NFT News Digest: Axie Infinity appears on the App Store

In addition to the news that Axie Infinity the previously popular NFT game has appears on the App Store, in today’s NFT News Digest for the past week from May 13-19, you will find:

• Yuga Labs revealed the design of the HV-MTL NFT collection,
• Ubisoft has released Assassin’s Creed NFT Smart Collectibles,
• Yuga Labs has released the MB1.2 update for Meebits in the form of Living PFPs.

Axie Infinity previously popular NFT game appears on the App Store

All fans of NFT games got a pleasant surprise this week. Axie Infinity has appeared on the App Store – a favorite entertainment for many fans of the Web3 space. This event was an important milestone in the history of the development of the platform-developer of the game Sky Mavis. The introduction of its product in the App Store means an increase in the popularity of NFT games in general and the platform itself in particular.

1/ Origins has passed review with Apple and is now available on the App store!

We believe this is the first time that Apple has agreed to make an externally-purchased NFT usable on the App Store.

Let’s dive in 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/LYPLnHEVF6

— Axie Infinity (@AxieInfinity) May 17, 2023

After the announcement of the availability of Axie Infinity in the App Store, the rate of Axie Infinity (AXS) cryptocurrency immediately increased by 17%.

At the same time, it became known that Sky Mavis is organizing the launch of Mavis Market, a marketplace where NFTs are traded. The Ronin blockchain served as the basis for the new platform.

8/ The Mavis Market allows us to guarantee and enforce Creator royalties at the protocol level.

This is because deployment of contracts on Ronin currently requires whitelist access, preventing mercenary marketplaces from deploying and eliminating minimum royalties for builders.

— Ronin (@Ronin_Network) May 17, 2023

Sky Mavis and Axie Infinity perspectives

Previously Apple introduced strict restrictions on NFT transactions. Accordingly, in this case Apple is not going to remove the requirement of 30% commission from internal sales, which will have to be transferred to its representatives. Sky Mavis co-founder Jeffrey Zirlin acknowledges the difficulty, but remains optimistic. And the CEO of Sky Mavis Trung Nguyen confirmed his readiness for further cooperation with app stores.

Sky Mavis remains dedicated to our vision of creating a digital nation where players are owners, and we are thrilled to collaborate with app stores in expanding our ecosystem to a new wave of Lunacians. Trung Nguyen said

Axie Infinity – the upcoming rise after the fall?

Axie Infinity made history as the first NFT game to reach over $1 billion in sales. This is a play-to-earn strategy card game based on the Ethereum blockchain by Sky Mavis. Players fight each other with the help of fantastical creatures called “axie”. The Play-to-earn model allows members to earn rewards simply by playing the game, while maintaining full ownership of their in-game assets in the form of NFTs.

Axie Infinity reached its peak in 2021. About 3 million users took part in the game every day. During the first seven months of 2021, the average cost of an Axie character tripled to nearly $500. And in April, the value of SLP – the domestic currency – rose by more than 1000% in one week and exceeded 30 cents per token.

However, as the popularity and user base of Axie Infinity grew, the supply of SLP skyrocketed, causing the value of the token to drop. This forced the developer to take tough measures: the rewards for the winners were reduced, and the SLP payments in single player mode were completely canceled. As a result, a crisis came – the number of players dropped sharply, and the company’s revenues fell. Now, with the introduction of Axie Infinity to the App Store arsenal, Sky Mavis representatives are expecting a revival of the legendary game’s former popularity.

Yuga Labs reveals design of HV-MTL NFT collection

After a sustained pause, Yuga Labs finally presented the long-awaited design of the HV-MTL NFT Vol.1 release to the audience. However, what appeared to the eyes of crypto enthusiasts greatly disappointed them. Many of them brought down a flurry of criticism on Yuga Labs, accusing the project team of being “lazy”. According to skeptics, the new works of art were devoid of originality and inspiration. Such sentiments had a negative impact on the floor price of tokens, which plummeted immediately after the NFT demonstration.

Since nobody else is saying it, I will…

This over-hyped #HVMTL reveal is low-effort, unoriginal & underwhelming.@yugalabs is starting to get lazy. pic.twitter.com/Fcwp8Gcy1W

— Diamonds 💎 (@CryptoDiamonds) May 16, 2023

Despite such an abundance of criticism and a general mood of disappointment, HV-MTL NFTs will continue their journey in the digital universe. They will play a key role in the next chapter of Yuga Labs’ gamified odyssey, namely HV-MTL: Forge, a novelty yet to be revealed. Most likely, we are talking about a game similar to Dookey Dash.

Background of the HV-MTL NFT Collection

Yuga Labs, the founding company of the acclaimed Bored Ape Yacht Club project, has released a fresh collection called HV-MTL @HvmtlYugalabs. Its peculiarity was that it involved a unique technique of the so-called “calling” (“summoning”). Users could take advantage of the opportunity to exchange the Sewer Pass NFTs by burning for Mechs – robotic creatures, of which there are a total of 30,000 pieces.

What is HV-MTL NFT Collection?

HV-MTL is a collection of digital NFT assets implemented as mechanized cores called HVs. They came from a portal that is outside of the Bored Ape Yacht Club universe. HV can be transformed and obtained from them various variable tokens, which, however, are easily able to adapt to the environment after unlocking. To get the new tokens, users had to burn the Sewer Passes used in the Dookie Dash game.

