# It Will Belong to Brazil

*September 16, 2025 · Note to the team · Roby John*

Back from Brazil. Meeting players and our partners in person was invaluable — a market with such high gaming literacy that players instantly recognized the nuances we'd built in, and gave us the room to iterate that we don't always get.

Our authenticity is working. Our favela map earned real appreciation — even from a cultural icon who validated our design choices.

One thing became very clear on the trip: "work harder" is not a strategy. Strategy means making hard choices about what not to do. Word-of-mouth doesn't come from 7s and 8s — it comes only when players bang the table in excitement.

The dividing line isn't skill. It's will. If we execute, this game won't just launch in Brazil. It will belong to Brazil.

— Roby