The new WATA holder is finally arriving! Before we officially usher in the next generation of video game grading, we have answers to your most frequently asked questions.
If you have questions that you don’t see answered here, please reach out to us!
Q: What is the cut-off date?
A: Any orders placed after April 24, 2023 at 12:00AM (PST) will be encapsulated in the new holder. Any orders placed and received before April 24, 2023 at 12:00AM (PST) will be encapsulated in the Legacy holder.
Q: What if I have an order placed before April 24 but I still haven’t mailed it to you?
A: For orders placed prior to April 24, we are providing a 3-week grace period until May 15 to receive your orders here at WATA. Orders placed prior to April 24 and received before May 15 will be encapsulated in the Legacy holder. All orders received after May 15, regardless of when they were placed, will be encapsulated in the new holder.
Q: After May 15, 2023 will I have another opportunity to get my games encapsulated in the Legacy holder?
A: We have created a “Legacy Case” add-on to our website during the submission process, which is not active at this time. This summer, we will be enabling the option for a short time, and we intend to make this offering available on a seasonal basis. Between May 15 and the summer, there will be no other opportunity to receive the Legacy holder. We will be communicating Legacy case openings through social media and the monthly newsletter.
Q: What if I have a game that needs to be re-holdered?
A: The same guidelines for standard submissions apply to re-holders. This means that any re-holders after May 15 will be encapsulated in the new case, except for during designated windows. Therefore, Legacy cases sent in for re-holders will be sent back to you in new cases.
Q: Can I make an additional request or pay extra to get a Legacy holder?
A: At this time no accommodations will be made for the Legacy holder outside of the designated, seasonal windows.
Q: Are the new cases UV protected?
A: The new cases are made from Polycarbonate, which blocks 100% of wavelengths below 400nm (which is the whole UV spectrum). While care should always be used and direct sunlight should be avoided as a best practice, the protection provided with the new cases is higher than anything currently in the market.
Q: What if I have a game that the Legacy case accommodates but the New holder does not?
A: Some games, such as Japanese N64, PC Small Box, or SNES cartridges will not fit in the new holder. These select games will continue to be encapsulated in the Legacy holder by default without the option to submit these in the new holder.
Q: Are there any new offerings with the new case?
On April 24, Game Gear, PS Vita, PSP, and 3DS will all be newly eligible for submission. Similar to the few games that can only be encapsulated in the legacy holder, these new consoles will only be available in the new holder. This means that when the Legacy holder option is made available, these new consoles will not be eligible for submitting in the Legacy holder.
Q: What is happening to Deep Badges?
A: The Deep Badge add-on will be disabled and unavailable for an indefinite time. When it is made available again, we will communicate on social media and through the monthly newsletter.
Q: Are there any changes to the labels or Flow colors?
A: The “DNA” of the WATA label remains intact with all pertinent information still reflected. Flow holograms will remain the same with Blue, Green, Silver, and Red indicating the various states and types of game. You can find the meanings of the colors, along with the Gen vs. Rating description here.
