ZED Champions and Fantasy Top are teaming up for a $15,000 "mindshare tournament" launching on Monday, August 18.

This partnership brings together Fantasy Top's SocialFi mechanics with social media engagement focused on ZED Champions. The reward pool is split into two parts: $10,000 in $ZED will go to the top five players across Fantasy's Elite, Gold, Silver, and Bronze leagues. Another $5,000 in Clout Boost rewards will be given away to those who engage with ZED Champions on X. 

While ZED Champions is featured in the event, the tournament itself takes place entirely through Fantasy Top. Having a ZED Champions account is required to qualify for rewards, but there's no need to race or breed horses to take part. That said, players who do have access to the game may find it easier to post meaningful content that earns Clout.

How the Tournament Works

The event structure is straightforward. Players climb the ranks by playing Fantasy Top as usual, where they build decks, level up their Heroes, and compete across four leagues. League placement determines the base reward from the $10,000 prize pool.

Alongside gameplay, participants are encouraged to post on X about ZED Champions, tagging @zed_champions. This will help generate Clout, a separate score that can raise a player's share of the total reward. According to Fantasy Top, Clout is earned through content that's clear, relevant, and well made.

The more Clout a player builds during the tournament window, the more their reward grows. A live leaderboard will track both league placement and Clout status throughout the event. This means players can monitor their standing in real time and adjust their strategy as needed.

According to Fantasy Top, the top 25 players in each league will also get to boost their base reward. Those outside the top five won't walk away empty-handed, especially if they stay active and consistent with their social posts.

What to Expect During the Event

This is the first known partnership between ZED Champions and Fantasy Top. It also introduces a hybrid format where competition isn't only based on gameplay, but also on how effectively players can tie in social content during the event.

To take part, players must have a ZED Champions account. This unlocks the ability to qualify for the $ZED token prizes, but players won't need to interact with the game directly to compete in Fantasy Top. Still, having access to the game could be useful when posting race clips, gameplay screenshots, or updates, especially for those looking to max their Clout.

Engagement on X plays a central role. Players looking for Clout Boost rewards will need to post consistently throughout the event, using the right tags and staying on-topic. With $5,000 in $ZED dedicated to the Clout pool, those who focus on content creation have a separate path to earn.

What Is ZED Champions?

ZED Champions is a blockchain-based horse racing game built by Virtually Human Studio, the creators of ZED RUN. Unlike its predecessor, which focused heavily on speculative NFT ownership, ZED Champions features structured, automated racing and a more strategy-driven economy.

Each horse in the game has an internal $ZED balance that changes over time based on breeding cost and race performance. When entered into a race, a horse stakes up to 10% of its balance. Race outcomes influence both matchmaking points and token earnings. Each race features 8 horses, matched according to skill level using a matchmaking system designed to ensure fair play.

Once a horse is bred, it's automatically added to the Racing Pool, which is limited to 4,320 horses. If a horse underperforms and its $ZED balance drops too low, it may be forced into retirement. Alternatively, players can retire their horses manually at any time to withdraw their remaining balance.

The game runs on the Base network, offering low transaction fees and fast confirmation times. Breeding, racing, and marketplace transactions are all tied to the $ZED token. Augments can also be applied to boost horse performance under different conditions.

New to ZED Champions? Here's How to Start

For anyone curious about the game, here's how to set up an account and begin exploring the ZED Champions platform:

  1. Name Your Stable
    Choose a stable name that reflects your identity in the game. This name shows up in races, on leaderboards, and across your gameplay history.
  2. Fund Your Wallet
    You'll need to add $ZED tokens to your wallet. This enables bidding in auctions, buying horses, and interacting with the game. As you play, you'll also earn reZED, which is used in-game.
  3. Stake a Horse
    If you don't own a horse, you can still take part by staking $ZED on one already in the Racing Pool. When that horse retires, you'll earn a share of its remaining balance.
  4. Own a Racehorse
    To own a horse, you can either place a winning bid in a Stud Auction to breed a new one or buy a horse directly from the Marketplace. Horses bred through auctions are automatically entered into the Racing Pool. Buying one already in the pool lets you race right away.

While not required for the upcoming event, these steps offer a way to explore the game's systems and generate useful content for Clout posts.

Looking Ahead

The latest tournament from ZED Champions and Fantasy Top offers a new spin on blockchain gaming events. It mixes Fantasy Top's SocialFi setup with social media activity around ZED Champions. The $15K prize pool is split between Fantasy Top leaderboard rankings and Clout earned from posting ZED Champions content on X.

The entire competition plays out within Fantasy Top. Players build lineups of creators and earn points based on their performance, while also having the option to post about ZED Champions to rack up Clout. Whether you lean more into strategy or content creation, there's more than one way to get involved.

The tournament kicks off August 18. You'll need a ZED Champions account to qualify for rewards. More updates on scoring and leaderboard mechanics will be released as the tournament unfolds.