MAPLESTORY UNIVERSE

MapleStory – the 2D side-scrolling MMORPG that launched in 2003 – is getting an NFT-ready spin-off game called MapleStory Universe. MapleStory is a beloved franchise whose colorful, cute pixel aesthetic has attracted a large and enthusiastic community. The game has been in development since 2022 and has no release date yet.

The MapleStory Universe will use Polygon for NFT elements and will eventually offer its own token, a Nexon representative previously said. Nexon will build its own dedicated Polygon “Supernet” to support the game’s crypto backend.

STAR ATLAS

Star Atlas is one of the most ambitious-sounding Web3 games around, offering a massive space simulation game built around the Solana NFTs. Think of it like Star Citizen or EVE Online, but with player-owned assets and a tokenized economy.

That’s no small feat, so it’s no surprise that developers plan to build this vision for years. However, with the release of a playable pre-alpha demo on the Epic Games Store, which has been updated and expanded over time, and frequent development updates, we’re already starting to get a glimpse of what’s possible in this game. If Star Atlas can live up to its ambitions, it could be one of the heavyweights in this field.

ILLUVIUM

Illuvium is a sci-fi fantasy franchise with four different games in development – Illuvium Arena, Illuvium Overworld, Illuvium Zero and Illuvium Beyond. There is a lot of potential in the RPG, autobattler and card game genres – and the graphics of Overworld are already impressive. Overworld’s open world beta test took place in June, while Arena offered a private beta test in early July.

As for the crypto-elements, Illuvium is building on Immutable X, selling the game’s characters as NFTs, complete with loot boxes, and using the ILV token. Illuvium has its own cryptopiacter called IlluviDex for trading assets and is leaning towards crypto integrations.

DEADROP

Deadrop is a sci-fi first-person shooter (FPS) game with battle royale (BR) and extraction elements. The game is being developed by a game studio called Midnight Society, led by YouTuber and gaming industry veteran Guy “Dr. Disrespect” Beahm and ex-Call of Duty lead Robert Bowling, among others. Deadrop is already making a big splash, thanks in part to Dr. Disrespect’s large YouTube following – and gamers seem to be enjoying the shootout so far. In Deadrop, players must ascend to reach an escape point, taking out other players along the way.

Deadrop has offered early access “snapshots”, with access available to NFT holders of the Founders Pass on Polygon, as well as players who purchase non-NFT keys. The next snapshot is scheduled for release in July 2023.

SYMBIOGENESIS

Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest creator Square Enix brings its historical role-playing experience to the world of Web3 with Symbiogenesis, a strategic narrative experience built around NFTs. The game will be released on Polygon, the Ethereum scaling network.

Square Enix has been tweaking details of the experience for months, sharing concept art that evokes the Final Fantasy feel, as well as giving a glimpse into the profile-facing (PFP) NFTs that will be part of the experience. And the dystopian, post-environmental-disaster environment fits in well with the publisher’s strengths. However, we don’t yet have a clear idea of how the game itself will look and play – but the prospect is exciting.

SHARPNEL

Shrapnel is an in-development sci-fi FPS extraction game that will offer in-game assets as NFTs, as well as plenty of opportunities to create user-generated NFT content. Shrapnel recently offered early access playtests at the GDC in March, as well as at the Consensus conference in April. The gameplay looks and feels very high quality and cinematic so far, making this one of the most AAA-like games to use crypt so far.

Shrapnel content will be tradable thanks to the GameBridge feature, and Shrapnel uses its own Avalanche subnet and SHRAP token.

MY PET HOOLIGAN

My Pet Hooligan (MPH) is a stylized third-person sci-fi shooter from AMGI Studios. In MPH, players take on the role of brightly coloured, bipedal rabbits, and the game offers team deathmatch and battle royale game modes since its current closed early access testing in July. Its developers come from Disney and Pixar, and the game’s unique movement and quirky aesthetics are sure to enchant some gamers.

MPH features a number of crypto and NFT integrations, including rabbit and robot NFTs, as well as the KARROT token. Like Illuvium and Shrapnel, MPH relies on elements of crypto. Even in its pre-release state, it could be one of the most promising Web3 games with its deliberately detached, fun look that is expected to appeal to a serious player base.

CHAMPIONS TACTICS: GRIMORIA CHRONICLES

Ubisoft, one of the world’s biggest video game publishers, has been working on Web3 for years – and now it’s working on a brand new game using the technology. The creator of Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance has announced Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, a new PvP tactical role-playing game (RPG) on the Oasys blockchain.

As of now, not many concrete details are known. Champions Tactics will be fantasy themed, and the teaser trailer shows silhouettes of what appear to be tabletop-like figures of a wizard and warriors, suggesting a literal transposition of physical RPGs into the digital realm. Ubisoft also revealed that the PC game will be available for free download at launch. Whatever form the game takes, it’s sure to be a big hit.

OTHERSIDE

The Bored Ape Yacht Club helped kickstart the PFP boom, but Yuga Labs is increasingly seeing itself as a game company – and after shorter-form experiences like Dookey Dash and HV-MTL Forge, Otherside is the $4 billion Web3 startup company’s big launch.

Yuga Labs has sold more than $300 million worth of NFT-backed plots for the game, and executives said they envision a distributed gaming world in which users can build games and content alongside Yuga’s own Ape-themed experiences.

NFT owners were impressed by early playtests during this spring’s Second Trip, where thousands of players shared the same game.