How DuelDuck resolves prediction duels. Creator resolution rules, platform admin role, 10-day dispute window, source of truth, transparent settlement.
Key Takeaways
Every DuelDuck duel resolves in one of two ways, chosen by the creator at the time of publication: creator resolution (the creator manually declares YES or NO after the event) or platform admin resolution (DuelDuck admin applies the stated criteria without creator involvement).
Creator-resolved duels carry a 10-day dispute window after resolution. Participants who believe the outcome is wrong can raise a dispute. DuelDuck admin reviews and can override the creator's decision.
Creators who resolve incorrectly face -10 to full reset reputation point penalties and restrictions on future self-resolve access. Platform-resolved duels bypass this risk entirely. New creators should default to platform resolution. Set your preference at duelduck.com/create-duel.
Dimension | Creator resolves | Platform admin resolves |
Who declares outcome | Creator (manually, after event) | DuelDuck admin (automatically or manually) |
Creator control | Full - creator interprets criteria | None - admin interprets criteria |
Dispute window | 10 days (participants can challenge) | Not applicable |
Reputation risk | Yes - -10 to full reset points for incorrect resolution | No - admin bears resolution risk |
Self-resolve restriction | Yes - repeated errors restrict access | Not applicable |
Creator fee earned | Yes - same fee regardless | Yes - same fee regardless |
Speed of payout | After creator resolves + 10-day window closes | After admin resolves (no dispute window) |
Creator participating in own duel | Not recommended - conflict of interest | Recommended - no conflict |
Best for | Experienced creators; unambiguous public data sources | New creators; ambiguous outcomes; creator is also participant |
When a creator chooses to self-resolve, they take responsibility for the accuracy and timeliness of the outcome declaration.
Step 1: The event occurs. The real-world event referenced in the duel question happens — the match ends, the announcement is made, the price threshold is hit.
Step 2: Creator monitors and confirms. The creator checks the resolution source stated in the duel question (official announcement, exchange price feed, published result) and confirms the outcome against the YES/NO criteria.
Step 3: Creator declares YES or NO. The creator opens the duel and submits the resolution. This triggers the payout calculation.
Step 4: 10-day dispute window opens. Participants have 10 days to raise a dispute if they believe the resolution is incorrect. During this window, payouts are pending.
Step 5: Dispute window closes. If no dispute is raised, or if a dispute is reviewed and dismissed, payouts settle. USDC transfers to winning participants' wallets in 400 milliseconds on Solana.
Step 6: Creator fee arrives. The creator's net fee (up to 5% of the losing pool) is credited to their DuelDuck account simultaneously with participant payouts.
When a creator selects platform resolution, DuelDuck admin takes over the outcome declaration entirely. The creator's role ends at publication.
Event occurs. The real-world event happens.
Admin monitors and applies criteria. DuelDuck admin checks the outcome against the duel's stated resolution criteria and resolution source. This does not require any action from the creator.
Admin declares outcome. YES or NO is applied. No dispute window applies — admin resolution is final.
Payouts settle immediately. USDC transfers to winning participants in 400 milliseconds. Creator fee arrives simultaneously.
The trade-off: the creator loses interpretive control. If the duel's resolution criteria have any ambiguity — for example, 'Will Arsenal dominate the match?' has no objective measure — admin must make a judgment call. Well-written, specific criteria (named data source, specific threshold, official announcement) minimise this risk regardless of who resolves.
DuelDuck's reputation system is the primary quality control mechanism for creator-resolved duels. Reputation is visible on a creator's profile at duelduck.com/profile and is factored into platform trust calculations.
Reputation event | Points impact | Effect |
Correct resolution (consistent) | Gradual positive accumulation | Builds community trust; pools fill faster |
Incorrect resolution (confirmed by admin) | Immediate -10 or full reset of points | Visible on profile; damages participant confidence |
Repeated incorrect resolutions | Escalating penalties | Self-resolve access restricted or removed |
Dispute filed and upheld (creator was wrong) | Penalty applied retroactively | Also refunds affected participants from creator fee |
Dispute filed and dismissed (creator was correct) | No penalty | Creator reputation intact; dispute system validated |
The asymmetry is intentional: reputation is hard to build and easy to lose. A creator with 50 correctly resolved duels and a clean reputation attracts participants who would not enter a duel from an unknown account. That reputation is a real economic asset — it determines pool fill speed, which determines creator fee income and leaderboard Commission Score.
Most resolution disputes arise from poorly written questions. A question that seems clear to the creator may be ambiguous to participants. The resolution criteria should be so specific that both sides agree on the resolution before the event occurs.
Question type | Example (vague) | Example (unambiguous) | Why better |
Sports result | Will Arsenal win? | Will Arsenal beat PSG in the UCL Final on May 28? (official match result) | Names both teams, match, date, result source |
Price threshold | Will Bitcoin go up? | Will BTC close above $90,000 on CoinGecko daily close on June 30? | Specific price, specific source, specific date |
Announcement | Will Apple announce something new? | Will Apple announce HomePad at WWDC on June 8? (official Apple keynote) | Named product, named event, named date, named source |
Statistical outcome | Will the match have lots of goals? | Will the Arsenal vs PSG UCL Final have more than 2.5 goals? (official UEFA match report) | Specific number, specific source, no judgment needed |
Include the resolution source in the question text itself, not just in the deadline field. Participants decide whether to enter based on the question. A question that names the source ('CoinGecko daily close', 'official UEFA match report', 'Apple's own press release') makes resolution criteria transparent before entry.
