Origin (Battles v3), a new ecosystem for Axie Infinity’s blockchain powerhouse game, will launch before the end of Q1 2022. The expansion will have completely new interfaces, game mechanics, art, special effects, stories, and onboarding experiences, all of which have been developed from the ground up to offer a more approachable experience for mainstream and new audiences, based on feedback from Battles v2.
Release Plan
Origin will be available to a global audience via Mavis Hub and Android APK after an initial Alpha launch. Sky Mavis will be collecting input from players during the launch period in order to improve the game. Trainer progress and resources collected will be reset when the complete game is released, therefore there will be no SLP or AXS prizes in the Alpha version.
Following the Alpha Phase, Season 0 will be released, allowing developers to make more fundamental game updates based on player feedback. SLP earned from Battles v2 may be moved into Origin (therefore shutting down Battles v2) in Season 0, depending on feedback, but if not, it will be done at a later date.
Mechanics of the New Game
‘Sequential Turns,’ where Axies will now execute their attacks as soon as cards are played, while rival trainers will take sequential turns using their cards rather than choosing them all at once at the start of rounds, is a crucial update to the game’s rules (as in Battles v2). This means that trainers are constantly in motion, whether it’s laying cards or watching their opponent’s moves, resulting in a faster-paced and more exciting play experience.
Other changes in Origin include the elimination of unused Energy and Cards being accumulated across turns (reducing the incentive for players to skip turns), changes to the organization of Card attack and defense values (as well as newly described abilities for some cards), and the addition of ‘Eyes’ and ‘Ears’ leveraging (allowing Trainers to use all six of Axie’s skills).
‘Runes & Charms,’ which are additional ‘power-ups’ equipped by Axie to provide their natural powers with diverse boosts, will also be slowly added to Origin. They will be available in non-NFT forms that may be produced in-game using ‘Moonshards,’ as well as more powerful NFT-based variants that will operate as one of the first SLP burning mechanisms integrated into Origin due to the requirement for SLP and Moonshards in order to be crafted.
Random critical hits have been removed from Battles v2 due to player dissatisfaction with the game’s critical hit dynamics, and they’ve been replaced with new, above-card play mechanisms like ‘anger,’ which Axies acquire over the course of a battle. Trainers can then decide when to vent their pent-up ‘anger’ on their opponent.
Axie metrics have been simplified to concentrate around ‘hit points,’ as part of Origin’s goal on shifting towards a rapid, turn-based game design (HP).
Onboarding
Three free Starter Axies (such as the one you’ve previously met, ‘Buba’) will be available to play with. For the time being, such Axies are neither NFTs nor can they be used to earn SLP. As players progress through the PvE Adventure Modes, they will gain access to more Starter Axies, which they may subsequently employ in PvP situations.
To make the Origin ecosystem easier for everyone, features will be enabled as players go through the game. Players will also have access to a library of tutorials that will teach various aspects of the game and may be accessed at any time.