Configure Achievements and Challenges (Service Configuration)

This topic provides procedures for adding and changing rules for achievements and challenges in the service configuration for a title.

For an overall introduction to the various elements of the service configuration, see Introducing Service Configuration.

Sections in this topic:

How achievements and challenges work in Xbox Live for Xbox One

An achievement is a collection of specific statistics instances that, when a defined threshold is reached by a player, results in a reward. The required statistics instances for accomplishing an achievement are specified by one or more rules.

For example, the rules for reaching an achievement might require a player who has reached the Advanced Level to defeat three Blue Dragons in the Western Province by using Orange Arrows.

There are three types of rewards:

Artwork

Art that can be downloaded.

Gamerscore

An increment of the player’s score.

In-app

any of a wide variety of rewards provided by the title itself

Achievements can be hidden from the player until they are achieved, or they can be made visible in a list of possible achievements.

Challenges are achievements that are available only during a specified time frame.

For example, you could create an achievement that is available only on three consecutive days, beginning and ending at midnight. Because of the time limitation, the achievement would be a challenge.

As with other achievements, challenges can either be visible to gamers in the list of possible achievements, or they can be hidden.

Create an achievement or challenge

Important After you have created an achievement, you can edit it, but you can’t delete it.

To create a new achievement

  1. On the Service Configuration Tasks page for the sandbox, click Achievements & Challenges, or click on Achievements & Challenges from the left-hand menu.
  2. On the Achievements & Challenges page, if the Add New Achievement dialog box is not already displayed, click New under Achievements to display it.
  3. In the following fields, specify the values that you want.
    • Achievement Name - Enter the name for the achievement.
      This text will be visible to users.
      Maximum string length is 44 characters.
    • Description - Enter the description of the achievement when it is unlocked.
      This text will be visible to users.
      Maximum string length is 100 characters.
    • Not Achieved Description - Enter the description of the achievement when it is locked.
      This text will be visible to users.
      Maximum string length is 100 characters.
      If the Hidden check box is selected, then this description will not be displayed in the list.
    • Unlocking Product - Specify the product required to unlock the achievement. This is typically the core game; however, some achievements may only be earnable within the DLC.
      This field is used to distinguish achievements across the game’s products for user informational purposes.
    • Achievement Icon - Specify the achievement icon that serves as the visual representation or ‘badge’ of the achievement.
      This image will be visible to users. It must be 1920x1080 pixels in size and in PNG format. The Xbox will automatically scale the image to thumbnail size when the user is viewing the achievement list, but selecting any individual achievement will set the image as the background.
      If the Hidden check box is selected, then this image will not be displayed in the list until the user unlocks it.
    • Hidden - Select this check box to prevent the Not Achieved Description and the Achievement Icon from being displayed to gamers in the list of possible achievements.
    • Challenge - Select this check box to make this achievement available only during a limited, specified time period.
      When this check box is selected, additional fields are displayed:
      • Start Date (UTC) - Specify the date and time when the availability of this challenge begins.
      • End Date (UTC) - Specify the date and time when the availability of this challenge ends. The end date cannot be more than 3 months after the start date.
      • Promo Icon - Identify the promotional icon for this challenge. Required. The image requirement is 424x424 in PNG format.
    • Estimated Time - Specify the estimated time that it will take a gamer to accomplish this achievement.
      This information is displayed on the Achievements dashboard.
    • Deep Link - You can use this field to provide a direct link to the achievement in your title.
  4. When you have all of the fields and values for your new achievement the way that you want them, click Add Achievement to add the achievement and close the dialog box.

Your new Achievement is now listed on the Achievements & Challenges page. You should now set up Rewards.

Important Your achievement has been created, but can’t be saved until you add Rules and Rewards to it.

Change an achievement or challenge

Important

After a title passes Final Certification, existing achievements in that title can no longer be changed or deleted.

To make changes to an existing achievement or challenge rule:

  1. On the Achievements & Challenges page, click the Edit icon for the achievement or challenge rule that you want to make changes to.
  2. In the Edit Achievement (or Edit Challenge) dialog box, make the changes that you want.
  3. When all of the options are the way that you want them, click Save Achievement (or Save Challenge), and then the dialog box will close.

Delete an achievement or challenge

Important

After a title passes Final Certification, existing achievements and challenges in that title can no longer be changed or deleted.

To delete an existing achievement or challenge rule:

  1. On the Achievements & Challenges page, click the Delete icon for the achievement (or challenge) rule that you want to delete.
  2. In the Delete Achievement (or Delete Challenge) dialog box, confirm the deletion by clicking Delete Achievement.

    Important Deletion of an achievement or challenge is a permanent action and cannot be undone or reversed.