Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game that allows players to collect, breed, raise, battle, and trade digital creatures known as Axies. Think of it as a crypto-meets-Pokémon game where players raise, battle, and trade cute NFT pets called Axies. It features two native cryptocurrencies: Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), which can be bought and sold on exchanges like Coinbase, and Small Love Potion (SLP), which is awarded to players for spending time in the game. Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) is Axie Infinity ecosystem's own token and can be used to participate in key governance votes. Each Axie is a non-fungible token (NFT) with distinct attributes and strengths, and they can be entered into 3v3 battles, with the winning team receiving more experience points. These points can be used to level up an Axie's stats or evolve their body parts. Axies can also be bred together to produce new offspring, which can be used or traded on the Axie marketplace. To solve the scalability problem, Axie Infinity created its sidechain on Ethereum called Ronin Network, which ensures instant transactions not involving the Ethereum blockchain. Most transactions happen on a speedy, bespoke sidechain called Ronin, which developer Sky Mavis designed to have lower fees than the main Ethereum blockchain.

The gameplay of Axie Infinity revolves around fighting and breeding Axies. Players need to have an Axie to join the battle and select Adventure Mode (PvE) or Arena Mode (PvP). The game also features a marketplace where players can trade their Axies and land plots. A key feature of Axie Infinity is community engagement, where each member contributes, participates in governance, and generates content. There are two special cryptocurrencies used in the game: The main token, Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), can be bought and sold on exchanges like Coinbase. You need some AXS to play the game, but you can also trade AXS like Bitcoin, Dogecoin, or any other major crypto. AXS will also serve as a governance token, which allows holders to have a say in the future of the game. A second token, called Small Love Potion (SLP), is awarded to players for spending time in the game. You can win some for beating an opponent's Axie or for completing in-game quests. The more you play, the more SLP you can rack up. (While this asset is not currently available on Coinbase, you can buy and sell SLP via DEXs like Uniswap or SushiSwap.)

Axie Infinity was created in 2018 by Sky Mavis, a technology-focused game developer, along with co-founders Trung Nguyen and Aleksander Larsenwith and a team primarily based in Vietnam. Trung Nguyen is the current CEO of the platform, and Aleksander Larsen is credited as a co-founder and COO of the platform. The native ecosystem token, Axie Infinity Shard (AXS), was launched in November 2020, and as of August 2021, the game had around 1 million daily players. In the summer of 2021, Axie Infinity became widely popular on the Ethereum blockchain.

To play, you'll need an Ethereum-compatible crypto wallet and some ETH. You can buy some ETH from an exchange like Coinbase and send it to Coinbase Wallet (which is separate from the main Coinbase app; you can download it via Apple's App Store or Google Play) or Metamask. (You can also download this Chrome extension to connect Coinbase Wallet to a web browser if you'd rather play on a computer.) To start playing, you need to buy at least three Axies from the game's marketplace. Sky Mavis takes a 4.25% cut of all the Axies, virtual real estate, and other items users sell each other. "Rare" Axies with desirable traits cost more. Players can also "breed" new Axies, which costs some of the game's two native cryptocurrencies: Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) and Small Love Potion (SLP). You can earn SLP by successfully battling other players and completing quests.

You can buy and sell AXS via exchanges like Coinbase. SLP, in contrast, can be earned in-game and used to breed Axie.

Play-to-earn in Axie Infinity is a distinctive gaming model where players may receive non-monetary incentives through their in-game activities. In Axie Infinity, players gather, breed, nurture, and battle digital creatures known as Axies. These Axies are non-fungible tokens (NFTs), signifying each one is unique and owned by the player. Players may receive non-monetary incentives in the form of Small Love Potion (SLP) tokens by winning battles or accomplishing tasks. These tokens may be utilized within the game for breeding new Axies or considered for exchange on various platforms. The game also features a player-owned economy, where players can exchange resources they receive in the game. This model seeks to offer an engaging gaming experience, enhancing the gaming experience. However, it's crucial to note that the nature of these incentives may vary based on game dynamics and external factors.