Situation | Recommended resolution | Reason |
New creator (under 10 duels) | Platform admin | No track record; admin resolution builds trust without risk |
Creator is also participating in the duel | Platform admin | Conflict of interest; creator resolution risks appearing biased |
Outcome resolves on verifiable public data (price feeds, official results) | Either (creator is fine if experienced) | Unambiguous resolution; dispute unlikely regardless |
Outcome requires interpretation (subjective outcomes) | Platform admin | Admin judgment is more defensible to participants than creator judgment |
Time-sensitive resolution required | Creator (if experienced) | Admin resolution timing may vary; creator can resolve immediately |
High-value pool ($500+ USDC) | Platform admin | Higher stakes mean higher dispute risk; admin resolution protects reputation |
Creator with 50+ correctly resolved duels | Either | Established track record reduces dispute probability |
If a participant raises a dispute and DuelDuck admin upholds it (confirming the creator resolved incorrectly), the following occurs:
The resolution is overridden by admin to the correct outcome.
Payouts are recalculated based on the correct outcome.
The creator receives -10 to -20 reputation points.
Depending on the severity and pattern, self-resolve access may be restricted.
Creator fees already distributed may be subject to clawback in cases of deliberate incorrect resolution, according to DuelDuck's platform policies. The specific clawback mechanics are documented at duelduck.com/terms-and-conditions.
Before entering any creator-resolved duel on DuelDuck, check three things:
Check the resolution type. The duel card shows whether the creator or platform resolves. If creator-resolved, check the creator's profile reputation score and history of resolved duels.
Check the resolution criteria. Read the full question. Does it name a specific, verifiable data source? If the question is vague or subjective, the creator has more interpretive latitude — and more potential for disputed resolution.
Check the creator's track record. New accounts with no resolution history carry more risk than creators with 20+ correctly resolved duels. Browse creator profiles at duelduck.com/duels to see who created the duel.
By joining a creator-resolved duel, participants accept the risk that the resolution may be incorrect or biased. This is a disclosed limitation of the P2P model. Platform-resolved duels remove this risk entirely.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Resolution mechanics are subject to change. This platform is intended for 18+ users. See duelduck.com/terms-and-conditions and duelduck.com/responsible-gaming-policy.
DuelDuck duels resolve in one of two ways set at creation: creator resolution (the creator manually declares YES or NO after the event) or platform admin resolution (DuelDuck admin applies the stated criteria). Creator-resolved duels have a 10-day dispute window during which participants can challenge incorrect outcomes. Platform-resolved duels have no dispute window — admin resolution is final. Both paths settle payouts in USDC on Solana in 400 milliseconds after resolution. Set your preference at duelduck.com/create-duel.
The 10-day dispute window is the period after a creator-resolved duel declares an outcome during which participants can challenge the resolution. DuelDuck admin reviews disputes against the stated criteria and real-world event result. If the admin upholds the dispute (creator was wrong), the resolution is overridden, payouts are recalculated, and the creator receives -10 to full reset of reputation points. If the admin dismisses the dispute (creator was right), no penalty applies and payouts process normally.
Creators who resolve incorrectly face -10 to full reset of reputation point penalties, visible on their public profile. Repeated incorrect resolutions result in escalating penalties and potential restriction of self-resolve access. DuelDuck's reputation system is asymmetric: gains are gradual; losses are immediate. A creator with a damaged reputation fills pools more slowly because participants factor resolution trustworthiness into their decision to enter. Full terms are at duelduck.com/terms-and-conditions.
New creators should default to platform admin resolution. Without an established reputation track record, participants have no basis to trust a creator-resolved outcome. Platform resolution removes the reputation risk entirely while earning the same creator fee. After 10-20 correctly resolved duels, a creator can consider switching to self-resolution for duels where they have direct access to unambiguous public resolution data. Create your first duel at duelduck.com/create-duel.
Technically yes, but it creates a conflict of interest that DuelDuck strongly discourages. A creator who voted YES and then resolves YES is in a position where financial interest and resolution accuracy may conflict. Platform admin resolution removes this conflict entirely. DuelDuck recommends: if you plan to participate in your own duel, choose platform admin resolution at creation time.
During the 10-day dispute window, participants can raise a dispute through the duel interface. Navigate to the resolved duel at duelduck.com/duels, open the dispute option, and submit your evidence that the resolution criteria were not met. DuelDuck admin reviews the stated criteria, the resolution source named in the question, and the real-world outcome. Contact the DuelDuck team via Discord at discord.gg/bDdTRheD2a if you need assistance with a dispute.
No. Polymarket resolves disputes through UMA token governance — a decentralised process where token holders vote on contested outcomes. This process has produced well-documented failures including the Venezuela 2024 election contract and the Ukraine mineral deal. DuelDuck's platform admin resolution involves a human admin reviewing stated criteria against real-world outcomes directly, without token governance mechanics. The 10-day dispute window is longer than Polymarket's standard challenge period, giving participants more time to identify and raise issues before payouts finalise.