Reflecting on a Year of Growth: 2025 at the Arcade

[Yugali]

As the sun sets on 2025, we’re taking a moment to look back at the journey we’ve shared together. Seeing this community take on labs, work through complex architectures, and celebrate those hard-earned badges has truly been one of the highlights of our year.

It’s been genuinely lovely to grow and learn alongside each one of you.

We’ve heard your feedback around Google Skills Arcade prizes, games, and challenges, and we truly understand it. We know how much you enjoy the gear—and we love seeing it out in the world too. At the same time, we’d like to take a moment to share the why behind the Skills Boost Arcade.

At its core, the Google Skills Arcade is about your growth. It’s designed to challenge you, strengthen your Google Cloud skills, and help you stay ready for what’s next in tech. The swags are an added incentive—a small thank-you for the consistency and commitment you’ve shown to building your own skills. The real takeaway is the knowledge and confidence you carry forward into 2026.

What’s next?

The wait is almost over. Here’s what you can expect in your inbox very soon:

• The final tally: Your official Arcade Points total for 2025!

• The Prize Counter: Shortly after, your Arcade Prize Counter emails to redeem those points!

So keep an eye on your inboxes!

Thank you for making 2025 a year defined by learning, persistence, and community. We’re excited to see what you build next.

See you in the Cloud,
The Google Skills Arcade Team

[Deepanshu_Pathak1]

It was really wonderful @Yugali i know people are disappointed by the swags of this cohort as the last cohort participants got some really good techy items like thermal printers, or digital clocks but for me this arcade was really special and meaningful.

I landed my first internship as a Cloud Engineer and its all thanks to what i learnt here at cohort all the skills i gained has helped me out immensely to kick start my career and i would say that was something no other swag can beat so once again

Thanks a lot to the Google Arcade Team for giving us this opportunity to learn and grow.

[Joydip1]

Thank you @Yugali and Happy new year everyone

[Rushina1]

Happy New Year to everyone in the community!

[Vivek_Deshmukh]

Wishing everyone in the community
a very happy and prosperous New year

[rathod_soham]

Thanks for contributing to Google Developer forums!

Remember, we’re all real people. Please be kind to your fellow community members.

[RAOKS]

@Yugali
Happy New Year Thanks for the great initiatives! One suggestion on rewards:

• Offering certificate vouchers instead of multiple physical swags could reduce waste and support learning.
• Alternatively, providing one durable, high‑quality swag per prize tier would be more sustainable than several smaller items.

This way, recognition stays meaningful while also being kinder to the environment .

[Shreyanshh]

Thank you for this message @Yugali

~it really means a lot. Being part of the Google Skills Arcade in 2025 has been an amazing experience. The labs and challenges definitely pushed us, but they also helped us learn, grow, and feel more confident with our skills.

Of course, the swags are fun, but what truly stayed with us is the hands-on learning and the feeling of being part of such a supportive community. It’s great to know that our feedback is heard and valued.

Excited to see the final points tally and prize updates, and even more excited to take everything we’ve learned into 2026.

Thanks to the entire team for making this journey so meaningful.

[Meet_Vaghela1]

when new year task are available

[100]

Disappointed to tell everyone most of the Arcade participants does not received there cohort (1) July swags yet! No single response or announcement coming from community member @Yugali

Wishing everyone #HNY

[ayush007]

Thank you, @Yugali ma’am.
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve truly felt that our feedback—no matter how detailed—was at least acknowledged with context and intent. That alone matters, and I appreciate the transparency in explaining the “why” behind the Arcade.

Since feedback is being heard, I’d like to share a few strictly recommended, actionable points that can still improve this cohort experience and future ones—shared with full respect for the team and community.

Fixed or Tentative Timelines (Very Important)

Please consider publishing either:

• a fixed timeline, or

• a clearly marked tentative schedule

for:

• monthly games

• special games

• swag drop windows

At least 5 days in advance.
Even a tentative schedule reduces confusion massively—for participants and for the support team. Most frustration this cohort came from uncertainty, not expectations.

Swag Policy Consistency (Pick One, Communicate Clearly)

If swags are still being considered, two clear options would help tremendously:

• Option A:
  Provide one durable, high-quality swag per tier instead of multiple small, low-utility items.

• Option B:
  Clearly state that swags from one cohort will never reappear in the next prize counter.
  Upgrades are welcome (e.g., 7-in-1 USB hub → 8-in-1, color/design updates for apparel).
  This creates a positive perception and restores excitement around progression.

Honest Feedback on Utility (From Ground Reality)

Some items need reconsideration purely from daily usability:

• Stickers → genuinely useful (they showcase journeys)

• 450+ plastic LEGO logo pieces → strongly disliked
  We felt like we were assembling logos instead of building careers

• Magnetic badges & pins → low daily value

• Laptop sleeve → good design, but without hard edges it’s essentially thin cloth

• Legend vacuum cleaner → unfortunately ineffective for keyboards

• Legend cloud bulb → less usable than the Trooper fold & glow lamp

• USB hub → useful, but an 8-in-1 upgrade costs ~₹100 less in market pricing

• Pens → usable, but non-refillable pens feel wasteful

These points aren’t emotional reactions—they’re consistent patterns of feedback across communities.

Learning Quality: Badge Repetition

From November onward, many badges felt repetitive with reshuffled labs.
Some repetition is understandable—but not entire badges month after month.
Skill-focused, fresh labs add far more value than repeated structures.

The Unspoken Reality from the Community

I actively engage with large learner communities—multiple WhatsApp groups (2200–2500+ members ), LinkedIn, Telegram, and YouTube audiences.

The sentiment is consistent:

• Ranger & Champion participants feel the most disappointed

• Many openly say:
  “If 45 points (Trooper) gives better satisfaction, why push further?”

Objectively speaking, Trooper tier felt the most balanced in both 2025 cohorts—in terms of effort vs reward.

This message comes with no hostility and no further expectations.
This will be my final feedback to the team.

The Arcade remains a program people can trust for learning—especially as a revision and practice platform—but skill badges and fresh labs matter more than repeated cycles.

I genuinely hope future cohorts bring:

• clearer timelines

• better reward consistency

• and stronger respect for participant effort across all tiers

Wishing the entire Arcade team, community managers, and staff a Happy New Year 2026.
Hoping to see a stronger, clearer, and more balanced Arcade ahead.

See you in the Cloud.

[ayush007]

New Year!
Wishing you a great start to 2026.

That’s a very thoughtful suggestion, and I genuinely appreciate you sharing it. I do feel that certificate vouchers strongly support learning, though realistically, I understand the team may not lean fully in that direction since physical swags help attract a larger user base and are easier to showcase and promote.

That said, I completely agree with the second point — offering one durable, high-quality swag per prize tier would be far more meaningful and sustainable than multiple smaller items. It keeps the recognition special, respects participant effort, and aligns well with long-term value rather than quantity.

Thanks again for raising this in such a constructive way. Hoping 2026 brings even better balance between learning, recognition, and sustainability.

[misbahuddinmomi]

Novice and Trooper same swags but backpack novice not add

Please novice backpack add please @Yugali

[Vineet]

Thank You and Happy New year

[Ranjeet_Singh_2524]

happy new year to all

[Som_Chetri]

Thank you for the transparency and for acknowledging the community’s feedback. It’s good to be reminded that the main value of the Skills Arcade is learning and long-term skill growth, not just rewards. At the same time, the swag and prizes do play a big role in motivation, especially for students and early learners, so clear communication around expectations really helps. Overall, the Arcade has been a strong learning experience in 2025, and we appreciate the effort put into building a supportive and engaging community. Looking forward to the final points update and what’s coming next.

[Aryan_Salunke]

Hii