Game Research Report
Build the Deck of Ultimate Gods: Gods Unchained Research Report
XPAD
Feb 22, 2023
Build the Ultimate Deck of Gods
Gods Unchained is a free-to-play, play-to-earn trading card game built on the Ethereum blockchain. The game has been in development since in 2018 under the leadership of Nick Clay, former director of the Magic The Gathering Arena, and was one of the first of its genre to include crypto elements.
As in the classic trading card games, players build their deck and compete against each other for rewards and glory. Gods Unchained gives players true ownership of in-game assets by making them NFTs, which players can trade on the ImmutableX Marketplace.
With a rich lore, frequent new card expansions, and the utility provided by the $GODS token, Gods Unchained has become a reference in the blockchain gaming space.
TOKENOMICS & BUSINESS MODEL
Gods Unchained's core currency is $GODS, an ERC-20 token that will be used for governance, crafting new NFTs, making in-game purchases, and is also a key component of the Play-to-Earn loop.
The P2E Rewards Pool accounts for 34% of the total token supply, highlighting the importance of the token in the whole ecosystem. The token will be allocated to a variety of P2E campaigns, such as weekend ranked matches, the daily token reward system, quests, tournaments, and others.
Gods Unchained follows a free-to-play model, where optional monetized content and features are released over time and are not required to play the game. The main way this is achieved is through expansion sets that are sold for a limited time. While users can unlock core cards through play, the expansion sets have a finite amount of NFTs, making them scarce in comparison. Five expansions have been released to date.
Within the motto of "free-to-play," there’s an in-game resource called Stars. You get them by winning ranked matches, and they can be used in the Star Store to buy new off-chain cards from the Core and Welcome Sets.
Secondary market royalties are another source of revenue. These are added to the rewards from the staking pool. Fee percentages vary depending on the card. As the trading economy expands, so will the money from royalty payments.
The latest P2E mechanic introduced was “Daily Play & Earn” which rewards players with $GODS tokens. By playing ranked matches, players can earn points called Fragments from the first 10 Ranked matches of the day. Only wins generate Fragments and the first 3 wins generate double the Fragments.
The amount of Fragments you can earn from winning a match depends on various factors, such as your Rank, how many wins you get, and the Shine Quality of the cards you use in the match.
The Fragment rewards will be translated to $GODS tokens and functions via a shared pool which varies based on the numbers of active players over the previous two days. Players receive a percentage of the pool based on their percentage of the total Fragments earned that day across the entire player base. Although the rewards are given daily, players can only redeem them after a 7 day period.
Then there are the Weekend Ranked events. Competing in them will reward players with valuable card packs from the latest expansion set based on the number of wins in the first 18 matches and also their starting rank at the beginning of the event.
Regardless of when you play, for each ranked match, players gain experience that counts towards their account level. At every level, players receive a core card pack as a reward.
The last P2E mechanic involves an in-game resource called “Flux”. Players received it for the first 3 wins with each god per day, making it possible to receive Flux 18 times per day.
Flux, in conjunction with the $GODS token, allows players to fuse cards via the Forge.
Fusing is the process of combining two or more identical existing cards into a single card of better quality. Despite giving just an aesthetic effect, the new card becomes an NFT and therefore gains real-world value as it may be traded in the marketplace.
TEAM, INVESTORS & PARTNERS
Immutable is an industry-leading blockchain business supported by investors, including Naspers, Galaxy Digital, Coinbase, Bitkraft Ventures, and Fabric Ventures with $77 million in venture capital funding. The company's products include Gods Unchained, Immutable X, the first Ethereum layer 2 intended for non-fungible tokens, and the forthcoming mobile game Guild of Guardians.
Over 50 full-time employees are working on Gods Unchained. The team is composed of experts from top companies like Riot Games, Electronic Arts, Goldman Sachs, and many others. These experts have a lot of knowledge in many different areas of game development and blockchain engineering.
Chris Clay, the former game director of Magic: The Gathering Arena, is the team's leader. Clay is one of several Immutable leaders who have contributed to games and technologies used by millions of people today.
Nic Watt, VP of Product, formerly held the position of Lead User Experience Designer for League of Legends at Riot Games. Before that, he was a lead designer for EA and started his own studio, Nnooo, which he worked on for more than a decade.
Matt Aldrich, Lead Art Director, has been focused on creating world-class game art for more than two decades, working on franchises such as Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed, James Bond, Lord of the Rings, FIFA, and Star Wars.
