South Korean triple-A gaming studio NPIXEL has announced the launch of its first-ever web3 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Gran Saga: Unlimited. The game, which will be built on the Aptos network as part of NPIXEL’s metaverse gaming universe, METAPIXEL, is an adaptation of the studio’s original web2 title, Gran Saga.
Gran Saga, a mobile and PC cross-platform anime-style MMORPG, was released in Korea and Japan in 2021 and globally in 2022, quickly becoming one of the top-performing mobile games on the Apple App store in Korea with four million downloads. The web3 version of the game, Gran Saga: Unlimited, will allow players to earn in-game assets and mint gaming equipment as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which they can then trade on NFT marketplaces built on the Aptos network.
NPIXEL’s partnership with Aptos aims to provide a fast and secure network for developers and gamers to build and play games in a multi-asset environment where token storage is safe. Aptos claims to have subsecond latency on its mainnet, making for a quick and responsive gaming experience, and has user-focused safeguards to protect assets at the blockchain layer, such as key rotation, account recovery and transaction pre-execution.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>GRAN SAGA: UNLIMITED—Official Title Announcement<br><br>METAPIXEL presents <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GranSagaUnlimited?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GranSagaUnlimited</a>, a stunning new web3 MMORPG built on <a href=”https://twitter.com/Aptos_Network?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Aptos_Network</a>.<br><br>Coming in 2023.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GranSaga?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GranSaga</a> │ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/%EA%B7%B8%EB%9E%91%EC%82%AC%EA%B0%80?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#그랑사가</a> │ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B5%E3%82%AC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#グランサガ</a> │ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E6%A0%BC%E8%98%AD%E9%A8%8E%E5%A3%AB%E5%9C%98?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#格蘭騎士團</a> <a href=”https://t.co/twrzvKhzMp”>pic.twitter.com/twrzvKhzMp</a></p>— METAPIXEL (@METAPIXEL) <a href=”https://twitter.com/METAPIXEL/status/1609927872075948033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The announcement of Gran Saga: Unlimited was made via METAPIXEL’s Twitter account, where it received close to 5,000 likes and featured a video sample of the gameplay and graphics. The game will be available for PC initially, with iOS and Android versions to follow. Testing for the game will begin in Q1 2023, with a global public release planned for Q2. Alpha testers will be recruited via the studio’s Discord channel, with several playtests of the game scheduled in the coming months to improve its blockchain features prior to the official launch.
NPIXEL’s entry into the web3 gaming space is a significant one, as the studio has a proven track record of creating successful and popular games. The use of the Aptos network and the integration of NFTs into Gran Saga: Unlimited adds an exciting new element to the game, and players will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the chance to test it out. As the first web3 game in NPIXEL’s METAPIXEL metaverse, Gran Saga: Unlimited is sure to set the stage for even more innovative and immersive gaming experiences in the future.
