November Store Capsule Badge-Strip Pass After October Fest Live Overlays Crush Title Safe Zones - 2026 Art Workflow

November D+3 after October Next Fest: marketing exports the same capsule master that looked perfect under fest-live stickers. On the live store page, the Next Fest badge still ghosts in the corner, the event ribbon covers half the title, and the 460×215 header crop reads as noise—not game name. Uninstall curve playbook #5 says scope copy may need REWRITE—but nobody checked whether fest overlay layers were still baked into the PNG uploaded after branch unset #1.

November 2026 is when fest-live badges and event stickers must strip cleanly from capsule masters before winter edits. Teams that skip the strip pass discover winter HDR cousin fails squint tests because bloom fixes fight leftover badge pixels—not because snow lighting is wrong.

This Game Art & Design workflow is the November badge-strip lane—not October trailer thumbnail V1–V6 (horizontal video slot geometry), not winter HDR W1–W6 (tone map downscale), not metadata freeze trend (copy policy). It delivers badge layer inventory, 460×215 squint test, gates Z1–Z6, and november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json with BUILD_RECEIPT capsule_badge_strip_ok: true before November sprint store publish.

Pair October trailer thumbnail, winter HDR cousin, uninstall curve #5, October upload capstone; forward #7 jq weekly / #12 capstone; Guide #52 forward.

Non-repetition note: October trailer thumbnail owns video slot waveform safe-zones V1–V6. Winter HDR owns snow highlight tone map W1–W6. Animated GIF capsule owns motion loop readability. This URL owns post-fest badge/sticker strip Z1–Z6 on header + main capsule after fest-live overlays end.

Why this matters now (November 2026 post-October fest)

1. Fest stickers drop on schedule — Store event overlays vanish; baked-in badge art does not.
2. Title safe zones crush first — Header 460×215 crop hides illegible titles when ribbons remain.
3. Winter edits stack on bad masters — HDR passes amplify ghost badge halos.
4. Discovery label shift — Players re-scan capsule without fest context—bad art reads as neglect.
5. Capstone expects art latch — Forward #12 child crosswalk indexes capsule_badge_strip_ok.

Direct answer: Inventory fest badge layers (Z1), export strip proofs at capsule sizes (Z2–Z3), verify live store before/after (Z4), confirm zero fest sticker remnants (Z5), file november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json (Z6), latch capsule_badge_strip_ok before winter capsule or November sprint publish.

Who this workflow is for

Time: ~60–90 minutes first strip pass; ~20 minutes per capsule size once template exists.

Format ladder (November first-week cluster)

Order: fest ends → branch unset → analytics/retention → uninstall curve → this strip pass → winter HDR (if December) → jq #7 → capstone #12.

Beginner path — badge layer checklist + 460×215 squint test

If you only remember two things:

1. Fest badges live on their own layers—never flatten before archiving fest master.
2. 460×215 squint test — title readable at arm's length after strip.

Badge layer inventory (copy into art folder)

# Fest overlay layer checklist — November strip pass

| Layer name | Type | Action after fest |
|------------|------|-------------------|
| nextfest_badge_corner | event badge | HIDE / DELETE |
| fest_ribbon_top | sticker | HIDE / DELETE |
| demo_live_tag | text overlay | ARCHIVE or REWRITE |
| build_label_fest | ops text | ARCHIVE (receipt only) |
| title_lockup | core art | KEEP |
| logo_master | core art | KEEP |
| background_keyart | core art | KEEP |

Beginner checklist

• [ ] Locate source PSD/figma with fest layers still editable
• [ ] Hide all fest badge/sticker layers
• [ ] Export header (460×215) and main capsule (1232×706)
• [ ] Squint test: game name readable in 2 seconds
• [ ] Compare live store screenshot before upload
• [ ] File receipt before marketing schedules winter pass

Quick rule of thumb

If your teammate says "I see the fest badge ghosting" at 460×215, Z3 fails—even if full-size master looks clean.

Z1–Z6 gates

Z1 — Badge layer inventory

Goal: Prove fest overlays are named and disabled—not accidentally merged.

badge_layer_inventory_v1.json

{
  "schema": "badge_layer_inventory_v1",
  "source_file": "art/store/capsule/october_fest_master_v3.psd",
  "fest_layers": [
    {"name": "nextfest_badge_corner", "action": "hidden"},
    {"name": "fest_ribbon_top", "action": "hidden"},
    {"name": "demo_live_tag", "action": "hidden"}
  ],
  "core_layers_preserved": ["title_lockup", "logo_master", "background_keyart"],
  "flattened_for_upload": false
}

Pass criteria for Z1

• Every fest overlay layer listed with hidden or deleted—not merged_unknown.