Derek Proud, Producer, is a veteran of the video game industry with over twenty years of expertise. His work includes Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cars, Spongebob Squarepants, and Jimmy Neutron, among others.
Arash Mahboubi, Crypto Product Lead, has spent the last four years building the core technology that governs the Ethereum network, and before that, he helped bring blockchain Dapps to mainstream consumers.
With an experienced team and the backing of such prominent names, Gods Unchained has the potential to provide a high-quality game that can genuinely compete with established industry games, as well as provide a friendly entry point to increase blockchain-based technology adoption, education, and awareness.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Gods Unchained is one of the references in this space, and together with a few competitors like Splinterlands or SkyWeaver, they managed to create a good player base and audience around them.
The genre, however, is becoming saturated, with fewer distinctive elements setting the games apart from each other, which makes it increasingly difficult for new releases to stand out.
While many are still in development, games like Parallel and Cross The Ages have actually managed to create momentum and build large communities despite not having launched yet.
All of it in a time where the big web2 franchises have yet to transition to web3. If and when they do, they might overtake a significant part of the market and make it even more competitive.
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May's Web3 Gaming Monthly Report
Jun 7th, 2023
Monthly Report
May Digest; In May, around 22 million UAW engaged with blockchain games, slightly increasing the daily player average to roughly 715,000 from the previous month's stats. AI will reshape the gaming world by creating unique content, improving user experiences, and cutting development costs. However, it needs cautious use due to potential legal and privacy issues. Immutable continues to make significant strides in the web3 gaming space. With over 150 game projects in development, the future of Immutable promises to continue its groundbreaking journey in the web3 gaming sphere. Ubisoft, in collaboration with Integral Reality Labs, is launching Assassin's Creed Smart Collectibles, combining NFTs and physical collectibles. Using Polygon-minted "Digital Soul" NFTs, fans can customize 3D-printed collectibles based on Assassin's Creed characters. BLOCKCHAIN GAMING ON-CHAIN DATA In May, we saw about 22 million unique active wallets (UAWs) jump into the blockchain gaming scene, giving us an average daily player count of roughly 715,000. There's a bit of an uptick here from last month's numbers. The top 10 list has seen a few twists and turns. Iskra's back in action (seems like DappRadar might've ironed out a metric issue from last month). Plus, we have three entries that stand out from the pack - particularly Pixels and Hippo Dash. Just a quick heads-up about Axie Infinity - it's been on a bit of a downward slide for the past few months, barely clinging onto its spot in the top 10. REVOLUTIONIZING WEB3 GAMING WITH AI Generative AI has been causing quite a stir with its ability to generate new and unique content. This type of AI is being explored with significant interest in both the Web3 and gaming industries. However, industry professionals advise a thoughtful approach in employing this technology, as overreliance could lead to unforeseen implications. Currently, generative AI tools are being extensively trialed and integrated in the gaming sector. They're proficient in generating text or images from prompts, thereby aiding in the creation of diverse styles and themes. Moreover, they serve as a boon for developers by aiding in brainstorming game concepts and catalyzing the creative process. Generative AI also shines in various aspects of game development. It plays a role in world building, character creation, and prototyping. This technology is even capable of producing functioning code, thereby helping with early prototyping and debugging. One of the interesting applications of generative AI is in developing non-player characters (NPCs) and chatbots with their own goals and personalities. This aspect is particularly valuable when populating virtual worlds or "metaverses" with interactive characters. Developers are able to drastically cut costs using AI tools, thereby freeing up resources for other areas. Several successful instances of AI integration exist in the gaming industry, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator. In partnership with blackshark.ai, Microsoft trained an AI to generate a photorealistic 3D replica of the entire planet based on satellite imagery. This would have been otherwise an impossible task to perform with reasonable time and resources. The beauty of it is that it's not just about making things look pretty. AI can run the show behind the scenes, too. Think managing virtual economies, sniffing out cheaters, and watching out for fraud in Web3 games. The result? A more engaging, immersive, and safer gaming experience. This successful integration of AI in the web3 gaming landscape hints at an exciting future for the industry. AI is poised to improve player experiences and drastically reduce the resources required for developing fully realized virtual worlds. In