In the Axie Infinity ecosystem, players have the opportunity to interact with and breed Axies to create new ones. To initiate the breeding process, players need two Axies, a specific quantity of AXS (Axie Infinity Shards), and some SLP (Smooth Love Potions). The breeding process may result in Axies with varying characteristics such as cards, body parts, and class. The offspring Axie is born as an egg and matures into an adult after five days. However, there is a limit to how many times an Axie can breed to prevent an overabundance of Axies. Each breeding occurrence requires the use of AXS and several Smooth Love Potions. The use of SLP and AXS varies depending on the specific breeding scenario. The breed count refers to the number of times an Axie has already mated and given birth. An Axie is typically able to reproduce up to 7 times. It is generally observed that siblings and parent-child pairs are not able to reproduce together.

In the Axie Infinity gaming metaverse, the AXS and SLP tokens have important roles. The AXS, or Axie Infinity Shards, is an ERC-20 governance token that intends to provide players with a say in the game's ecosystem. It's utilized to facilitate the game's governance, enabling holders to vote on proposals and influence the project's direction. On the other hand, the SLP, or Smooth Love Potion, is an ERC-20 token that serves as the in-game currency. It's primarily used to breed Axies, the digital pets in the game. Players may receive SLP tokens by winning battles against other players or computer-controlled monsters. The tokens may be exchanged within the game's ecosystem. The growth of the Axie Infinity game may impact the role of the AXS and SLP tokens within the game's ecosystem.

Axie Infinity battles are turn-based card games where players strive to eliminate all enemies their team of 3 Axies is facing. Each Axie has four stats: Health, Morale, Skill, and Speed. Health determines the amount of damage an Axie can take before being knocked out. Morale aims to increase critical strike chance and makes entering last stand more likely. Skill adds damage when an Axie plays multiple cards at once (combo). Speed determines turn order, with faster Axies attacking first. Each Axie has 6 body parts: eyes, ears, horn, mouth, back, and tail. Horns, Mouths, Backs, and Tails determine which cards an Axie can use in battle. Each body part adds stats depending on the class of the part. Axie classes include Beast, Bug, Plant, Reptile, Bird, and Aquatic. Each class possesses distinct abilities, and some classes may perform differently than others in battle. When calculating damage, the card class of the attacking move is compared to the Axie class of the defender. For example, a Bird card used to attack a Beast Axie may potentially inflict 15% additional damage. A Beast card used to attack an Aquatic Axie may potentially inflict 15% less damage. Moreover, when an Axie of a certain class uses a card from its class, it may receive a 10% attack/shield bonus. For example, a Plant Axie playing a plant card may receive 10% extra attack/shield. These bonuses may accumulate. A Beast Axie using a Beast card against a Plant target may potentially inflict 25% (10% + 15%) more damage.

Land gameplay in Axie Infinity intends to bring alterations to the functioning of the Axie Infinity economy. With the introduction of land gameplay, there may be other in-game resources and assets to collect that contribute to the gameplay. Some of these resources may potentially be used to modify and adjust structures on land plots. There's speculation that these items may be used to adjust Axie parts, or used to construct special items. As these new items are introduced, players may potentially start to farm both SLP (Smooth Love Potion) as well as these new items. This shift in focus may potentially result in players allocating less energy in PvP (Player versus Player) and more energy on PvE (Player versus Environment) land gameplay. This change is expected to help make the Axie Infinity economy maintainable in the long-term. Land gameplay may potentially incorporate Axie burning or releasing mechanisms, which could be noteworthy as more players join the game. In essence, land gameplay alters the gameplay options, diversifies the in-game economy, and modifies the overall gaming experience.

Axie Infinity employs a multi-layered approach with the intention of enhancing the security of player assets and transactions. The game's creator, Sky Mavis, has collaborated with Google Cloud with the aim of improving the security and sustainability of its blockchain network. Google Cloud serves as a validator node on Ronin, the gaming transaction network of Axie Infinity, with the intention of contributing to transaction security on the platform. Validators, including Google Cloud, oversee the network's security by monitoring the validity of transactions and striving to ensure the entire pool operates correctly. This collaboration seeks to strengthen the Ronin Network's validator pool, with the intention of increasing its resilience to compromise. Furthermore, Axie Infinity is built on the Ethereum blockchain, utilizing smart contracts with the aim of promoting transparency and security. The digital creatures, Axies, are unique tokens recorded on the blockchain and can be traded and inherited. The game's in-game economy is designed with the intention of promoting security and transparency, with players receiving non-monetary rewards in the form of an in-game cryptocurrency.

