On June 20th, Yuga Labs caused quite a stir by announcing something called the “HV-MTL Forge” that would begin on June 29th. Having shared just a few key details about the event on social media, the predecessors of the Bored Ape Yacht Club now have the full scope of the significant metaverse gaming expansion. Here’s what you need to know.
What is the HV-MTL Forge?
The HV-MTL Forge is all about, you guessed it, HV-MTL. A seemingly standalone game venture launched by Yuga in March 2023, HV-MTL is no different from Otherside (an MMORPG linked to the BAYC ecosystem) as it features a story centered around 30,000 sentient mech- NFTs.
Initially heralded as one of the “final” stops in the still-evolving, multi-part MDvMM.xyz saga, it has become clear that HV-MTL is something very different from the many NFT-based initiatives Yuga has launched over the past released for years. And with season one of the Forge, collectors can finally experience everything the new platform has to offer.
Essentially, HV-MTL Forge isn’t a single event, but a game billed as “a mix between a pet game and a casual world builder,” but that will eventually culminate in a competitive dungeon crawler. According to information released via Yuga’s HM-MTL game guide, the Forge will run for a total of six seasons and will rely on users to “build, bend, fight and evolve”.
“Your HV relies on you to evolve into an Evo2 and earn up to six powerful upgrades to its Evo2 form. You do this by building a workshop – your blacksmith shop, which will generate the energy needed to explore The Rift – and keep your HV happy,” the HV-MTL site reads. “You are at the mercy of fellow swordsmen who vote daily on how your Forge performs. After three weeks, the season’s votes are counted and your fate is sealed.
Gameplay unpacked
As far as the gameplay of the HV-MTL Forge goes, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Namely, we need to unpack the three distinctive game types that make up the Forge ecosystem.
A casual world builder
First, the importance of “forging” aka building out your HV’s “crafting station” cannot be underestimated. Each player starts with just a few “blueprints”, and others can be unlocked by discovering and completing hidden objectives. These blueprints allow users to create “tiles” and “decorative objects”.
Users will want to “flex” their Forges by creating a unique, interesting and useful crafting station as stations are ranked over time, with those who get high marks on their builds gaining access to unlock upgrades and prepare on in-game world events to come.
Coinciding with crafting stations is called “energy.” Energy is the main resource of the game and can be earned over time by building, working with and upgrading tiles and decorative objects.
Likewise, “portals” exist within the HV-MTL Forge, which are machines that allow a HV to travel to other dimensions and allow users to bring other HV’s wallets into play. Portals seem to go hand in hand with power generation and consumption, which you can read more about here.
A pet game
In addition to giving importance to worldbuilding, players will also need to take care of their HVs. They are sentient mechs after all. “Your HV isn’t just a pile of clutter and cables – it can get grumpy, sleepy and completely unimpressed with you. When that happens, energy production will be lower, so don’t slack off,” reads HV-MTL’s site. “Take care of your HV, and he will take care of you.”
In the HV-MTL Forge, in true pet-game fashion, users will have to clean up their HVs, pet HVs or otherwise pay attention to HVs, give their HVs time to sleep, perform services – such as opening portals and powering up their HVs with energy — and more. While the Forge might be about building and – maybe later, fighting – HVs need to be taken care of in the meantime.
A competitive dungeon crawler and more
It’s important to note that, with the Forge as new as it is, we’re really just scratching the surface here. With six seasons already underway, there’s no doubt there will be a complex array of intertwined mechanics as we’ve yet to see them. In particular, the competitive dungeon crawler portion of the game is something we can only speculate about at the moment.
But given the mentions of things like portals, energy, and the need to build tiles and decorative objects, it can be concluded that the resources a player starts with are finite. If so, HVs and owners will definitely need to explore the entire Forge ecosystem to obtain other materials and take on various tasks and adventures.
Of course, this all comes back to the competitive part of the Forge. Throughout the game, players can receive something called “amplifiers”, which can be used to unlock an HV’s new evolutions (i.e. the aforementioned “Evo2”) simply by taking care of their mech.
So far, we’ve learned that these amps come in five rarities: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, or Legendary. Similarly, the rarity a player can earn depends on their ranking at the end of a season. There is that importance of building in action.
HV-MTL, Bored Apes and more
While HV-MTL is its own ecosystem under the Yuga umbrella, there will also be room for BAYC, MAYC, and BAKC holders within the game mechanics. These mechanics won’t be revealed until season two of the Forge goes live. Only then will unique, claimable items be available to holders of other Yuga NFTs, and will allegedly have lasting utility in the gap.
While there is certainly more to the HV-MTL Forge that users will want to learn about, the full scope of the game can only really be revealed by playing. And with HV-MTL NFT holders having access to Yuga’s expansive new gaming experience starting June 29, it’s certainly only a matter of time before Web3’s (often rather vocal) gamers and commentators start reporting.