The Roots of Axie Infinity: Developing an Attachment

Having transitioned from Classic to Origin, the Axie team looks forward to focusing on the Axies. As the Axies are put back in focus, Axie Infinity returns to its roots. 

More Opportunities for Axies

As Axie Infinity: Origin’s first season came to a close, team 1437 again topped the rankings.

The Axie Infinity Co-Founder, Jeff Zirlin, revealed that Origins needs numerous improvements. The community will play a large role in making those improvements during the Philippine Web3 Festival on November 15. Matchmaking has been improved, return mechanics have been clarified, and an energy burst mechanic has been added. 

He also introduced a concept that will restore the ecosystem to its original state.

When speaking about this to BSC news, Zirlin made some interesting points. 

 “I know that when I discovered Axie as a community member, I was enchanted by the idea of a digital pet that you could build a relationship with,” Zirlin said on stage. “Over the years as we built out the [ecosystem], a little bit has been lost in terms of that pet ownership aspect of Axie. I see Axie as a collectible game with different games attached to it, not a battle game that happens to use collectible pets. Something like a futuristic Tamagochi.”

The Roots of Axie Infinity: Developing an Attachment

Rather than focusing on gameplay and earning mechanics, the focus should always have been on the Axies. The game will become more engaging by introducing features focused on Axies. There are several ideas Zirlin offered to shift the focus back to the Axies, including equipping accessories, upgrading parts, hosting breeding events, and new profile pictures for Axies. Zirlin looks to bring emotional sentiment back into the Axie ecosystem’s forefront by prioritizing ownership’s emotional aspect.

“We cannot rely on any single gaming experience to make the ecosystem work,” Zirlin told BSC News in an interview. “The core of Axie is really this connection of the collectability, the pet-ownership side, and the gameplay. Axies need to be loveable pets that people spend on emotionally. Axies should be able to provide comfort and joy even if it is not winning.”

In real life, people breed and compete with show dogs, which Jihoz used as an analogy. When a dog competes in dog shows, it is possible to win something, but its owner isn’t upset if the animal doesn’t win because the dog is still a companion. This is how Axies should be looked at. Players should be able to form bonds with these Axies and focus on their qualities. 

Axies and Esports

In addition to discussing competition, Zirlin briefly mentioned Esports during his stage appearance. Besides providing a sustainable ecosystem, Axie Esports can also be an attraction magnet by democratizing the industry, creating skill-based games, and fostering a competitive ecosystem.

MMG Axie Master’s League and Axie Open Manila 2022 were two contrasting Axie Infinity: Origins ESports events held in Manila. There were two days of tournaments, each with its own set of rules, venue, and team composition.

YGG organized the first tournament as part of the PH Web3 Festival. The first day of play included seven rounds of Swiss matches, and the top 16 players advanced to the playoffs the following day. A majority of the qualifying teams were made up of Plant Bug Rage teams. 

SpamAndRice, a staple at Axie Infinity tournaments, and Zaratustra, a QU3ST teammate, faced off in the finals. As a result, Spam was able to sweep Zaratustra 4 games to nil.

An ESports-style production was used for the second tournament. MMG organized the Axie Master’s League, which followed a reverse king-of-the-hill team format in which the first team with three members wins advances. 

The METAT8 Ninjas needed to beat QU3ST twice in the losers bracket to win the championship after falling to QU3ST in the upper bracket final. Metat8 Ninjas beat QU3ST, who lost one game prior to the finals, to make it to the finals! With a 3-2 win in the first game and a 3-0 win in the second game, the METAT8 Ninjas captured the title.

Axie Traits and Qualities

Axies are the tiny creatures that fight in Axie Infinity. These Axies are made up of different traits, qualities, and visual additions. The appearance and equipped body parts of each Axie will completely change gameplay and can ultimately be the deciding factor in a win or a loss. Bringing the game back to this bond between Axies and players is super important. 

There are six different classes of Axies with corresponding colors. Beast Axies are orange, Plant Axies are green, Aquatic Axies are blue, Reptile Axies are purple, Bird Axies are pink, and Bug Axies are red. Each class has a different and unique ability that they are best known for. 

There are six different parts and traits to each Axie. Eyes, ears, mouth, horn, back, and tail are listed from top to bottom (see image above). Only four traits are used in battle (mouth, horn, back, and tail). Mouths and ears will have future uses; as of right now, they serve purely aesthetic purposes. The Axie traits are currently unable to level up, but they will be in the future!

Axies can also be bred, with the first stage being an Axie egg. This egg will remain in the larva state for two days before morphing into a petite. A petite will show your Axie’s traits, and you’ll have to wait another two days for this Axie to transform into an adult. After this, you can battle and breed with your Axies. 

Although it’s a video game, the concept of breeding and growing an Axie with unique traits creates a bond to the game. Ultimately, Axies are characters and should be treasured for their value and the fun they provide players.