the future, we might witness the emergence of "micro game studios" who leverage these AI tools to expedite game creation. While AI is pretty cool, it's essential to keep a level head about what it can and can't do in the near term. We have to tread carefully when it comes to the brave new world of blockchain gaming and Web3, what with all the potential issues around copyrights, privacy, and the like. As the technology evolves the innovative uses for AI are set to skyrocket. It's an exciting time to be alive, with all these smart tools and technologies helping us navigate the future. Immutable: Pioneering the Web3 Gaming Revolution Immutable, the Sydney-based web3 gaming platform, continues to make significant strides in the gaming industry. Launched in 2018, Immutable's mission is to foster digital ownership and streamline the adoption of web3 games for mainstream audiences. With the backing of reputable crypto venture capital funds and tech investors, including Bitkraft Ventures, King River Capital, AirTree, Temasek, and Coinbase, Immutable has rapidly ascended to the forefront of the web3 gaming revolution. One of the platform's major selling points is its comprehensive suite of pre-built solutions that enhance developers' capabilities and redefine how they create, launch, and distribute games. These solutions expedite game launches while maintaining high levels of security and a stellar gaming experience. Another noteworthy aspect of Immutable's operations is its commitment to implementing zero-knowledge (ZK) scaling solutions for Ethereum. This approach, through products such as Immutable X and Immutable zkEVM, reduces transaction costs and improves transaction speed, addressing two significant issues in blockchain gaming. The strategic alliance with Polygon is particularly significant. It provides full platform support for developers, enabling them to design high-quality games with true asset ownership. The newly introduced Immutable zkEVM, an EVM-compatible ZK-rollup, offers a holistic gaming solution, combining scalability, cost-efficiency, and seamlessinteroperability. Immutable hosts a vast array of web3 games that span across different genres and styles, showcasing its remarkable diversity. It has successfully partnered with major game studios and developers, resulting in a rich collection of popular titles and forthcoming releases. A flagship title on Immutable, Illuvium, exemplifies the platform's success. This game conducted one of the most successful NFT sales in history, raking in $72 million in land sales in just 72 hours. Another leading title, Gods Unchained, over the past year has witnessed the total hours of gameplay and number of games played nearly triple, reflecting its captivating allure among gamers. Noteworthy is the inclusion of IMVU on Immutable. This metaverse and social app boasting seven million monthly active users have found a reliable platform in Immutable. Furthermore, Cross The Ages, recently ranked as the number one gamein the App store, along with other titles such as Undead Blocks, Kiraverse, and Immortal Game showcase the diversity of games building on Immutable. Looking ahead, several eagerly awaited releases are set to launch on Immutable like Guild of Guardians, Shardbound, Ember Sword, Metalcore and Infinity Victory. The number of game projects currently in development on Immutable exceeds 150, while more than 25 ready-to-play games are available, highlighting Immutable's vibrant and rapidly growing portfolio in the web3 gaming ecosystem. Immutable is also tackling accessibility barriers in web3 gaming head-on with the Immutable Passport, a powerful single sign-on solution that simplifies user onboarding. Honestly, watching Immutable's journey in the web3 gaming world has been like watching a thrilling eSports match. Their commitment to and the way they've delivered their vision is downright inspirational. As the gaming industry gears up for more web3 action, the big question is: what's next for Immutable? If their past performance is any indicator, the answer's likely to be something groundbreaking. We're genuinely stoked to see where they go from here. Kudos to Immutable for such a strong game so far, and we can't wait to see what level they'll reach next in this exciting gaming saga. Assassin’s Creed NFTs Ubisoft, in partnership with Integral Reality Labs, is launching an innovative project titled Assassin's Creed Smart Collectibles. This venture blends the domains NFTs and physical collectibles, enabling NFT holders to customize and obtain a unique 3D-printed collectible based on the renowned Assassin's Creed gaming franchise. The heart of the Smart Collectibles experience is the concept of "Digital Soul" NFTs. These NFTs, minted on Polygon, serve as a key that unlocks the customization and redemption of a physical collectible, such as a meticulously crafted 3D-printed representation of a character from Assassin's Creed. Prior to the collectible being printed and dispatched, NFT holders can personally select the character's attire, weaponry, and poses, making each piece unique. The level of customization available to NFT owners depends on the rarity of their Digital Soul NFT. Higher-tier NFTs offer broader customization options, creating a more exclusive and tailored collectible. The Smart Collectibles come equipped with an embedded NFC chip. This chip allows owners