014)
The humble beginnings: Simple level design and core match-3 mechanics
Mid-game expansion and feature additions (2014-2018)
Rapid expansion: New mechanics, boosters, and social features
Modern era scaling and complexity (2018-2022)
Scaling complexity: Advanced level design and meta-progression
Current state: 15,000+ levels and endgame challenges (2022-2024)
Modern challenges: 15,000+ levels creating endgame retention issues
Is the Grind Worth It?
As players approach the end of content, a critical question emerges: after years of dedication and thousands of levels completed, is the continuous grinding still worthwhile?
This psychological inflection point represents more than just gameplay fatigue — it's the moment where our most valuable players evaluate their entire relationship with Candy Crush Saga. Understanding and addressing this moment became crucial to our retention strategy.
The Value of EOC
End of Content players represent the ultimate power users: just 0.08% of our player base generates over 2% of total revenue — a staggering 25x revenue multiplier. Understanding this disproportionate impact became crucial to our retention strategy.
Every single EOC player is worth 25 times more than the average player, making their retention not just important but business-critical for Candy Crush Saga's long-term health.
of the player base
~8,000 EOC players
of total revenue
disproportionate contribution
revenue multiplier
vs. average player
Elite Player Segments
Early (1–4,999)
70M
FTUE focus
Mid (5,000)
7.7M
Late (10,000)
2.2M
9.8% of player base
Near EOC (16,000)
3,000
0.07% of player base
EOC
8,000
0.08% of player base
The Challenge
Since late 2022, Candy Crush Saga saw declining retention among End of Content players — impacting both free and paying users. This small segment (0.08% of players) contributed disproportionate revenue (1.1%).
With 15,000+ levels by 2023, milestone celebrations became rare, occurring only every 1,000 levels and leaving high-value players without meaningful feedback. The question became urgent: Is the grind worth it anymore?
Churn Rate — +12%
YoY increase in EOC churn
Payer Health — −8%
Decline in EOC spending
Wait Time — 1,000 Levels
Between milestone celebrations
Revenue Risk — 1.1%
Of total revenue from 0.08% of players
User Research
Our research revealed four critical insights about high-value players:
High-Value Players Drive Outsized Revenue
Just 0.08% of users (~8,000 players) drive 1.1% of total revenue.
Milestones Fall Flat
Current celebrations don't match the loyalty and effort these players invest.
Long Waits, Low Motivation
Recognition only every 1,000 levels leaves players unmotivated for years.
The Bottom Line
We're losing our most loyal and valuable players at the End of Content due to lackluster recognition.
What Do Players Think?
Real player responses revealed the depth of frustration with the current experience:
"I've played for five years, but I'm not going to stick around if there's nothing meaningful left to do."
Invested Yet Critical
"I reached level 15,000 and got the same boring banner as before."
Underwhelming Experience
"I have to wait 1,000 levels just to get any kind of acknowledgment. That's like 6 months of playing!"
Recognition Gaps
"I had no idea I was even close to finishing. One day I just... ran out of levels. Now what?"
Lack of Awareness
"The levels keep getting harder but the rewards stay the same. I'm starting to wonder why I bother."
Declining Motivation
Current Mechanics
The existing End of Content experience created a cycle of disengagement:
1. Content Exhaustion
Players who reach the final available level have no new content left. They've completed tens of thousands of levels and now wait each week for new ones to be released.
2. Star Tournament
After finishing all levels, players unlock the Star Tournament — a weekly event where they replay past levels to earn stars, compete for top ranks, and win rewards.
3. Repetitive Cycle
This waiting period becomes boring, repetitive and underwhelming, leaving players unsatisfied. When new levels come out, they continue to play but eventually run out again, creating a vicious cycle of disengagement.
Strategic Shift
Key Insight: Elite behaviors aren't defined by progression depth, but by engagement velocity.
High-intensity patterns (100+ levels weekly) exist across all game segments, not just end-game — revealing a 250x larger addressable audience for retention-focused features.
I presented this behavioral reframing to product leadership, demonstrating how velocity-based targeting could identify high-value players earlier in their journey, enabling proactive retention strategies across the entire player base rather than waiting for progression milestones.
Elite Player Segments — Targeting Strategy
Early (1–4,999)
70M
FTUE Focus
Mid (5,000)
7.7M
General Population
Late (10,000)
2.2M
9.8% of Player Base ★
Near EOC (16,000)
3,000
0.07% of Player Base ★
EOC
8,000
0.08% of Player Base ★
Pivoting Target Audience to Elite Players
8K → 2.2M
EOC Players → Elite Players
Expanded from EOC-only to include Late + Near EOC segments
0.08% → 9.9%
Player Base Coverage
From EOC only to all Elite segments
1.1% → Scalable
Revenue Potential
From fixed percentage to growth opportunity
275×
Addressable Audience
Massive expansion of targetable Elite players
Solution Exploration
I explored multiple design directions to address retention challenges, evaluating each concept against user impact and technical feasibility using the RICE scoring framework.
Solution Concepts Evaluated
Weekly Badges
WinnerWeekly progression badges for hitting thresholds
RICE: 700
Updated Frames
WinnerNew profile banners every 1,000 levels
RICE: 700
Elite Zone
Exclusive area with VIP rewards
RICE: 540
Progress Tracking
Social comparison interface
RICE: 490
VIP Elite Zone Unlock Flow
Initial VIP Zone Discovery
Player discovers the elite zone through progression milestone achievement
VIP Zone Access & Rewards
Alternative unlock mechanism with immediate reward preview and access flow
Social profile integration
Social testing concepts
Design Process
Weekly Levels Passed Badges
Using AI Diffusion Models and working with the UI designer, I created 4 badges that track weekly levels passed. The badge will be permanently rewarded to the player and available for showcase across social channels.
Visual Design Strategy
Each badge tier represents a different achievement level, with visual progression from bronze to diamond aesthetics. The designs balance celebration with aspiration, encouraging players to reach higher tiers.
Information Architecture & Task Flow
The badge system integrates seamlessly into existing player flows, appearing at natural celebration moments without disrupting gameplay. Players can access their badge collection through their profile, creating a persistent record of achievements.
Social Integration
Extended the weekly badge system into social profile cards, turning short-term celebrations into lasting status symbols. Partnered with Social and Engineering teams to ensure real-time badge updates and visual consistency across modals and social contexts.
Extrinsic Motivation — Peer Comparison
Visible badges leverage validation to drive engagement
Status Signaling — Elite Recognition
Prominent badges showcase community dedication
Intrinsic Satisfaction — Lasting Identity
Achievements become part of player identity
Results & Impact
The End of Content Experience launched in 2024 and delivered significant improvements across all key engagement metrics. The Weekly Badge System and milestone celebrations transformed how dedicated players experience progression, resulting in measurable uplift in both retention and revenue.
Game Rounds Per Session
Retention
Gross Bookings
Levels Passed Per Week
Larger Addressable Audience
Elite Players Reached
By shifting focus from progression depth to engagement velocity, we uncovered a 250x larger audience of elite players across all segments, fundamentally changing our retention strategy.
The Weekly Badge System transformed ephemeral achievements into lasting social currency, creating persistent motivation loops that drive both engagement and revenue.