The play-to-earn (P2E) sector that arose from the decentralized finance (DeFi) space during the course of the last year sent the crypto market to new heights, and, in the process, has threatened to bridge the chasm between mainstream entertainment and the blockchain realm.
A new gaming project is now bridging gaps between different blockchains with the launch of Monsterra on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and Terra Chain. BSC is the Ethereum-compatible blockchain birthed by the team behind the world’s largest centralized exchange Binance, and offers users a platform on which to build fast, low-fee decentralized applications (dApps).
Terra Chain, meanwhile, is a decentralized payments network that also plays host to a variety of dApps. Interestingly, Terra Chain recently became the second-largest DeFi platform in the world judging by the dollar value locked into its protocol – a sum no less than $18.2 million.
Why Two Chains Are Better Than One
The P2E NFT game will launch first on Binance Smart Chain before expanding to Terra in Q2. The dual-chain launch bodes well for would-be gamers who are typically restricted to a single network – i.e. the blockchain that a project’s team decided to build on initially.
Of course, the Monsterra team isn’t launching on two chains just for the sake of it. BSC was selected as the core platform due to its sizable user base and stable ecosystem, making it an attractive venue for gamers, including those appalled by Ethereum’s eye-watering transaction fees.
The expansion to the trending Terra platform, meanwhile, reflects Monsterra’s strong relationship with the Terra Foundation. As well as becoming one of the first games in Terra’s expanding metaverse, Monsterra will benefit from a bridge that connects BSC to Terra, enabling users to sample the best of both chains moving forward.
In the game itself, players engage in battles using magical creatures named Mongens in order to acquire land, build farms, and construct their own properties. Mongens come in five different initial forms, each with a different set of unique characteristics and abilities which confer varied playstyles on the player.
Gameplay takes on various forms, with gamers able to launch raids on other competitors’ properties and seek to defeat the defending Mongens with an army of their own. Arena battles offer up the prospect of intense head-to-head battles, while boss challenges see participants face off against hostile creatures during their exploration of a wondrous yet hostile landscape.
Amid the battles, players can also find unique rewards during their travels by locating hidden reward tokens and figuring out how to exploit them.
The Booming Play-to-Earn Market
Play-to-earn became more than just a buzzword in 2021 as blockchain developers caught on to the potential for gaming finance to attract more users to the crypto space than was previously considered possible.
Known as GameFi for short, gamified finance provides entertainment while at the same time empowering its users with the ideals of financial autonomy and independence that have long been fostered by the cryptocurrency industry.
The mainstream gaming industry is worth an estimated $300 billion, and that valuation is expected to grow even further in the coming years. While blockchain developers pursue their own piece of this ever-growing pie, so too are mainstream publishers edging closer into the blockchain space, as witnessed with the recent embrace of metaverse and NFT technology by a number of established gaming companies.
The synergy between blockchain and gaming continues to draw attention, and by launching on two popular networks out of the gate, Monsterra is making quite a statement. This year, the team behind the game planS to build a sizable user base via giveaways, bounties and community activities. New player modes will also be introduced, along with a DEX debut for the dual-chain MSTR token, used for NFT transactions, in-game upgrades, and other defi activities.
