Investing in Stella Fantasy
How this ARPG stands out from other blockchain-based games
TL;DR
The current blockchain-based gaming landscape remains dominated by projects that prioritise financial rewards.
Most P2E games lack a focus in gameplay experience, which remains a key obstacle to attracting traditional gamers into the Web3 space.
Stella Fantasy is committed to producing high-quality gameplay and graphics, setting it apart from many existing P2E projects.
The game is already partnered with industry heavyweights, from Animoca Brands to GuildFi.
Arcane believes Stella Fantasy is set to create and maintain everlasting gameplay sustainability, offering a new paradigm for the Web3 gaming genre.
Based on the knockout success of Axie Infinity and StepN, many entrepreneurs and investors are convinced that gaming will be the driving force of Web3. Until now, some of the high-profile projects reward gamers with tokens in what’s called the “play-to-earn” model. Even though P2E games have pulled in millions of players and investors, gaming veterans argue that they are unsustainable. They view these games as a product of financial engineers hoping to get rich quickly instead of experienced buidlers developing long-standing works.
Judging from Valve’s big titles like DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike, gamers can get rewarded by selling skins or even playing them at a professional level. A case in point is The International’s total prize pool — more than $170 million to date. Yet it’s not the reason why people around the world play these games regularly. Avid traditional gamers are in it for the experience, graphics, storylines, and so much more. But looking at how NFTs have been incorporated into P2E games, there remains a lack of ‘play’ in ‘play-to-earn.’
Arcane believes that games should, above all, be fun. While a well-made P2E project focused on more elaborate gameplay mechanics is hard to come by, it does not have to be the case. We believe the next generation of blockchain-based game design will focus on the experience, helping to attract more traditional gamers into Web3. That’s why we are thrilled to welcome Stella Fantasy to Arcane’s porfolio.
Featuring an all-female cast, Stella Fantasy is a stylish action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by South Korean studio Ring Games. The team is known for creating high-quality anime visuals and real-time perspectives developed on Unreal Engine 4. It already has a track record for developing games, helping to bridge the gap between traditional Web2 gamers and the Web3 space. The core Stella Fantasy team worked on the free-to-play game, King’s Raid, which has clocked more than 13 million downloads.
Stella Fantasy has an advantage in being the first to market in the blockchain-based ARPG genre. It has similarities to other mobile game names like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy. The game’s on-chain elements are performed using BNB chain and Ethereum. Upon launch, there will be three story chapters with 20 missions each. The team will also eventually introduce co-op play, player-versus-player (PvP) elements and competitive player-versus-environment (PvE) with rankings based on raids.
What sets Stella Fantasy apart from many P2E projects is that the core team is dedicated to dismantling the general public’s opinion that Web3 games are simply cash grabs. This means doing away with old-fashioned graphics and simple gameplay mechanics currently prevalent in the market, such as grinding. Instead, the team is focused on building fun and sustainable games, while integrating cryptocurrencies to incentivise gamers as well as creators.
There are two types of in-game currencies that will be key to maintaining the ecosystem and governance. They can also be staked to secure rare NFT airdrops and earn token rewards. Players can also acquire new party members via a gacha and lootbox system, which is a proven revenue-generating model in mobile games.
However, instead of solely focusing on the ‘earn’ aspect, developers are working to build an environment that gamers around the world can ‘play’ together. Players will be able to fully convert the value generated from gameplay into player ownership, giving rise to a world where all community members can ‘earn’ as a result. Every content — whether it be NFT crafting, combat gameplay, or town management — is designed to organically linked together, creating a seamless experience for both traditional and Web3 gamers alike.
Stella Fantasy is set to launch in the next two months. More than 20 characters have already been developed and more will be rolled out gradually. We can’t be more excited to help the entire team build and expand into the ever-growing Web3 gaming multiverse.
Want to get the latest updates on Arcane Group’s investments?
Join our mailing list now: