Devlog [02.28.26]

Sindonic - Feb 28th 2026 07:30

NEWS
Hey, Sprouts!

We're happy to be back and excited to get to work. This update focuses on several community feedback points, points of confusion, the release of the new Authentication System, and other updates. We're still ramping into 2026 and finishing cleanup from last year, so we don't have a work preview just yet, but that will come once everything is fully in motion.

A Golden Voyage - Live
As a reminder, we are hosting a Prompt - A Golden Voyage to give users the opportunity to earn both types of Hybrid Fruits and GC before the Golden Hybrid Fruit's use is changed. This is the last chance for the community to unlock the current achievement, "The Ultimate Merge." Once the Golden Hybrid Fruit use changes, this achievement will be converted into a Trophy and no longer unlockable. See our previous update for more details.

This prompt will close once the Golden Hybrid Fruit receives its new use. We will provide 30 days' notice before this change is implemented, so users have time to complete the prompt. There is currently no ETA for when the prompt will close or when the changes will go live.


Authentication Systems - Live
The new Authentication System is now live. New users no longer need to link a DeviantART account or use DeviantART to participate in our ARPG. Users who already have a DeviantART account linked are automatically verified.

To become verified, new users must either complete three Art Prompts from our provided lists. This list is currently very short; we will be adding more prompts soon. A new guide explaining how the Authentication System works is coming soon. Thank you for your patience.

Or users can open a Help Desk ticket under Manual Account Verification with proof of three artworks posted on any social media platform. A Moderator will review the submission, and once approved, the user will be fully verified and able to use all on-site features.

This update also means usernames no longer need to match DeviantART account names. Because of this, we are introducing a new rule category, 1.7 Username Policy. This section explains which usernames are not allowed, states that users may not intentionally impersonate brands or other users, and explains how usernames are logged.

To report impersonation, open a Help Desk  ticket under Report Impersonation & Stolen Usernames

Achievement Icons/Badges - Live
Now, when certain User Achievements are unlocked, they will also grant a decorative badge or verification icons that can be displayed next to your username. These can be accessed in the user settings. Users can even pick any hex color they like for these badges in settings. These badges add new ways to personalize your profile and serve as small, visual markers of your progress. We're excited to see which ones you choose, and if this feature is well-received, we hope to add more ways to unlock additional icons in the future.

We are manually unlocking all icons for users who have already unlocked the corresponding User Achievements. This process may take a couple of days to complete fully, so if you are missing icons, that is why. Thank you for your patience.

Rules and Guides - Coming Soon
With the release of the Authentication System, some rules will be missing, and Guides and Rules will be out of date. We are in the process of fixing this.

Discord - Coming Soon
With the release of the Authentication System, we'll be making some much-needed edits to the Official Griffia Discord. Users will no longer be required to be Bagbeans members to join the Discord, but we need some time to make those edits. While we're doing that, we'll also be improving the server as a whole by adding new channels and tools. If you have suggestions, please share them in Feedback.

Ticket Times - Clarification
We will be extending the expected Help Desk response time for most tickets from 5 days to 2 weeks. Urgent tickets will be prioritized first. Error reports, Theme Inquiries, Art Exchanges, Questions, and Verifications will still be processed within 5 days.

In the month leading up to the break, we received an unsustainable number of tickets, which took significant time away from ongoing Griffia projects. We care deeply about users reaching out to us, and our goal is always to provide thoughtful, personalized, and well-worded replies. That process requires considerable time and care, so we are extending the response window rather than reducing the quality of our support.

We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this may cause.


Addressing Removal of Insensitive Themes - Clarification/Announcement
Removing inappropriate themes has always been our policy. We rely on user reports to help catch them, and if something is missed, we will still remove it when it is brought to our attention with proper proof. When a theme is removed, the user is given a new theme at no cost. This process is clearly outlined in our TOS.

We have finally received clear guidance on a specific issue. Because it reflects our process and our commitment to the community, we are sharing it to help inform and educate everyone moving forward, and to clarify for those who are still unclear whether this is a theme/word that should be used at all.