to tap their smartphone on the collectible and access a companion app, where they can view a digital character representation and enjoy additional features linked to the project. While Ubisoft has not yet announced specific pricing details for the Smart Collectibles, a pre-sale is scheduled to take place soon, causing anticipation among enthusiasts. Ubisoft continues to explore the potential of NFTs and blockchain technology, providing fans with a unique and personalized way to commemorate their favorite game series. As Ubisoft ventures deeper into NFTs and blockchain, we're seeing other industry giants opening up towards web3 technologies as well. EA Sports just announced they’re joining forces with Nike's .Swoosh NFT marketplace. This collaboration aims to bring virtual athletic attire into the gaming world. Although specific games have not been disclosed, the partnership aims to provide novel experiences for the .Swoosh community and EA Sports fans. More details about integrating Nike's NFTs, dubbed "virtual creations," into EA's games will be unveiled in the coming months. Significantly, other major game publishers such as Square Enix are integrating blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs into their games, a trend that is rapidly catching on globally. Square Enix, known for Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, is launching its NFT game, Symbiogenesis, on Ethereum's Polygon sidechain and has also made investments in the metaverse, specifically The Sandbox. In South Korea, companies Nexon and Krafton are preparing to launch games integrated with Polygon NFTs, while Zynga, based in the West, is also incorporating NFTs into its games. Other South Korean firms, NCSoft and Com2us, are developing NFT games on the Sui blockchain, with Com2us planning to release up to 15 blockchain games annually. These are just some more reasons for us to remain bullish on this space and we can’t wait for others to join the party. These recent developments just fuel our optimism and this is why we remain bullish on what's to come in this space. Seriously, it's like we're at the coolest party, and we can't wait for more folks to jump in and join the fun. OTHER NEWS HIGHLIGHTS ESL partners with crypto market gamification tool Runiverse Yuga Labs Hires Former Riot Games Executive Mike Seavers as New CTO Neowiz Launches $10M Grant Program for Web3 Games on Polygon Former Crypto Minecraft Game NFT Worlds Rebrand as Topia It’s Here! Axie Origins Season 4 Goes Live! Yesports partners with NFT strategy game Planet IX Aurory launches Prologue to Adventures experience The P2E Game, Champions Ascension, Migrates to Polygon Genopets Roadmap Update Blast.tv Paris Major to be first Counter-Strike event streamed live on TikTok Horizon Blockchain Games & Polygon Labs Join Forces to Shape the Future of Web3 Infrastructure GALA Token V2 and Gala Games Token Burn Web3 Lifestyle App STEPN Integrates Apple Pay for In-Game Purchases Gods Unchained Releases 2023 Roadmap Shoot-em-up to Earn with Grit Launch Metagame Industries Raises $100M for Web3 Game Abyss World Altura Offers Web3 Infrastructure Tailored to Gaming with NFT Pomerium Beefs Up Its Web3 Gaming Portfolio with $20M Investment Overwatch Maker Blizzard to Tap Into Generative AI Game Tools: NYT Grand Theft Auto 6 Crypto Rumors Are Swirling Again—Here’s What’s Going On Ubisoft's Rabbids Invade Reddit as Free NFTs Sony & Astar Network: Hosting the 'Web3 Incubation Program' Demo Day in June Nvidia Is Making Games More Lifelike With AI ONE Esports launches mobile app for Samsung Galaxy M80 Raises $3 Million to Expand 'Web3-Enabled' Esports Organization
XPAD
Web3 Gaming on Mobile: A Look at the Current State and Future Possibilities
May 10th, 2023
XPAD
Web3 gaming is an exciting new frontier in the world of gaming, and one that is poised to revolutionize the industry. At the heart of web3 gaming is blockchain technology, which allows for games to be decentralized and for players to truly own their in-game assets. This is a major shift from traditional gaming, where players are at the mercy of centralized game developers and often don't truly own anything they've earned in-game. One of the most exciting aspects of web3 gaming is its potential to be integrated with mobile devices. Mobile gaming is already a massive industry, with billions of people around the world playing games on their smartphones and tablets. With web3 technology, mobile gaming could become even more immersive and engaging, as players would be able to truly own their in-game assets and take them with them from game to game. Importance of mobile Mobile devices, particularly smartphones, have become ubiquitous in today's society, and they provide a convenient and accessible platform for players to engage with web3 games. A large percentage of the world's population owns a smartphone, and many people use them as their primary device for accessing the internet and playing games. With mobile devices, players can easily access web3 games from anywhere at any time, making it easier for them to engage with these games on a regular basis. Mobile devices also have a low barrier to entry for players, as they do not require expensive hardware or a high-speed internet connection to play. This can make web3 games more accessible to a wider audience. Additionally, mobile devices have made significant progress in