Z2 — Strip exports at capsule sizes

Goal: Two PNG exports from badge-free master.

Export targets (verify in Steamworks capsule docs)

ffmpeg resize from strip master (if needed)

ffmpeg -i capsule_strip_master.png -vf "scale=460:215:flags=lanczos" -y header_460x215_strip.png
ffmpeg -i capsule_strip_master.png -vf "scale=1232:706:flags=lanczos" -y main_1232x706_strip.png

Pass criteria for Z2

• Both files exist; file hash differs from pre-strip fest upload if badges were baked in.

Z3 — 460×215 squint test

Goal: Title readability at discovery scan speed—same discipline as October trailer V3.

Title safe zone (header crop)

Squint test procedure

1. Open header_460x215_strip.png at actual pixel size (not zoomed).
2. Step back ~ arm's length.
3. Can a non-team member read the game name in ≤2 seconds?
4. Log result in receipt squint_test_notes.

What usually fails Z3

• fest ribbon left a bright edge that reads as text noise,
• title lockup sized for main capsule but not header crop,
• ghost badge alpha at 5% still visible on dark backgrounds.

Z4 — Live store before/after

Goal: Uploaded asset matches strip exports—not fest master cached in CDN.

Folder structure

release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/store_capsule_before_after_v1/
  before_fest_end.png      # optional archive
  after_strip_upload.png # post-upload capture
  header_460x215_strip.png
  notes.md

Steps

1. Capture store page screenshot after upload propagates (allow CDN delay).
2. Diff visually against local header_460x215_strip.png.
3. If mismatch, verify Steamworks upload slot—not local file only.

Pass criteria for Z4

• After screenshot shows no fest badge; title matches strip export intent.

Z5 — Zero fest sticker remnants

Goal: Pixel-level honesty—ghost badges fail partner squint tests.

Spot-check list

Pass criteria for Z5

• Documented spot-check with remnants_found: false in receipt—or fix and re-export.

Z6 — Master receipt + BUILD_RECEIPT latch

november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json

{
  "schema": "november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1",
  "post_fest_week": "2026-11-first-week",
  "source_master": "art/store/capsule/october_fest_master_v3.psd",
  "exports": {
    "header_460x215": "release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/header_460x215_strip.png",
    "main_1232x706": "release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/main_1232x706_strip.png"
  },
  "inventory_path": "release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/badge_layer_inventory_v1.json",
  "before_after_dir": "release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/store_capsule_before_after_v1/",
  "gates": {
    "Z1": true,
    "Z2": true,
    "Z3": true,
    "Z4": true,
    "Z5": true,
    "Z6": true
  },
  "squint_test_passed": true,
  "capsule_badge_strip_ok": true,
  "feeds_capstone": "friday-post-october-fest-first-week-capstone-build-receipt-row-review-ten-minutes-before-november-sprint-2026",
  "notes": ""
}

BUILD_RECEIPT rows

{
  "capsule_badge_strip_ok": true,
  "november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_path": "release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/receipts/november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json"
}

verify_november_capsule_badge_strip.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
R="${1:-release-evidence/post-fest/capsule-badge-strip-2026/receipts/november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json}"

jq -e '.schema == "november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1"' "$R" >/dev/null
jq -e '.capsule_badge_strip_ok == true' "$R" >/dev/null
jq -e '.gates.Z1 and .gates.Z2 and .gates.Z3 and .gates.Z4 and .gates.Z5 and .gates.Z6' "$R" >/dev/null
jq -e '.squint_test_passed == true' "$R" >/dev/null
HDR="$(jq -r '.exports.header_460x215' "$R")"
MAIN="$(jq -r '.exports.main_1232x706' "$R")"
test -f "$HDR"
test -f "$MAIN"
echo "november_capsule_badge_strip verify: OK"

Master layout — title safe zones after strip

Pair October trailer safe-zones when fest trailer thumbnail still shows event tags—video and capsule are parallel surfaces, same strip discipline.

Integration with November cluster

Scenarios A–G

A — Only flattened fest PNG exists

Z1 RED—recover layered source or repaint badge corners manually; document flattened_recovery: true in notes.

B — Title readable on main, not header

Z3 fail on header only—re-compose title safe zone for 460×215 crop.

