Topstep has released Drop #005 in its Labs series: a limited $6K Challenge priced at $149 one-time.
The structure is simple and aggressive. Make $6,000 without exceeding a $2,000 static max loss. Then do it again on a fresh round with the same rules. Pass both and you keep the full $6,000. No daily loss limit, no consistency rule, no minimum trading days, no profit split, and a hard contract cap of 1 mini or 10 micros.
Josh Schwartzberg (Head of Innovation, Topstep Labs) posted the drop on 17 September. Official Labs page confirms limited availability and a max of 5 per trader. Earlier Labs challenges used the same two-round format at lower dollar amounts ($3K and $1.5K).
Community reaction is split. Some traders like the clean finish line and zero soft rules. Others point out the math is tougher than the older $49 / $3K version: the fee more than tripled while the drawdown-to-target ratio stayed 1:3 and the contract limit did not scale up.
What it means for traders
This is an experimental product, not a replacement for the regular Combine or XFA path. It is high risk relative to the fee because the $2,000 static loss has to carry two full $6,000 targets. If you already run Topstep accounts, the 5-per-trader limit lets you stack a few alongside normal evaluations.
Our Take: Clean rules are the appeal. The contract cap and price relative to older drops are the friction. Treat it as a short, high-variance experiment rather than a core funding path.
Sources & Evidence
- 🟢 Primary source: Topstep Labs official page (Drop #005 $6K Challenge)
- 🔵 Independent source: Josh Schwartzberg (@dotjosh) announcement
- 🔵 Independent source: The Prop Journalist analysis (17 Sep)