terms of graphics and processing power which allows for more complex and graphically-intensive games to be developed and played on mobile devices. Benefiting from web3 games Web3 games also have several benefits beyond in-game asset ownership, such as true scarcity, increased engagement, new monetization opportunities and new game models. True scarcity is created by the ability to mint unique, rare and non-fungible assets on the blockchain, and therefore, have real-world value, which can be bought, sold, and traded on marketplaces. The ability to own and trade assets in web3 games can lead to increased engagement and retention of players, as they have a vested interest in the game and its economy. Additionally, web3 games provide new monetization opportunities for players, such as earning income from creating and selling in-game assets, or participating in governance and decision-making. Web3 games introduce new game models, such as play-to-earn and player-owned economies, which can create new opportunities for players and developers, and can lead to new forms of gaming and new ways to monetize them. There are already a number of popular mobile web3 games available, such as Axie Infinity, Thetan Arena or Splinterlands, and more everyday are announcing they intentions to bring their games to mobile, such as Gods Unchained and Undead Blocks. This is a major shift from traditional mobile gaming, where players often don't truly own anything they've earned in-game. Puzzle, Strategy, Tower Defense, Trading Card Games and RPGs are genres best suited for mobile web3 gaming. Challenges to overcome However, one of the biggest challenges facing web3 gaming on mobile devices is scalability. The blockchain networks that these games run on are still in their infancy, and they often struggle to handle the high number of transactions required for a large number of players. This can lead to slow performance and long waiting times for players, which can be a major turnoff. Developers can take several steps to overcome the scalability issue, such as using off-chain solutions, resort to layer 2 scaling solutions, or using a distributed infrastructure, like IPFS or Swarm to store game assets and data. Another challenge is usability. Many web3 games are still in their early stages and can be difficult for players to understand and navigate. This can be especially true for mobile games, where the smaller screens and touch-based controls can make it more difficult to interact with the game. Security is also a concern when it comes to web3 gaming on mobile devices. The decentralized nature of blockchain networks makes them more secure than traditional centralized systems, but there are still risks of hacking and other malicious attacks. This is something that game developers will need to keep in mind as they work to create more secure mobile web3 games. Conclusion Despite these challenges, the future of web3 gaming on mobile devices is bright. As blockchain technology continues to evolve and improve, it will become more scalable and easy to use, making it possible for more and more players to enjoy web3 games on their mobile devices. In fact, mobile might actually be one of the main catalyst for the success of web3 games overall. As mobile web3 games continue to grow in popularity, more game developers will be inspired to create their own web3 games, leading to a wider variety of games for players to enjoy.
XPAD
April's Web3 Gaming Monnthly Report
May 3rd, 2023
Monthly Report
April Digest; In April, around 20 million UAW engaged with blockchain games, at about 654,000 playing daily. The trend now shows a significant decrease compared to earlier months. XSET's signing of Web3 gaming content creator "Brycent" marks a new era in the industry, emphasizing the increasing importance of Web3 technology for the survival and success of esports organizations. As Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) turns two, it remains a leading NFT collection, expanding into the metaverse, gaming, and fashion. They've decentralized IP rights, enabling community members to build brands and sub-communities, and have set a high standard within the NFT industry. Exeedme Gaming 2.0 has launched, introducing new features such as additional games & competitions; a new soft token called Diamonds; USDT as a stable currency for competition prizes; and a new version of Game Mining. The update aims to cater to both crypto-savvy gamers and those who prefer traditional gaming experiences. BLOCKCHAIN GAMING ON-CHAIN DATA In April, approximately 20 million Unique Active Wallets (UAW) participated in blockchain gaming, averaging around 654,000 daily players. This figure represents a decline of more than 10% in comparison to the previous month. A closer look at the top 10 rankings reveals a similar trend, as the majority of games experienced a notable drop in UAW when compared to prior months. Source: DappRadar The esports industry is witnessing a paradigm shift as organizations begin to explore new technologies and revenue streams to stay relevant and competitive. XSET's recent signing of Bryce "Brycent" Johnson, a Web3 gaming content creator, signals the dawn of a new era in the gaming world, with Web3 technology becoming increasingly vital to the survival and success of esports organizations. Who is Brycent? If you’re into Web3 gaming and haven’t heard of