v2 Released 🎉

[cjmellor]

Level Up v2 is here.

This is the biggest update since the package launched. v2 adds three major features, modernises the codebase for PHP 8.3+ and Laravel 12/13, replaces the multiplier system entirely, and fixes several long-standing bugs.

What's new

🏅 Tiers

Tiers are named status brackets based on experience points. Think Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum. Unlike levels (which are numeric), tiers represent status and integrate across the whole package.

Define your brackets:

Tier::add(
    ['name' => 'Bronze', 'experience' => 0],
    ['name' => 'Silver', 'experience' => 500],
    ['name' => 'Gold', 'experience' => 2000],
    ['name' => 'Platinum', 'experience' => 5000],
);

Tiers promote automatically when users earn enough XP, and optionally demote when they lose points. But that's just the start. Tiers plug into everything else:

• Tier-scoped multipliers — Gold users earn 2x points automatically
• Tier-gated achievements — certain achievements are only available to Platinum users
• Tier-scaled streak freezes — higher tiers get more forgiveness for missed days
• Tier-scoped leaderboards — filter rankings by tier

Where you've seen this: Duolingo has leagues (Diamond, Obsidian, etc.) that gate features and create aspiration. Starbucks Rewards tiers (Green, Gold) unlock different perks at each level. Uber and Lyft reward tiers give frequent riders priority access. Level Up's tiers let you build exactly this kind of system.

What you can build: A SaaS app where free-tier users earn Bronze, paying customers start at Silver, and heavy users unlock Gold with exclusive multiplier bonuses. A learning platform where Gold-tier students get extra streak freeze days so they don't lose progress during exam weeks. An e-commerce app where Platinum members see an exclusive leaderboard and unlock secret achievements.

🎯 Challenges

Challenges are multi-condition goals with rewards. Set up a challenge like "Earn 100 XP and reach Level 5" and when a user completes both conditions, they automatically receive rewards (bonus points, achievements, or both).

Challenges support:

• Six condition types out of the box: points earned, level reached, achievement earned, streak count, tier reached, and custom (bring your own logic)
• Auto-enrollment — users get enrolled automatically when a relevant event fires
• Time windows — challenges can have start and end dates
• Repeatable challenges — complete them more than once for recurring rewards
• Custom conditions — implement the ChallengeCondition contract for any business logic you need

Where you've seen this: Duolingo's "Earn 50 XP today" daily quests. Xbox achievements that require multiple sub-tasks. Fitness apps with "Complete 5 workouts and log 10,000 steps this week" goals.

What you can build: An onboarding challenge that rewards new users for completing their profile, making their first purchase, and inviting a friend. A seasonal event like "Spring Sprint: earn 500 XP, maintain a 7-day streak, and reach Silver tier for bonus points." A learning platform challenge where students must complete 3 quizzes, reach Level 10, and earn the "Quick Learner" achievement to unlock a certificate.

✖️ DB-Backed Multipliers

The old class-based multiplier system has been replaced entirely. Multipliers are now database records you can create, schedule, scope, and toggle at runtime. No code deployments needed.

Multiplier::create([
    'name' => 'Double XP Weekend',
    'multiplier' => 2,
    'is_active' => true,
    'starts_at' => '2026-04-05 00:00:00',
    'expires_at' => '2026-04-07 23:59:59',
]);

Scope multipliers to specific users or tiers, schedule them with time windows, and choose how multiple multipliers stack together: compound (multiply), additive (sum), or highest-wins.

Where you've seen this: Every mobile game's "Double XP Weekend" event. Duolingo's XP boost items. Starbucks double-star days for rewards members.

What you can build: An admin panel where your marketing team schedules "3x XP" events for holidays without touching code. VIP multipliers that only apply to paying subscribers. A referral multiplier that gives the referrer a temporary 1.5x boost.

⬆️ Upgrading from v1

We've written a detailed upgrade guide that covers every breaking change: UPGRADE.md

The short version:

1. Update your dependency: composer require cjmellor/level-up:"^2.0"
2. Publish and run new migrations: php artisan vendor:publish --tag="level-up-migrations" && php artisan migrate
3. Re-publish the config: php artisan vendor:publish --tag="level-up-config" --force
4. Review the breaking changes in UPGRADE.md and update your code

Requirements: PHP 8.3+ and Laravel 12 or 13.

🚀 Boost Skills

Level Up v2 ships with Boost skills — AI-powered development guides that live inside the package. If you use AI coding tools (like Claude Code), the Boost skills give your AI assistant deep knowledge of every Level Up feature, API, and pattern.

There are two skills included:

• level-up-development — Comprehensive reference for building with Level Up. Your AI assistant will know every method, event, config option, and common pattern without you having to explain anything.
• level-up-upgrade-v2 — Automated upgrade assistant. Point it at your codebase and it will scan for every v1 API usage that needs updating, apply the changes, and verify with your test suite.

The skills are in resources/boost/ — check the Laravel Boost documentation for how to install them into your AI workflow.

🔮 What's next

v2 is the foundation. There's more planned for future releases:

• Quests — Chain challenges into ordered sequences. Complete one, the next unlocks. Great for onboarding flows and seasonal events.
• Cohort Leagues — Duolingo-style weekly competitions where users are grouped into small cohorts and compete for promotion. No open-source package offers this today.
• Declarative Reward Rules — Map Eloquent model events directly to gamification actions. "When a user creates a post, award 10 XP" — defined in the database, no scattered addPoints() calls in your controllers.
• Rewards Catalog — Let users spend their XP on rewards (coupons, feature unlocks, cosmetics). Closes the earn-spend gamification loop.

These features will ship incrementally. If any of them are particularly interesting to you, let me know in the comments 💬

Thanks to everyone who has used and contributed to Level Up. Excited to see what you build with v2 ⚡