Ubisoft releases Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles

Ubisoft’s flagship brand, Assassin’s Creed, will soon bring Web3 capabilities to its fans. A collaboration between Ubisoft, a leading video game developer, and Reality Labs, the research and business arm of Meta Platforms, resulted in the creation of an NFT-based Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles on the Polygon blockchain.

1/ Smart Collectibles™, a Short Thread

In this thread we will be providing some tech and ordering information in regards to the Smart Collectibles™ that we are very excited to debut with all the @assassinscreed fans!

Let's get into it 👇 pic.twitter.com/EY3OJY00W4

— IRL Smart Collectibles (@IRLSmartCollect) May 11, 2023

What is Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles?

Starting May 16th, players can purchase Assassin’s Creed Smart Collectibles. These physical items are transparent cubes containing miniature Assassin’s Creed characters.

But these are not simple souvenirs – each of them has a “digital soul”, that is, it is associated with NFT. This means that Ubisoft will allow its fans to pair physical collectibles with smart NFT technology developed by Reality Labs.

Assassin’s Creed NFT features

By purchasing the Smart Collectible and the corresponding NFT, the game participant will be able to customize his character, enclosed in a cube, in any way: give him a certain pose, pick up equipment and weapons. After creating a fictitious image, it will be possible to order a 3D printed version of your NFT character.

Moreover, the chip built into the cube will allow you to see a digital version of the character in a special application, as well as gain access to additional functions and utilities. To do this, it will be enough just to touch the cube with a smartphone.

It is noteworthy that the limited NFTs from the Assassin’s Creed collection have different levels of rarity. Owners of rarer NFTs will get a wider range of character customization options. In addition, they will have the opportunity to make good money by selling their Assassin’s Creed NFTs on the secondary market.

In addition to the Assassin’s Creed NFT Collection, Reality Labs will be releasing 1,500 Pieces of Eden. These passes will unlock special perks, including the right to own rarer items and priority access to 3D printing.

Phygital technology becomes a trend Ubisoft

This is not the first-time gaming industry giant Ubisoft has used NFT technology to provide a wide range of exciting user experiences.

In 2021, Ubisoft released Tezos-based in-game NFTs related to weapons and asset skins for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint shooter. Ubisoft also developed One Shot League, a spin-off of the NFT-based football game Sorare.

Thus, the leader of the entertainment industry is well aware that the time has come when the innovations of NFT technology must be added to the advanced gameplay and game hits.

Yuga Labs releases MB1.2 update for Meebits in the form of Living PFPs

On May 3, Yuga Labs pleased its fans with the news of the upcoming MB1.2 Meebits update in honor of the second birthday of the collection, calling them Living PFPs. Now avatar owners will now be able to manage their “mood”.

Yuga Labs considers “mood” to be the main hallmark of Living PFPs. With this innovation, MB1.2 collectors will have more opportunities to express themselves.

It’s our 2nd birthday! Mood: HYPE. And a little DAZED. And kinda SPICY, tbh. MB1.2 is here, giving you a new way to bring your PFP to life. Get started at https://t.co/T6H2IOTZrt and check out the vid to see how it works. pic.twitter.com/fbClKOjvYo

— Meebits (@MeebitsNFTs) May 3, 2023

What emotions can Meebits Living PFPs express?

In a blog post, Yuga Labs reveals that 13 moods will be available to MB1.2 avatars, including:

• Popular Twitter NFT expressions – GM and GN;
• Temporary mental states – CHILL and DAZED;
• Permanent personal characteristics – SHY and SPICY.

Users will be able to freely select and switch the emotions of their digital pets. At the same time, Meebits will change their posture and gestures.

Technical features of Meebits Living PFPs

Danny Greene, Meebits Brand Lead, assured avatar owners that the technical capabilities of marketplaces such as OpenSea and Rarible will be able to reflect the mood of MB1.2:

With Living PFPs, holders can now choose a mood for their Meebit that will be reflected on marketplaces with HTML-viewers, like OpenSea. Said Danny Greene

In this way, the seller will be able to convey to the potential buyer the emotional state of his avatar, enhancing the individual nature of the transaction.

Owners of Meebits will be able to customize their assets on a partner application dedicated to this collection. By connecting a wallet to it, it will be possible to create a GIF / photo capturing the current mood of the avatar, or even upload your own photo. The updated content can then be exported to compatible social media platforms without compromising the core Meebit NFT metadata.

MB1.2 is the next step in Meebits brand renewal

Animating static PFPs is an “exciting step forward” for the Meebits collection, launched by Larva Labs in May 2021 and acquired by Yuga Labs in March 2022. The Yuga Labs team has presented collectors with an ambitious roadmap that includes 10 stages in the evolution of Meebits.

Much has already been done before the Living PFPs, including:

• Giving a full-size format to avatars;
• Providing NFT holders with digital authentication certificates;
• Creation of a special market where it is possible to carry out purchase and sale transactions, involving up to 50 Meebits;
• Expansion of metadata to increase the range of compatible virtual games and worlds;
• Launch of the Meebits Instagram page to attract new community members.

It can be expected that Yuga Labs will prepare something more interesting for Meebits fans for the 3rd birthday of the collection.