Brycent, you’re doing it wrong. Bryce "Brycent" Johnson is a former software engineer turned full-time Web3 gaming content creator. With a following of approaching 300k across social media platforms, Brycent has successfully established himself as a prominent figure in the Web3 gaming space. He remains signed with Gary Vaynerchuk's VaynerSports as his talent management firm. What about XSET? Well, XSET is a professional esports and entertainment organization founded in 2020 by a group of former executives at FaZe Clan. It boasts an impressive roster of popular creators and athletes, such as rapper Swae Lee, NASCAR driver Anthony Alfredo, and gaming creator Avori. XSET is backed by prominent figures like Lil Wayne, Ozuna, Tee Grizzley, and Swae Lee and maintains professional teams in games such as Fortnite, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and many others. The partnership between XSET and Brycent underscores the growing importance of Web3 technology in the gaming industry. As the first of its kind in the esports gaming industry, this collaboration demonstrates that esports organizations are embracing Web3 gaming to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape. Web3 gaming provides new opportunities for monetization, fan engagement, and unique gaming experiences, making it essential for organizations to adapt or risk falling behind. Esports organizations have been facing numerous challenges, such as fierce competition for sponsorships, escalating costs of maintaining teams and infrastructure, and the financial strain of organizing events and tournaments. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges, as live events have been canceled or postponed, further impacting organizations' revenue streams. To overcome these hurdles, esports organizations must diversify their revenue sources and invest in new technologies like Web3 gaming. Other esports organizations, such as 100 Thieves, TSM or Fnatic, have also begun exploring Web3. TSM partnered with Avalanche to bring Blitz Esports to an Avalanche Subnet; 100 Thieves distributed 300,000 NFTs, without calling them NFTs; and Fnatic launched an NFT-based membership. These experiments highlight the growing recognition of Web3's potential in the esports industry and the necessity for organizations to stay ahead of the curve. The signing of Brycent by XSET serves as a wake-up call for esports organizations to invest in Web3 gaming and adapt to the changing industry landscape. Web3 Gaming represents cutting-edge technology that strengthens and elevates the experiences of gamers and digitally-focused consumers. Embracing Web3 technology is now becoming less of a choice, but a necessity for survival and success in the competitive esports market. By diversifying revenue streams and leveraging the power of Web3, organizations can secure their place in the gaming industry and ensure a prosperous future for all stakeholders. BAYC’s SECOND ANNIVERSARY Celebrating its 2nd anniversary, the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) has emerged as a prominent name in the NFT world since its inception in 2021, garnering attention from celebrities, major brands, and the general public. Behind this successful venture is Yuga Labs, a company dedicated to creating innovative projects that empower their community and uphold the core values of the web3 space. Launched in April 2021, BAYC is a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs, each representing a membership to the exclusive community. The idea was inspired by early crypto adopters who "aped in," struck gold, and appeared bored. Despite initial challenges during the pre-launch phase, the collection gained traction when prominent NFT figures started buying and promoting BAYC. Within 12 hours, the collection sold out, and a vibrant community quickly emerged. Yuga Labs later introduced the Bored Ape Kennel Club and the Mutant Ape Yacht Club, further expanding its NFT offerings. Where Are They Now Since its launch, BAYC has become the world's most recognizable NFT collection, and Yuga Labs is now the fastest-growing startup in web3. The company has decentralized the IP rights of Bored Apes, Punks, and Meebits, granting holders the rights to the underlying art and creating opportunities for community members to establish their own brands and sub-communities. Collaborations with major brands such as Adidas have propelled BAYC into the mainstream, and the NFT collection has inspired various projects, from mobile games to pop-up restaurants. Yuga Labs is currently working on several projects to expand the BAYC brand, with the metaverse and gaming being key areas of focus. Some of the notable projects include: Apes vs. Mutants: BAYC released a mobile game called Apes vs. Mutants in January last year. Although the game has received mixed reviews, it showcased BAYC's ambition to diversify its presence in the gaming industry. Otherside: Yuga Labs is developing a metaverse called Otherside, a virtual world where users can interact and participate in various activities. BAYC and other NFT holders will play an essential role in this metaverse. Ape Coin, the native cryptocurrency launched by Yuga Labs, will serve as the primary currency within Otherside, enabling transactions and various in-game activities. Yuga Labs has already sold land within the metaverse through Otherdeeds NFT, generating