Today, nWay, a leading developer and publisher of competitive multiplayer games and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, revealed details of their forthcoming release: Wreck League. This Web3-powered game breaks new ground in the esports realm by enabling players to build, own, and battle with their own unique Mech fighters.
Billed as the future of esports, Wreck League extends beyond traditional gaming norms by allowing gamers to build their own Mech fighters, compete with them, and win on-chain prizes. The game’s first season will tap into the popular Web3 brand Yuga Labs.
A Hybrid Gaming Approach
The game has a dual-focus design, with separate Web2 and Web3 versions. nWay’s marketing strategy is geared towards attracting a wide audience, using successful user acquisition tactics from their previous games and steering clear of intricate blockchain tech jargon.
“Wreck League is a hybrid Web3 and Web2 project,” explained Taehoon Kim, CEO of nWay. “Our aim is to unite the communities and players, leveraging the creative potential of the Web3 community to continuously enhance the game’s content.”
The player community will include creators, owners, and players who can team up to compete in league events. High-performance Mechs are crafted from 10 individual Mech Parts NFTs, and these Mechs can be disassembled, allowing for continuous customization. Creators with the best Mechs are expected to team up with skilled players to participate in high-level competitions.
A free-to-play (F2P) version of Wreck League, not requiring NFT ownership, will also be available, seeking to bridge the gap between the Web3 community and the traditional gaming community.
Fostering Community and Retention
Wreck League strategically fosters a thriving community by harnessing the power of real-time multiplayer PvP gaming, attracting new users, and encouraging existing ones to invite friends. The game’s unique approach enables collaboration between Web3 creators and Web2 gamers, diversifying the player base. Retention is supercharged by fostering in-game progression through upgradeable mech parts, enhancing gameplay, and incorporating asset ownership. The more time players are dedicating to upgrading their assets and leveling up, the harder it would be for them to leave the game. Involvement in events and tournaments further boosts user commitment.
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, is optimistic about the potential impact of Wreck League on the esports industry. He believes the game, which allows players to own their digital assets, will bring about an incredible evolution in competitive gaming.
“Wreck League marks the culmination of two years of dedicated development by nWay, one of the best real-time, cross-play fighting game studios in the industry. Incorporating the Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Otherside universe as well as utilizing ApeCoin, Wreck League is not only a game that is very likely the most advanced AAA real-time PvP game in the Web3 gaming market today, it also has incredible potential to become a significant esports title due to its competitive multiplayer system.” said Siu.
The Mech-anics
Owners of Mech NFTs can also generate non-NFT copies of their Mechs for sale in the Web2 game’s store, with a portion of the revenue from these purchases going to the original Mech NFT owners.
The Web3 version is designed for mech NFT holders, offering a two-week leaderboard tournament commencing with the minting of the mechs. Participants can battle at specified times, earning or losing points based on victory or defeat. Rankings will be based on points, and at the tournament’s end, on-chain prizes will be awarded. These range from special 1of1 NFTs for top players to various rewards extending to the 30,000th player, including mech sets, legendary boxes, and mech parts, adding excitement and competition to the event
Wreck League brings an innovative twist to fighting games. Instead of being restricted to a predetermined roster of fighters, players can generate their own Mech fighters. This results in over 1.5 quadrillion unique combinations for battle. For the inaugural season launching in September, the game will incorporate four Yuga Labs collections: Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Bored Ape Kennel Club, and Otherside Kodas.
Mech Parts, collected and assembled by players, are NFTs that can be combined to create a full Mech character NFT. Notably, rare Yugaverse Mechs will also be available, adding an element of exclusivity to in-game achievements.
“We are thrilled for nWay to join The noncanonical Extended Yugaverse,” said Spencer Tucker, chief gaming officer of Yuga Labs. “Building a thriving, interoperable ecosystem is at the heart of Web3. Wreck League’s use of Yuga’s collections charts that course, and we are excited to see them work towards delivering a compelling gaming experience and additional utility for holders of these collections.”