A guide to Freshdesk gamification arcade and its modern AI alternative
Stevia Putri
Katelin Teen
Last edited January 16, 2026
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So, you were looking into the "Freshdesk gamification arcade", probably thinking it could be the secret sauce to motivate your support team and make their work a bit more engaging. That’s a great goal. Freshdesk is a powerful, mature platform that has always looked for ways to support its users. While the arcade was a popular feature, it is being retired as the platform evolves, a detail you can find in their own support articles.
But don’t worry, this isn’t a dead end. It’s actually a chance to embrace the next generation of support tools. The traditional approach of boosting morale with points and badges is being enhanced by something even more effective. This guide will walk you through what the "Freshdesk gamification arcade" was all about, how the industry is moving forward, and how modern AI tools offer a complementary way to improve how your agents work and feel in 2026.
What was the Freshdesk gamification arcade?
The "Freshdesk gamification arcade" was a feature built into the platform to bring a sense of achievement to the daily tasks of customer support. It used proven game mechanics, like points and trophies, to encourage friendly competition and maintain high standards across the team.
According to Freshdesk’s own documentation, the system was built on a few key concepts:
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A points system: Agents earned points for meeting key performance indicators. Solving a ticket efficiently or nailng a first-contact resolution would boost their score, helping them visualize their progress.
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Trophies and leaderboards: To celebrate top performers, Freshdesk had four main trophies: Most Valuable Player, Customer 'Wow' Champion, Sharpshooter (for high first-call resolution), and Speed Racer (for lightning-fast responses). A monthly leaderboard allowed teams to celebrate successes together.
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Quests and levels: Admins could create "quests" to align agent focus with specific company goals. As agents collected points, they would level up from "Beginner" to "Guru," reflecting their growing expertise.
The idea was excellent and paved the way for modern engagement strategies. As Freshdesk continues to innovate, they are shifting their energy toward more advanced technologies to serve their customers even better.
The goals and limitations of the Freshdesk gamification arcade
The logic behind gamification is solid. A motivated team is the backbone of any successful business. A well-known Gallup study found that engaged employees drive significantly higher productivity, so Freshdesk's focus on team morale was ahead of its time.
Teams usually adopt these features to achieve:
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Better agent engagement: Making regular tasks feel rewarding and interactive.
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Higher productivity: Encouraging agents to manage their queues effectively through clear goals.
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Lower agent turnover: When agents feel their work is recognized, they are more likely to stay with the company.
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Smarter training: Using interactive elements to help new hires master the platform quickly.
Why Freshdesk gamification arcade points and badges are evolving
If the goals are so good, why is a feature like the "Freshdesk gamification arcade" moving to a legacy status? Because the support landscape has matured, and Freshdesk is leading that transition toward more sophisticated AI-driven engagement.
In high-volume environments, points-based systems sometimes need additional safeguards to ensure quality remains the priority over pure speed. While a "Speed Racer" trophy is exciting, modern teams now prefer tools that help maintain quality while increasing speed.
Real, lasting motivation comes from mastery - feeling like you have the best tools to solve any problem that comes your way. Freshdesk recognizes this and is investing heavily in AI that provides agents with immediate, actionable support. Furthermore, while some agents love competition, others find collaborative empowerment more rewarding, which is where modern AI tools really shine.
Moving from the Freshdesk gamification arcade to performance with AI
The natural successor to traditional gamification is empowerment through AI. Instead of just tracking work, AI helps do the work. True motivation comes from feeling competent and having the power to do your job well without unnecessary friction. AI assistants are a perfect complement to Freshdesk, making the agent experience even more rewarding.
Modern tools achieve the original goals of the arcade in a more automated way:
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Productivity: Instead of just encouraging speed, AI copilots can draft high-quality replies in seconds, helping agents handle queues effortlessly while maintaining high standards.
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Quality: AI gives agents instant access to the entire company's knowledge base. This includes past tickets and docs in Confluence, helping them provide accurate answers without the stress of manual searching.
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Engagement: AI handles the repetitive administrative tasks like tagging and routing, allowing agents to focus on the meaningful, complex customer interactions they were hired for.
