After much deliberation, it is time to say farewell to the past and say hello to the future.
One of the main goals of the challenge was to engage the Final Fantasy VIII fandom to give people a reason to create new stories, art and other fanworks for everyone to enjoy. But more importantly, it was created to bring fans of the game together. (And perhaps, make a friend or two you didn't have before!)
Every year, it never failed to amaze me how many people looked forward to the challenge announcement. Moreover, I felt great joy in people stating that their lives have gotten too hectic to be involved in fandom anymore but the challenge always provided them with the motivation to create something.
That said, I have to concede that the fandom of 10, or even 5 years ago, is not the fandom of now and the challenge needs to grow with the times.
And so, our 8th challenge on the 10th anniversary of the original Where I Belong challenge will be a transition into something new. We felt it was an appropriate place to evolve the challenge from its current format to integrate more with our discord.
To commemorate this, we've decided to make Endings our main theme for the extended TSC period, running from March 3rd to July 31st, 2022.
We thought it would make for a better opportunity for those who have more ambitious ideas than what a normal TSC posting period would allow for. Rules for the extended period will follow the same rules as this year's iteration barring the use of past main round themes in favour of 7 new additional themes (Before, Idle, Space, Eight, Fade, Close & Dreams) alongside the main theme to choose from. We'll send out a reminder post in the new year as well.
Our theme for August of next year will be announced sometime in June/July to give you that classic TSC feeling. And of course, you can also look forward to the bonus round September 1-9th. ;)
Other Changes for Next Year
Our FB page will only be posting announcements going forward and will no longer include posts for submissions.
The bonus round announcement, related submission form and postings will be exclusive to our discord.
Additional to-be-announced content will also be exclusive to the discord as well!
A Final (Fantasy) General Note
As the challenge draws to a close (get it, draws?) for another year, I leave you with two simple requests.
The first is that if you've ever had a story or a picture in your head, regardless if it’s for TSC or not, don't put it off any longer - the future has no guarantees.
And last but not least, don't hesitate to leave a nice comment for someone who created something you loved. You never know how much it can brighten their day when they need it the most.
Because at the end of the day, people post to share the things they love. And they often find solace in fandom for the same reasons. Hate and apathy often play a role in the reason why people leave for greener pastures.
So in short, spread love and raise others up wherever you can.
Because to reiterate the borrowed quote from the 2021 main round,
“Ok, this is the showdown folks! Time compression is about to begin. 'Love, friendship, and courage'! Show'em what you got!”
And we couldn't agree more.