This season, Australian Open fans can celebrate the new season in Web3 style thanks to the collaboration with Roblox! The viral gaming platform is launching an immersive Metaverse experience: AO Adventure. There, users can explore the iconic Rod Laver Arena, meet digital avatars of iconic players like Nick Kyrgios, and purchase NFT collectibles!
Australian Open x Roblox: How does the AO Adventure work?
Basically, AO Adventure is a digital experience powered by Roblox. The game celebrates the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament, which kicks off on January 16. Upon entering the game, players are first greeted by an avatar of Nick Kyrgios, one of the tournament’s top stars.
Accordingly, attendees can play single or double tennis virtually with friends or even AI players. Users can level up for each milestone and get rewards in the form of Freebies.
In addition, Australian Open fans can also purchase digital collectibles from the AO Shop section – all compatible with their Roblox avatars.
The star attraction, however, is undoubtedly the Emirates-introduced digital version of the famous AO Ballpark. There, players can meet digital replicas of the Emirates Cabin Crew and complete tasks to win wearables.
The game is already available through Roblox and you can enjoy it with a free account on the platform!
What about the AO ArtBall NFTs within Decentraland?
Australian Open is no stranger to the NFT market. The iconic tournament launched its debut collectibles in 2022 under the name “AO ArtBall”. Each of the 6,776 NFTs represents a 17 x 17 cm plot on a virtual field within AO Decentraland.
Of course, this offers fans a different experience than the Australian Open Roblox game. Whenever a tennis ball lands on a virtual plot, the corresponding NFT is updated to reveal the match data. In addition, each holder can access exclusive benefits, including real-life tickets to AO competitions and wearables, among others.
For the 2023 Australian Open season, any AO ArtBall NFT that scores a match point on the court can receive two tickets to the corresponding match in 2023. For example, if your ArtBall NFT scores a match in the women’s doubles final this year, you’ll get tickets for the women’s doubles final in the 2024 AO tournament.
Do AO22 NFT holders also have to hit the AO23 collectibles?
If you already own an AO22 collectible, you can still take advantage of several benefits. However, collectors who own both the AO22 and AO23 Artball NFTs will receive a Membership Multiplier. The result is this exclusive program “multiplies membership benefits or unlocks new benefits from scratch.”
Starting January 12, users will be able to hit an AO23 ArtBall NFT on the official Australian Open NFT platform for 0.23 ETH per collectible.
This experience, along with their new partnership with Roblox, makes this year’s Australian Open tournament more exciting than ever!
“With over 80% of users on the platform aged 25 and under, it’s also a great platform for us to connect with younger fans, who we hope will be inspired to visit the AO in person one day after experiencing what the AO has to offer, besides tennis”, senior Web3 Manager at Tennis Australia, added Ridley Plummer.
