Challenges are an integral part of the NBA Top Shot ecosystem. Luckily, they’re also relatively straightforward to understand:
Step 1: Collect the Moments required by the challenge
Step 2: Hold the Moments until the challenge timer expires
Step 3: Get rewarded with a NEW Moment
These challenges are designed to incentivize collecting. They also add an extra layer of gamification to Top Shot, giving its participants the chance at a unique reward. We’ll break down how they work in a little more detail below.
Step 1: Collect the Moments required by the challenge
Moments needed for challenges will typically be released in packs by NBA Top Shot, and will likely all be part of a certain “Set.” These Sets could be common sets, like Cool Cats or Seeing Stars, or they could be Rare/Legendary sets like Metallic Gold or Holo Icon.
Sometimes Top Shot will require different types of Moments for a challenge. For example, a challenge might require 5x Cool Cats Moments AND 5x Common Moments to be completed. To complete a challenge, you will need to get every Moment listed on the challenge’s page.
Step 2: Hold the Moments until the challenge timer expires
Did you manage to collect every moment to complete a challenge? Good, you’re almost there. But patience is a virtue — do not gift or sell these moments until after the challenge is over.
These challenge required Moments MUST be held in a collector’s account until the Challenge Timer expires for that collector to be eligible for the Challenge Reward.
Step 3: Get rewarded with a NEW Moment
When the Challenge is complete, all collectors who qualified will receive the Challenge Reward, which is typically a brand new moment that will NEVER be released in packs.
The Reward usually arrives in eligible collector’s accounts within 24 hours of the Challenge’s completion. Once the challenge has ended and the timer has run out, collectors are free to sell or gift their moments away, even if they have not yet received their reward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Serial Numbers determined for Rewards?
They are randomized by the NBA Top Shot team. This means all collectors who finish the challenge will have an equal chance at scoring a low serial number (or a high one) when their challenge reward is sent to them.
It’s luck of the draw!
When are challenges announced?
This can vary. In many cases, new challenges will be announced immediately after a new set of Moments is released in packs.
However, for larger sets that have dozens of moments, challenges may roll out over time. This means that Moments in a set that have NOT been used for a challenge will still very likely be needed for a challenge in the future.
For example, the Metallic Gold set has hundreds of Moments, but only ever one active challenge. That means NEW Metallic Gold Moments might not be used as part of a challenge until weeks or even months after it first appears in a pack.
What happens to prices after a Challenge ends?
Once the timer has expired and the challenge Moments are no longer needed, their values tend to plummet as many collectors start disposing of them on the Marketplace.
However, many moments needed for challenges can easily retain long term value as Top Shot grows and limited edition moments become more scarce.
Can Moments be used in more than one Challenge?
This is unlikely. Often, a Moment needed for a Challenge will never be used again for another Challenge.
The only exception is for a Master Challenge.
Wait. What is a Master Challenge?
Master Challenges typically involve special edition Common Moment sets, such as Cool Cats, Seeing Stars, and Got Game.
Typically, they will require the Moments + Reward Moments from MULTIPLE OTHER CHALLENGES in order to get the Master Reward Moment.
Check out our post on the Lamelo Master Challenge for more information how this works.
