The rise of the trading card games in the blockchain space has not gone unnoticed, with brilliant titles like Dark Country and Splinterlands which both use the WAX blockchain. Now, a new, cyberpunk-themed tactical card game, Metropolis Origins, has opened its doors as of the 17th November 2021.
What Is Metropolis Origins?
Built on the WAX blockchain, Metropolis Origins is a tactical NFT card game with rich lore and some big names behind the project. The developers, QXR Studios, have a staggering amount of collective experience. The team has worked on projects like Guardians of the Galaxy, Halo, and System Shock, as well as for companies like Atari, Microsoft, and Blizzard.
Interestingly and swimming against the current of blockchain gaming at present, Metropolis Origins isn’t Play to Earn (P2E). That isn’t to say that there won’t be ways to earn (tournaments etc.), but it’s not P2E in the traditional sense. I’m not certain why they decided against P2E given the current climate, but I respect that decision; the closest to an explanation we get is that they do not want the game to be pay to win.
“Metropolis Origins is not a pay to win game, nor play to earn. It is just like CCGs you have played in the past in the analog world. “
QXR Studios
Another worthwhile piece of information to know is that Metropolis Origins is collaborating with Snapchat for something relating to AR in the near future and that QXR Studios is working on a PC game too. It seems they are not just building a browser-based game, but rather a world in which there will be well-written and fully fleshed out lore and different titles. With talented writers like Austin Grossman, that isn’t all that surprising.
How to Play the Beta
Firstly, you can find details of the drop in our friend’s article over at NFT Insider. You will not be able to participate in the drop anymore, but you can still play the beta. Here’s how:
You need to purchase at least 50 cards to form a deck. Though the drop is over, many of the packs are for sale on Atomic Hub which contains either 25 or 250 cards, and there are now, of course, the individual cards too. It’s worth noting, these cards are Founder editions, showing just how early you got in.
Once you have the cards, head over to Metropolis Origins and click play. Link your relevant WAX Cloud Wallet (WCW) and get going.
Final Thoughts
I have three standout thoughts:
- WAX is the King of NFTs, but it might well also be the King of NFT trading card games.
- Metropolis Origins could have made their game Play to Earn and Pay to Win and with their talented team, performed snow angels in the torrent of cash spewing down on them. Instead, they wanted to create a fair game that is centered around different priorities.
- Metropolis Origins is beautifully ironic, with a nostalgic vision of the future. That is, dark city streets and puddles reflecting neon lights through steam filled alleyways. It’s from an 80s imagination but has somehow held the futuristic feel.
We will be covering Metropolis Origins for our Blockchain Gaming Watch once I have played the beta, so make sure you check back. We are also soft-launching our Discord which will have exclusive content and giveaways.