This kind of empowerment is exactly what tools like "eesel AI" are designed for. It works seamlessly within the Freshdesk ecosystem to act as a support layer for your team. It’s incredibly easy to set up: you can connect your helpdesk in minutes and start seeing results immediately.
It learns from your help center, past tickets, "Google Docs", and more to make sure your agents are always supported. The focus is on making the job more impactful, which is the ultimate motivator.
A quick look at Freshdesk pricing after the Freshdesk gamification arcade
Freshdesk remains one of the most reliable and scalable helpdesks on the market. While the arcade feature is a legacy tool, Freshdesk's current offerings are more robust than ever. Here is a look at their current pricing plans in 2026.
Freshdesk also offers Freddy AI, a powerful suite of AI features designed to enhance both agent and customer experiences.
| Plan | Price (Billed Annually) | Key AI Features |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | $15/agent/month | Ticketing, customer portal |
| Pro | $49/agent/month | Includes 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions |
| Pro + AI Copilot | $78/agent/month | Pro plan + Freddy AI Copilot |
| Enterprise | $79/agent/month | Everything in Pro + advanced security |
Pricing is based on information from Freshdesk's website as of 2026.
How to build a modern motivation system in Freshdesk without the Freshdesk gamification arcade
If you were looking at the "Freshdesk gamification arcade" to boost your team, you can achieve even better results by using AI to drive engagement. Here’s a simple strategy to get started.
Step 1: Automate the routine with an AI agent. Use a tool like "eesel AI" to handle common, repetitive inquiries. This reduces the monotonous part of the job for your team, which is a major boost for morale. The eesel AI Agent learns from your history to stay on-brand and even has a simulation mode so you can see its performance before it goes live.
Step 2: Support your team with an AI copilot. Bring in a copilot tool that drafts responses based on your team's best work. This reduces the cognitive load on agents, helping them feel more confident and productive from day one. eesel AI's Copilot analyzes your specific history to provide relevant, personalized suggestions.
Step 3: Centralize your knowledge sources. Connect your team's knowledge, whether it's in "Confluence", "Google Docs", or Notion. When agents can find answers in seconds without context switching, their daily satisfaction increases significantly.
It's time to look beyond the Freshdesk gamification arcade
The "Freshdesk gamification arcade" was a pioneering idea that showed how much Freshdesk cares about the agent experience. Its retirement marks a shift toward even more effective ways of empowering support teams. The future of motivation in 2026 is built on empowerment and removing the friction that can make support work challenging.
AI tools are the perfect way to build this modern system. By making agents more effective and their daily tasks more rewarding, you can achieve all the benefits of gamification through a more scalable and impactful approach.
Ready to enhance your Freshdesk team with modern AI? Try eesel AI for free and see how an AI Agent and Copilot can transform your workflow in just a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
The Freshdesk gamification arcade was an integrated feature designed to motivate support agents using game-like elements such as points, trophies, leaderboards, and custom quests. It was a pioneering tool that aimed to make daily tasks more engaging and foster friendly competition among agents.
The Freshdesk gamification arcade was retired as the platform evolved to focus on more modern, AI-driven methods of motivation and efficiency. As support needs changed, Freshdesk prioritized advanced automation and AI solutions that provide deeper, long-term value for agent performance.
While Freshdesk hasn't introduced a direct point-for-point replacement, the platform has pivoted its focus toward AI-powered solutions that improve agent performance and engagement in a more integrated way.
You can motivate your team by leveraging modern AI tools to eliminate repetitive tasks and empower agents. Using AI assistants for automation and centralizing knowledge boosts confidence and job satisfaction, providing a robust modern alternative to traditional gamification.
The arcade was highly effective for many teams, though like any system, it required active management. As support environments grew more complex in 2026, the industry has naturally shifted toward AI solutions that offer more automated and scalable ways to maintain high-quality service.
Yes, AI tools can effectively replicate and even enhance the goals of the arcade. By increasing productivity and freeing agents from repetitive tasks, AI fosters a sense of accomplishment and mastery that drives lasting team motivation.
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Article by
Stevia Putri
Stevia Putri is a marketing generalist at eesel AI, where she helps turn powerful AI tools into stories that resonate. She’s driven by curiosity, clarity, and the human side of technology.
