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The anime-inspired Ethereum NFT collection Azuki is releasing its Alfa-Startterdecks this week. These decks consist of mysterious loot, booster packages and cards that can be played in the upcoming trading card game of the brand (TCG).
Every box -a red “Shao” box or a blue “Raizan” box -costs the equivalent of $ 95 of the anime -toky. Only members of Azuki community can buy these boxes, based on their predetermined status level. The Snapshot eligible was made on Tuesday morning, so it is too late to qualify if you do not own Azuki NFTs.
Azuki’s Games Division Manager Jon Chao is credited as the Spirit behind the coming game. He has been working for Azuki since the end of 2023. He previously worked as a game producer at Timi Studio Group, Riot Games and Ubisoft.
“Many collectors, many days [are] In our community, “Chao said in a video interview and talked about why the Azuki team chose to build a TCG.
“I think we are being confronted with major challenges that Pokemon or One Piece don’t have … [for example,] They have so much content and tradition, “said Chao.” Everything that can be translated into card art and gameplay mechanics fairly easily. ”
There are three allocation levels for this Azuki -drop: Grand Tier, Legend Tier and Order Tier. Grand grants you the option to buy one deck, grants Legend the possibility to buy a maximum of four, and order Tier -members can buy a maximum of eight decks -if you feel like $ 800 to drop cards for a non -released game.
DECKS will be delivered with a Rulebook, but the team does not yet spend a complete guide about playing the coming game. That means we don’t know to what extent this game can feel that it is pay-to-win when it finally comes out.
If you have a allocation, but want more packs (or do not receive any allocation), you can enter their lottery to try to get one.
After checking out, buyers receive an NFT that means they have bought a package. Physical cards are not broadcast at the earliest, according to a post from the team.
These proof-or purchase NFTs can be traded before the physical card packages are issued, but Azuki warns traders that you are doing this at your own risk. Technically, if you get someone’s proof-or purchase, you could claim a package when the redemption time comes.
The drop of the Alpha Starter starts on March 27 at 1 p.m. and will be live until 3 April at 1 p.m.
The Azuki team teased this drop earlier two weeks ago via a blog post on their site, together with the comment that various starting packages with tickets will become available to the public later this year. They are promising Waifus, don’t worry.
Chao said that more than a third of the game budget went to design his artworks, although they outsource part of that art design to external companies.
They also try to spend some of the cards as by physically supported tokens or PBTs, which means that every physical card is tied to a token on the blockchain.
Azuki Waifu -card design in progress
The first Azuki collection was launched in 2022, in the form of 10,000 PFP NFTs. In 2023 they also launched the Azuki Elementals, an additional PFP collection with 20,000 NFTs. Azuki’s verified OpenSea -page gives a list of more than a dozen different NFT collections in total, with some that are relayable for IRL -Merch or other NFTs.
At the time of launch, the Azuki elemental people were considered controversial because of the quality of the art, as well as the perception that the extra PFPs in a similar style dilute the value of the original collection. The team just earned $ 38 million in income from that second launch.