over $300 million in just a few hours of sales. While it’s still in beta, there have been 2 “play tests” which gathered positive feedback from the community. Dooky Dash: Introduced earlier this year, Dooky Dash showed once again the commitment of Yuga Labs to deliver a unique experience to their holders. We covered the topic in this twitter thread. The whole thing was a masterclass in storytelling and the journey is still ongoing as the next chapters are scheduled for May and June. BAYC and Yuga Labs have displayed incredible consistency in their releases while maintaining a strong focus on giving back to their community. They have emerged as web3 leaders by spearheading innovative projects and fostering an engaged community. Their expansion into areas such as the metaverse, gaming, and fashion have captured mainstream attention and contributed significantly to the NFT industry. Yuga Labs' unwavering commitment to empowering their community and building a robust ecosystem has been impressive and should be praised. Their consistent growth, expansion, and dedication to engaging and rewarding their community set a high standard that others have been trying to replicate with little to no success. EXEEDME 2.0 LAUNCHES The Exeedme Gaming 2.0 is here and it’s packed with exciting new features! This article is meant just to enlighten you on the main changes against the previous version. This is not an in-depth analysis of all the new features but rather a highlight of the main ones. To see everything that is new we invite you to log-in and see for yourself ;) New Games and Competitions First up, we’ve added new games and invited tournament organizers to host competitions on our platform. Get ready to battle it out and prove yourself as the ultimate gaming champion! Over the next three months you will see multiple competitions in many Games. To start off, we already have CS:GO, Dota2, COD II, MWII, FIFA and Valorant competitions in the pipeline (but that doesn’t mean more games won’t be announced). These will be announced publicly according to each Tournament Organizer communication strategy. Diamonds Crypto is no longer the only game in town. We’re introducing a new soft token called Diamonds, making it easier for you to convert your earnings into credits on Steam, Playstation or XBOX, gaming gear and real-life goodies. These items’s availability will vary based on your country — there are even some countries where you can exchange for fuel or Nike sneakers. Talk about Gaming getting you far… Diamonds are the soft token of the platform so if you are a gamer with no interest in crypto whatsoever, there will be no more hassle with wallets, exchanges, and private keys. But if you are interested in crypto we’re preparing some awesome new use cases for Diamonds that will blow your mind (maybe something related to XED…) All the USDX in your account will be converted to Diamonds at a rate of 1:100 to allow you to enter Diamond competitions, exchange for awesome gaming gear, gaming credits in other platforms and other IRL items in our marketplace and everything we are building around Diamonds. Stable Currency with USDT To make things even better, we’ve partnered with a licensed custodial partner to offer competitions in USDT, a stable currency. Plus, we’ve teamed up with a Fiat on-ramp provider, so you can deposit with your local currency using debit cards. We want everyone to have a chance to join the fun, regardless of their experience with cryptocurrencies, so now we have Diamonds that can’t be purchased but only earned in competitions and we have USDT for the ones that want to step up their game and participate in competitions with prizes in USDT. The custodial wallets will only be able to hold USDT but you can use the currency settings to see your funds in your local currency. Game Mining Rewards We know that you’re always on the lookout for exclusive features and rewards, which is why we’re thrilled to announce the evolution of Game Mining. If you have kept the XED tokens on the Game Mining staking contract until the end of the month, on the 30th April, you’ll have exclusive access to a new brand feature. Our Game Mining feature has evolved and only Gamer Miners that stick with us until the 30th will have access to these new and exciting features. Regardless, if you want to withdraw your XED you can still do it on the Exeedme Nostalgia page. Exeedme Nostalgia We understand that some of our long-time gamers may feel nostalgic about the past features. That’s why we’ve created Exeedme Nostalgia, a special place where you can find all of our NFT Collections, Game Mining Section, and Crypto Birds. Everything that made Exeedme special in the past, although not fitting the new version of the platform UI and tech stack, will have a special place in our hearts and will have its own place on Exeedme Nostalgia. We know we have a cheering Crypto Birds community enthusiasts and they will still be able to play the game, trade the Birds, earn from the rewards pool on-chain. As the 52 week, or one year, rewards pool is coming to a close in a little bit over two months we will also be preparing the next steps regarding the future of the game. So what are you waiting for? Come join the fun and experience the new and improved Exeedme Gaming Platform 2.0. We promise you won’t be disappointed! 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