Motif · Book 2, Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Sponsorship
The patron system Mordecai explains in the tutorial guild — organisations that sponsor a crawler by buying boxes, and the Benefactor Boxes only patrons can send — changed by the AI as the second floor opens: three patron slots per crawler, each auctioned for one day as the fourth, fifth and sixth floors open, bids from one credit, and 'the more your patron pays for you, the more and higher-quality Benefactor Boxes you may receive.'
Segment appearances
Arc
Announced in a patch note: the sponsorship program does not officially begin until the fourth floor, but potential sponsors may place early bids now, so 'remember to be as entertaining as possible!' (ch. 7). Mordecai mentions it among the patch notes (ch. 13); Mordecai puts Donut's fight with the dogs after the third round of sponsorships, 'so on or after the sixth' (ch. 21).