In 2021, I led UX on Hungry Shark World's Splash Pass: a seasonal reward track built around playing the game and completing daily challenges.
Free rewards let every player take part; a paid pass added premium rewards. I worked from research through progression, monetisation and interaction design to the screens that shipped.
By 2025, after I had left Ubisoft, the pass had reached its 15th season.
The opportunity
Hungry Shark World had a library of sharks, cosmetic skins and accessories that most players never saw. A season pass could turn existing assets into rewards worth pursuing, giving players a reason to return without requiring new art for every reward.
Free track
- Who gets it
- Everyone
- Rewards
- At some tiers
Premium track
- Who gets it
- Players who buy the pass
- Rewards
- At every tier
From wireframe to game
1. Wireframe
One track, two rows
I placed premium above free on a shared track. Players could compare the rewards at each tier and see what buying the pass would add.
2. Prototype in game art
Daily challenges drive progress
Daily challenges award Splash Points towards the next tier, connecting a short-term task with progress across the season.
Skips on the track
I placed a gem-priced skip at the player's current tier, offering a second purchase route for players short on time. The price changed from 30 gems in the prototype to 25 in the game.
3. Season 3, as it shipped
Premium on every tier
Premium offered a reward at every tier, while free rewards were spaced out. The shared track made that difference visible without a separate comparison screen.
Onboarding
A single introduction explained the 50 tiers, Splash Points and daily challenges. Players could reopen it from the pass screen instead of relying on a one-time explanation.
The first-time explainer from Season Two walks through tiers, Splash Points and daily challenges.
The home screen has an entry point to the pass that shows progress and time left.
Seasonal themes
I designed modular UI pieces the team could swap in Unity, giving each season a new theme without redesigning the pass.
The Halloween season dresses the pass in orange, purple and bats.
The Christmas season uses the same layout with snowy art.
Later seasons
The pass continued after I left Ubisoft in 2023. By its 15th season in 2025, the team had added Splash Pass Pro, a second paid tier that skips the first 15 reward tiers. These later changes show how the system evolved; they were not my design work.
