Play-to-earn: How one MOBA and Battle Royale Game is removing barriers and testing player strategy

Nonfungible token (NFT) games combine both traditional gaming designs with unconventional game mechanisms. With these features, users gain additional control over their in-game assets like virtual property, characters and more -- a possibility due to each of these digital assets being an NFT. Leveraging NFTs gives players the ability to prove each asset’s rarity and uniqueness. 

Along with the rise of NFTs is the play-to-earn movement -- an emerging trend in the gaming industry where players can collect NFT rewards and convert them into real cash as they rise in value. With this system, each user can claim ownership of game assets through one of three strategies, including breeding new characters, purchasing digital assets or unlocking and earning new items. In contrast to success in traditional video games, spending considerable time in a play-to-earn game can enhance potential and build economic wealth.

Unfortunately, the major downside to this gaming model is that most games take a “spend money to make money” mentality, increasing the barrier for new users to begin playing. Free-to-play video games remove the cost barrier that many young people struggle to overcome and allow them to access onboarding, usage, propagation, experimentation, and therefore content, in abundance. That said, a few games are taking on both the play-to-earn and free-to-play models.

One of them is Thetan Arena. Thetan Arena is a blockchain-based multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and Battle Royale game developed by WolfFun Game. The WolfFun Game is one of the most well-known video game developers in Vietnam, creating two established games on GooglePlay, including Tank Raid Online and Heroes’ Strike.

Combining forces, KardiaChain and WolfFun believe the result of Thetan Area will be “true socializing play” with “more dynamic gameplay to bring true entertainment” to its users. This contrasts with the majority of today’s NFT games, which are fairly simple due to gameplay mechanics needing to fit in with smart contracts; the team behind Thetan Arena believes they can conquer this obstacle.

Where NFTs come to play

Designers created Thetan Arena with a top-down view of the game’s overall map. A look at the characters will showcase both a simple/modern yet more retro/nostalgic look. Gameplay between these characters is targeted at the combination of both a gamer’s skills and teamwork. In Thetan Arena, users can “play to earn” using Premium Hero or by making trades in the market. 

In practice, Thetan Arena’s in-game economy is centered around the Thetan Coin. With the coin, users can summon Premium Heroes to play. Each Premium Hero can evolve into Thetan Heroes, which can then be traded on the NFT marketplace or staked in the Thetan Vault, where users will be compensated accordingly. 

The game also leverages Virtual Interactive Activities (VIA) as a part of their arena system, so players can stream while they play. Community members then have the opportunity to bet, donate and interact with players through the Thetan platform.

Thetan Gem and Thetan Heroes will allow Thetan Arena to be a community-owned game in the future. The project currently has backing from Animoca, DFG, Dora Hack Ventures, Spark Digital, Kardia Ventures, Decom Holdings and more. 

New users interested in this project may participate in the game’s Initial DEX offering (IDO) on Sept. 15 to 16 on Polkastarter, PAID Ignition and KAIStarter.io. 

Paving the way

In alignment with the team’s roadmap, new gamers can expect the initial launch of the Marketplace, NFTs and Alpha test sometime in Q3 of this year. Beyond that, the release of Thetan Gem, Thetan Hero, Guild Quest and Staking can be expected in early 2022.

With the creation of Thetan Arena, KardiaChain continues to pronounce its growth commitment, in which esports and gaming pave the way in proving the benefits that blockchain technology can have in our daily lives.