W*ndigo has, by a large margin, been the most reported theme we have ever had. Normally, spiritual theme removals are based on clear statements from official cultural or academic sources, but in this case, there were none readily available online, and some semi-official sources even indicated it was acceptable, which is why it remained for so long. Online discourse is not a reliable source. They do not reflect the feelings and thoughts of academics, professionals, and communities; they are subject to the opinion and bias of individuals. Because the discourse around the topic is so heated and divided, we finally chose to go directly to the source and contacted multiple First Nation organizations and cultural centers in the United States and Canada for guidance. It honestly did not occur to us to take this step until the theme was reported again recently. The process took a long time, but we received very kind, thoughtful, and understanding responses.

Out of deep respect for the First Nation communities we contacted, their culture and spirituality, we were kindly asked to remove this theme and to avoid using the term publicly. We were also encouraged to censor the word. They noted that not every tribe views the term in the same way, but removal was still encouraged out of respect. One tribe even went so far as to express that even typing the word creates negativity for all people. We thanked them and let them know we would be making this statement to share their request and to educate our community.

We hope this demonstrates our commitment to listening, conducting necessary research, and keeping Griffia a culturally respectful and safe space while also providing clear guidance to our community. We personally apologize for not doing this sooner. Thank you for your reports.

Please contact the Help Desk if you feel a theme is inappropriate.

Love Item Fluctuating Prices - Clarification
We've seen requests to lower or permanently freeze Love Voucher prices, and we would like to clarify our position for the community.


The fluctuating price system is permanent, not temporary, because it works.
Since the introduction of the fluctuating price, the GC and Love Item economies have been more stable than ever. Changing it now would undo nearly three years of progress. Love Vouchers are a cornerstone item, and forcing them to be lower or set at a single price would destabilize the entire system.

Because the system is stable, we can:

- Run temporary price freezes
- Offer high-value event rewards
- Add new items
-Give extra or free distributions

All without causing observable long-term economic damage. That flexibility benefits the whole ARPG.

How Prices Actually Change
Prices are based on total monthly community activity, not just individual purchases.

If the economy has been stable for a while, that means activity is balanced. For example, if most users are buying around the same amount each month and prices are not moving, that level of demand is considered "normal."

Adding extra purchases during a stable period increases demand above the normal level. If enough additional activity is added, especially across multiple users in the same month, prices can move up.

One user making small extra purchases will not meaningfully affect prices. Even a large purchase by a single user will not cause a spike if overall activity is low. The system responds to broad community trends, not isolated actions.

Staff Involvement
Moderator purchases were included in the fluctuation data early on. However, because we regularly bought test items, we had to manually remove those transactions each time, which added unnecessary Moderation work.

Earlier last year, we changed the system so that staff purchases no longer affect price fluctuations, even when they are purchased for use. This saves time and ensures the data reflects only genuine community activity.

We appreciate the feedback and will continue monitoring the system. However, this model is permanent because it keeps the economy stable and fair for everyone.

Will the Fluctuating Price System be Added to Other Items?
No, we have other high-value items, but they only make cosmetic changes and do not create new characters on their own.

Love Vouchers/Love Petals are different because they create new characters and directly impact the GC economy. For that reason, they are the only item that uses the fluctuating price system. We have no plans to add this system to any other items.



DEVLOG
Addition
Feature - Added user verification.
Feature - Added colorable Username badges.
Feature - Made pending submissions visible on approval hub pages when no approval is selected.
Feature - Made sidebar sub-categories collapsible.
Rules - Added 1.7 Username Policy for Verification Update.
Rules - Added 4.14 Unofficial Griffian Etiquette.
Tickets - Added Manual Account Verification Ticket.
Tickets - Added Report Impersonation & Stolen Usernames Ticket.

Changes
Rules - Updated Rule 1.1 and 1.2 for Verification Update.

Removal
Deleted the DeviantART account linking system on the site and replaced it with a new Authentication System.

Logging in to work.