All information on https://characters.osk.sh/ (although it is quite long and may be confusing for people who don't play much tetris) This project itself is a long read too, just warning you. TETR.IO is planning on using a character system. This is quite suprising for me, and I did not expect it. This is not like Puyo-Puyo Tetris characters, as the characters aren't just cosmetic, they have special abilities (in short; passive abilities that are always active, abilities that you can charge and activate in specific ways, and a leveling system for each game, where you start at lv 1 at the start of each game, and level up as you send garbage lines). This is intended to try to set TETR.IO apart from other tetris games and to add more depth and strategy to the game, and a clearer win condition. This is what I agree on, as Tetris matches often feel like "just play until the game ends". These characters may even create new strategies that would otherwise be useless (like the colour clear mechanic) However, here are my main problems with it: 1) I am scared that in top level gameplay, the meta may not be diverse, and everybody may end up using the same character and strategy. 2) It may not be friendly for beginners. The TETR.IO league (ranked) system has been known for rapid improvement, as people have gone from C rank to X in only one year, and is very good at improving at general modern tetris. However, having characters may stop beginners from getting good at tetris as effectively. This shouldn't be a problem for too long, as the characters are only fully replacing the league system for a little while, then both normal and character league will be available to play. 3) This is not as major of a concern, but the characters may not end up being actual characters. What I mean is that, when you compare it to Puyo Puyo Tetris, there is a story mode, and each character has their own voicelines and personality. As the game is multiplayer oriented, and is being developed by one person, it is unlikely for there to be a story mode, and the characters might not end up habing a personality and stuff unlike Puyo Puyo Tetris The Character system is intended to replace league for a while (not specified how long, but possibly months), then the character system and normal league will be separated. This is justified by saying that if they started with the Character System League and normal League being separate, it would divide a small playerbase, and people would be unwilling to try out the Character System. I actually think that this is the best course of action, although I am sure some people might get angry. Overall, I can trust that the Character System will be fun. Osk as a developer listens to their fans, and it is being tested and researched by many people more skilled and knowledgable in Tetris than any of us.
