What Is Axie Infinity?

Crypto

The popularity of online games is usually based on appealing gameplay and graphics. With the introduction of blockchain-based gaming, this list now also includes the rewards you can earn. Play-to-earn games are the next significant innovation that combines blockchain and NFTs to create a unique experience for its users. This charge is led by Axie Infinity, the most popular play-to-earn game on the market. 

Axie Infinity Universe 

Axie Infinity was created by an indie studio Sky Mavis in 2018. It draws inspiration from other popular media such as the Pokemon series and CryptoKitties, another NFT collection game. 

The game involves collecting and battling creatures known as Axies. Each Axie is a non-fungible token, meaning you own every animal you collect. Other in-game NFTs include land plots that can be traded, rented and developed to generate resources and shops. 

An integral part of Axie Infinity’s appeal is being able to “breed” more Axies. Breeding allows you to create new Axies from the NFTs you already own. This creates a brand-new NFT with a combination of characteristics from its parents. 

The platform uses two crypto tokens, Axie Infinity Shards(AXS) and Smooth Love Potion (SLP).

What are Axie Infinity Shards?

Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) are the native tokens of the game and enable users to vote on key governance issues. It is the common token that binds the Axie Infinity community together. Users can decide the direction of the game’s development by voting through AXS tokens.

You can buy AXS tokens on the Quick Trade panel on ZebPay App or Web platform.

What is Smooth Love Potion?

Smooth Love Potion (SLP) are used to transact in-game and purchase items you might need. They are earned by playing the game. You can use your tokens to breed more Axies or trade them on crypto exchanges. As opposed to conventional experience points that players get when they play games, SLP is a digital asset which can be fully owned and used within the Axie Infinity Ecosystem.

You can buy SLP tokens on the Quick Trade panel on ZebPay App or Web platform.

How Does Axie Infinity Work?

Axie Infinity can be played against a computer or even against other users. The gameplay revolves around using your Axie’s traits to fight off enemies and win rewards. Winning battles earns you SLP tokens.

In-game NFT features

To play the game, you must acquire a minimum of three Axies to form a team. Their quality is determined by their traits such as their stats and classes. Every NFT has four different stats like speed, morale, skill, and health. There are also 9 unique classes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Land

The land or virtual real estate is also tokenised in the game. The Axie world, known as Lunacia, is broken into 90,601 plots that can be bought and sold. Each plot has four rarity levels and five types it can take. Players use this land to gain more resources, house characters and even monetise it through rent. 

Read more: Axie Infinity Land Staking

RONIN Network

Finally, the game can function smoothly thanks to the Ronin network. This is an Ethereum sidechain that enables transactions on the platform to be executed instantly. It eliminates the high gas fees and slow processing of the Ethereum blockchain. 

How to Play Axie Infinity?

Playing Axie infinity is a simple three-step process.

Step 1: Setting up a Ronin wallet. This wallet is used to hold all in-game NFTs. Creating an account on Ronin is very self explanatory. You can add the Ronin wallet extension to your browser or mobile device.

Step 2: Download the game on your device and link your Ronin wallet with the game. 

Step 3: Buy your Axies and set up your team. You need to head to the “marketplace” tab in the game to buy Axies. Each Axie is defined using key traits such as skill, health, morale and speed as mentioned before. You can now head to the game and begin playing

Gameplay

The gameplay consists of two modes – Adventure and Arena. In the Adventure mode, your aim is to fight the opponent Axies spread out across 36 different levels known as ruins and win the game. 

Arena mode on the other hand is a Player vs Player mode. Once you click on the Arena button in the game, you will be matched against an opponent with comparable skill sets. The winners get in-game rewards.

Another part of the game is to perform daily tasks called Farming which will help you earn Smooth Love Potions(SLPs). For example, these tasks can be winning 10 battles in Adventure mode and 5 in Arena mode etc. 

Axie Infinity Future

Sky Mavis is constantly innovating to improve the Axie Infinity experience for all users. With the rapid rise in the popularity of play-to-earn systems, the team’s main focus right now is to improve user experience and the onboarding process. This is because most new players have never used a crypto app before and may find the process daunting.

Read more: Play to Earn vs Move to Earn 

The introduction of land plots is also a new development, and the community response has been positive. With more features added over time, the game is only going to get better. 

Axie Infinity Use Case

The main use case of the game is to simply engage and enjoy. For most users, the game is a hobby and is meant to be played like any other game. This is combined with some bonus rewards that keep users involved and ready to play more. 

On the other hand, some users play only to earn from the game. Some players have even turned the game into their full-time job, especially in countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, two of the largest markets for the game. 

Read more: What Is GameFi

How Do Gamers Make Money From Axie Infinity?

There are three ways to make money from the game:

  • Land – Land can be bought, sold and rented out to users. Buying a rare plot of land may be lucrative if many others also wish to purchase or rent it out.
  • SLP Tokens – SLP tokens are earned each time you win player combat. They are used to breed more Axies in the game. However, these tokens can also be traded or sold on exchanges for real money. 
  • Breeding – You can breed your Axies together to create new NFTs with exciting traits. Some of these NFTs may be rare and fetch a high price on the marketplace. 

Conclusion

Axie Infinity launched in 2018, but it  is showing no signs of stopping. Constant development and improvements to the game and its network are promising for its future. It is clear that some players are very enthusiastic about the play-to-earn future of gaming and Axie Infinity is sure to be a part of that future.

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FAQs on What is Axie Infinity

Who invented Axie Infinity?

Axie Infinity was developed in 2017 by Trung Nguyen who is a Vietnamese software developer.

What are some risks related to Axie Infinity?

Wallet security is paramount when it comes to securing your crypto assets. Since NFTs and stored on the Ronin wallet, users must ensure that their private keys are not compromised. Also, transferring collectibles to an address without a private key can result in permanent loss of assets.

Can I make money with Axie Infinity?

Yes. Axie Infinity can be a source of income to players. In game tokens and Axie NFTs can be listed on the Axie marketplace.

Is Axie Infinity free to play?

Axie infinity requires an initial cost to purchase an Axie and start your game.

Disclaimer: Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. Each investor must do his/her own research or seek independent advice if necessary before initiating any transactions in crypto products and NFTs. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author, and not to ZebPay or the author’s employer or other groups or individuals. ZebPay shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions, or losses incurred by the investors. ZebPay has not received any compensation in cash or kind for the above article and the article is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information.

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