Axie Infinity: Is Axie Infinity and Axie Origin the Same?

Axie Infinity was launched by Sky Mavis in March 2018. It is a real-time card-battler game built on the Ronin Network – an Ethereum-linked side-chain. The entire Axie Infinity metaverse is built around fantasy creatures called Axies. These are digital pets can be bred and they help users explore and battle in Axie Infinity. Although Axie Infinity is a hugely popular game, it still has a significant entry cost. Therefore, to help Web2 gamers transition into Web3 smoothly without any barriers, the concept of Axie Origin was introduced.

What can you do in the Axie Infinity metaverse?

Axie Infinity is structured to be an open-ended digital pet metaverse. Axie NFTs serve as a ticket to experience all the features the Axie universe has to offer. This includes battling, breeding, and tournaments. In a fully functional metaverse like Axie Infinity, users can buy plots of land in Lunacia – the Axie homeland. Over time, these plots can be upgraded using a variety of resources. Owners might also find $AXS token on their land. $AXS is the native token in Axie metaverse and can be used for governance and voting purposes. Players can also explore the plot and resource nodes using the Axies that occupy the plot. This enables players to play in Player vs Environment (PvE) mode.

However, the most popular feature of Axie Infinity is the battle system. Inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics and Idle Heroes, Axie Infinity features an idle battle system. Players compete against other users in this Player vs Player (PvP) battle format and are rewarded with prizes and $SLP tokens upon winning. Additionally, players can also earn more incentives and rewards if they rank higher on the leaderboard at the end of the season.

Difference between Axie Infinity and Axie Origin

Axie Origin is a new battle version of Axie Infinity. Although both games share some similarities, they have many fundamental differences. Axie Origin has a new interface and features new game mechanics, art, and storylines. Most importantly, it does not require an entry cost from users. Some key differences include:

Sequential Turns

Axies will now immediately execute their attacks without any delay. Unlike Axie Infinity (V2), users will take turns using their cards and will not choose them at the beginning of a round.

Energy and Card Reset

Unused cards and energy will not be accumulated by default during battle. This means trainers will receive no incentives to skip turns and not use their energy. However, there would be mechanics around retaining and acquiring energy and cards

Card Changes

Unlike Axie Infinity (V2) where cards have both attack and defense values, cards in Axie Origin will have only one of those. This will lead to new battle strategies and the current meta may no longer be viable.

Eyes and Ears

There will be completely new cards that relate to an Axie’s eyes and ears. Users will have to form strategies around six Axie cards, unlike the four skills in Axie Infinity (V2). This would definitely shake up team compositions and players will have to implement new strategies to win.

Runes and Charms

Axie Origin marks the introduction of new powerups – Runes and Charms. These can be equipped by Axies to gain various buffs in a battle much like held items from Pokémon. Runes will grant new passive powers to the Axies while Charms enhance the already existing abilities.

Random Critical Hits Removed

After users from Axie Infinity (V2) expressed their frustration with critical hits. So the new Axie Origin version will not feature random critical hits. Instead, the Origin gameplay will feature a “rage” mechanic. Rage is accumulated over the course of battle and it will be up to the player to use it at the right time.

Changes in Axie Stats

The aim of Axie Origin is to be a fast-paced turn-based card battler game. This renders many Axie Infinity (V2) stats including speed irrelevant and therefore they will be duly removed. Instead, the Axies in Origin will feature Hit Points (HP).

All these mechanics make Axie Origin stand out, giving it a unique appeal when compared to Axie Infinity (V2). Also, there is no entry cost that users need to bear. The game also requires no prior knowledge about blockchain technology or NFTs. As a result, skeptical users will be able to venture into the Web3 gaming landscape. Axie Origin will be able to compete with many traditional games on the mobile and PC platforms but most importantly, it will also provide a gateway through which users can try the Axie Infinity Classic (V2).

This story was written in partnership with Linx Games

Linx Games is a community-driven blockchain game distribution platform for gamers and developers to interact, socialize and exchange ideas.