I agree with most of your analysis but I disagree with your statement “Not because learning was bad — learning was actually solid.” In fact, the learning quality this season is the lowest compared to previous ones. Many games were repeated, and there were no challenge labs at all—only skill badges.
With the introduction of pre-assessments, the number of participants completing Ranger, Champion, and Legend tiers suddenly multiplied compared to earlier seasons. As a result, with the same budget but more participants reaching higher tiers, the swag quality has become the lowest across all seasons.
The Arcade team stopped giving any value to participants’ time starting with the November 2025 games, and by the end of the year it had reached its lowest point.
The Google Arcade team is the best in the world at describing the lowest-grade swags with the finest description of the highest swags.
Participants feedback ->Recycle bin - consistent across seasons.