C — Store still shows fest badge after upload

Z4 fail—CDN cache or wrong slot; re-upload and re-capture after delay.

D — Marketing wants "limited fest" badge post-fest

ARCHIVE fest layers; do not leave semi-transparent ghost for "nostalgia."

E — Winter HDR pass adds new bloom on badge ghost

Strip must precede winter W1–W6—fix strip first.

F — CJK title under fest ribbon

Pair multilingual capsule safe-zones—strip then re-test glyph overflow.

G — Partner diligence zip

Attach Z1 inventory + Z2 exports + Z4 screenshots—no layered PSD required if exports pass Z3/Z5.

RED / YELLOW / GREEN routing

Facilitator stand-up (art lane, ten minutes)

## Badge-strip stand-up
- Z1: fest layers inventoried (Y/N)
- Z2: header + main exports on disk (Y/N)
- Z3: 460×215 squint pass (Y/N)
- Z4: live store after screenshot filed (Y/N)
- Z5: remnants_found false (Y/N)
- Block winter HDR until Z6 GREEN? (Y/N)

Common mistakes

• Uploading fest master PNG after fest ends without strip.
• Flattening badges into key art before archiving layers.
• Skipping 460×215 test because main capsule looks fine.
• Running winter HDR on fest badge halos.
• Conflating scope REWRITE (uninstall curve #5) with art strip.
• Setting capsule_badge_strip_ok without Z4 live store proof.

Enterprise notes

• Brand governance: Fest badge usage rules should name strip deadline (D+3 default).
• Asset retention: Keep fest master archived separately—do not delete diligence history.
• Partner review: Z4 before/after satisfies store art audit without PSD handoff.

Post-strip handoff to winter HDR (December lane)

When December winter HDR pass follows this strip, confirm badge_layer_inventory_v1.json shows all fest overlays hidden before tone-mapping snow highlights. Badge ghost pixels amplify false bloom at 460×215—W1 fails if Z5 skipped. Log upstream_strip_receipt path in winter_capsule_tone_receipt_v1.json notes when both passes run same sprint; do not merge schemas into one file.

Key takeaways

1. Fest badges must strip cleanly after October live—baked overlays crush title safe zones.
2. 460×215 squint test is the publish gate—not full-size monitor approval.
3. Gates Z1–Z6 on november_capsule_badge_strip_receipt_v1.json with verify script.
4. capsule_badge_strip_ok feeds forward #12 capstone child crosswalk.
5. Run before winter HDR—tone map needs clean master.
6. Pair October trailer thumbnail for parallel video surface.
7. Defer until analytics T6 GREEN when store edit timing is tight.
8. Distinct from trailer V1–V6, winter W1–W6, and uninstall curve G1–G6.
9. Keep fest layers editable in source—never flatten before November strip.
10. Live store screenshot (Z4) beats local-only export confidence.

FAQ

Do Steam badges remove automatically when fest ends?

Event hub stickers may drop; your uploaded capsule PNG does not self-heal—run Z1–Z6.

Is this the same as trailer thumbnail safe-zones?

No—October trailer V1–V6 owns video slot geometry. This URL owns capsule badge strip after fest.

Can we keep a small "Played in Next Fest" mark?

Only if it passes Z3 squint and Z5 remnant check—default is strip entirely for November baseline.

What if we only have a flattened fest PNG?

Z1 RED—recover layered source or manual repaint; document recovery path in receipt notes.

When does winter HDR run?

After Z6 GREEN on this receipt—see winter art pass.

Related reads

• October Fest Trailer Thumbnail Safe-Zone Pass
• Winter Store Capsule HDR Downscale Without False Bloom
• November 2026 Post-October Fest Uninstall Curve Trend Playbook
• 14 Free Post-October Fest Steam Analytics Tools
• Your First SteamFest Branch Unset Receipt
• Friday October Upload Capstone Before Fest Live
• Animated GIF Capsule Safe-Zone Loop Readability Pass
• Multilingual Capsule Typography Safe-Zone Pass
• Official docs: Steamworks store capsules

Closing

November store art fails when fest-live overlays outstay the event—badges ghost in corners, titles disappear at 460×215, and winter HDR passes amplify the damage. Run gates Z1–Z6, keep fest layers editable until strip completes, and let capsule_badge_strip_ok mean the live store page shows your game name—not last week's festival sticker. When forward capstone indexes one more green child receipt, November sprint store edits start from clean art—not from a flattened fest master someone forgot to fix.