Bored Apes and Animoca Brands cross paths with crypto fighting game
Quick Take
- Animoca Brands game developer nWay licensing Yuga Labs’ IP as it launches new fighting game.
- Launch of game called Wreck League one more example of major blockchain companies trying to make inroads with consumers through gaming.
An Animoca Brands gaming company is hoping to grab the attention of gamers with a new web3 video game incorporating Yuga Labs’ popular intellectual property like Bored Ape Yacht Club.
San Francisco-based game publisher nWay, an Animoca subsidiary, has entered into an agreement with Yuga Labs that will allow it to utilize not only Bored Apes IP but also that of Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Bored Ape Kennel Club and Otherside Kodas, the company said in a statement.
Armed with Yuga's popular web3 IP — best known as NFT collections — nWay plans to release the first season of a fighting game called Wreck League, a title in which players will spar with other players using customizable avatars. Gamers will also be able to collect and own in-game digital assets (NFTs), the companies said.
“We are excited to see [nWay] work towards delivering a compelling gaming experience and additional utility for holders of these collections,” Yuga’s Chief Gaming Officer Spencer Tucker said by email.
Although the Animoca-nWay deal is not a direct partnership, it is one more example of Yuga using gaming as a way of expanding the reach of its popular NFT brand. The company has released two video games of its own.
Animoca’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Yat Siu sees Wreck League as one more opportunity to introduce gamers to advanced digital ownership, a bedrock of blockchain-based gaming. “Our mission at Animoca Brands is to deliver digital property rights to the world’s gamers and Internet users … [Wreck League] will remodel how players engage and compete while truly owning their digital assets.”
Purchased by Animoca in 2019, nWay has released games using well-known IP like Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid and WWE Undefeated.
"Our belief is that the future of web3 gaming will be driven by competitive real-time multiplayer experiences, seamlessly integrating user-generated content and blockchain (ownership)," said nWay CEO Taehoon Kim.
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