Yes, players have the opportunity to participate in governance decisions within the Axie Infinity ecosystem. Axie Infinity employs a progressive decentralization approach to governance. This means that the game's community members, who are also holders of Axie Infinity Shards (AXS tokens), aim to influence the game's future development and decision-making processes. The AXS token serves as a governance token, granting voting rights to its holders. This allows players to potentially have a say in key decisions, such as how the community treasury's resources are used. The platform seeks to evolve into a decentralized gaming platform where players may have a role in the game's direction. However, it's important to note that the evolution towards more decentralization is an ongoing process and depends on various factors including the community's readiness and the resolution of potential technical and social governance coordination challenges.

Sky Mavis, the developer of Axie Infinity, has formed partnerships within the gaming industry to modify its services. One such collaboration is with Act Games, a Korean gaming studio. This partnership seeks to introduce various Japanese video game franchises to the Ronin blockchain, the blockchain native to Axie Infinity. The first game that aims to be migrated to the Ronin blockchain is Zoids Wild Arena, inspired by Tomy's iconic anime series. Other franchises like Hello Kitty, Aggretsuko, and Bubble Bobble are also intended for migration. Another partnership is with CyberKongz, an Ethereum-based nonfungible token (NFT) collection. This collaboration strives to create a diversified gaming ecosystem for the Ronin blockchain, including the development of a new game. Axie Infinity has also partnered with GCash, a mobile wallet platform, to facilitate the procedure for Filipino gamers to transfer cryptocurrency between the Axie ecosystem and GCash's crypto platform, GCrypto. Axie Infinity has also collaborated with Cloud9, a North American esports organization, for a tournament under Cloud9’s Stratus membership program.

Axie Infinity addresses scalability challenges in terms of user growth by utilizing the capabilities of the Ronin sidechain, a blockchain network developed by Sky Mavis. Ronin is designed to handle the unique demands of the Axie Infinity ecosystem, addressing concerns related to high transaction fees and scalability problems associated with public blockchain networks. By operating on its own Ethereum sidechain, Axie Infinity can utilize many of the Ethereum blockchain's features while depending on a more tailored network that is better suited to its transactional needs. This approach was adopted after Ethereum network congestion affected Axie Infinity's activities, impacting its usability. Ronin aims to improve the user experience and has the intention of accommodating a growing user base by facilitating quick transaction confirmation, simplifying onboarding for new users, and reducing gas costs.

Axie Infinity intends to adapt and grow its gaming universe. Future updates may include the introduction of Axie Part Upgrades and the launch of a platform for Axie-related merchandise. Axie Infinity intends to work on the progression and modification of individual Axies, including leveling and achievements. Moreover, Axie Infinity seeks to develop its land gameplay, where players can participate in gameplay activities. Axie Infinity seeks to introduce Lunacia SDK, a game development kit that may allow developers to create games using existing Axie Infinity assets. However, it's important to note that these are projections and are subject to potential disruptions due to the experimental nature of the technology used in Axie Infinity.

Axie Infinity is a community-driven platform where players can own, breed, battle, and trade digital pets known as Axies. These Axies are non-fungible tokens (NFTs), representing unique and scarce digital assets. The game is developed by Sky Mavis and operates on its own sidechain called Ronin, linked to the Ethereum network. The community-driven aspect of Axie Infinity is evident in its governance model. Players who hold AXS tokens, the game's governance token, can participate in decision-making processes about the game's future. This model strives to align the incentives of all players, developers, and speculators towards a future that aims for cooperation and productivity. To get involved, players need to acquire at least three Axies to commence gameplay. They may receive in-game currency, known as Smooth Love Potion (SLP), through gameplay, which can be used to breed new Axies. Game modes, seasonal events, tournaments, quests, and community activities are available for player participation.