There are plenty of web3 studios that are very loud and very visible, but many don’t have a game that could stand on its own were it not for the community of investors behind it.
This is not true of Wildcard, an RTS MOBA Playful Studios has been quietly building on the Polygon blockchain since 2017.
Fully funded, Playful has done what many of these loud and boring games haven’t. They’ve made a fun and competitive game that will attract gamers into the space.
Very little gameplay footage other than the Wildcard trailer is out there, and Playful has only recently given play-test access to a few web3 gamers, but the feedback was impressive.
I was one of the few that got to test it behind closed doors.
It has a card-resource system similar to Clash Royale, but in Wildcard you are actually on the ground fighting in the action, instead of overhead, directing your forces.
This brings a whole new level of immersion – and stress! – to Wildcard. You have to fight, defend, and manage mana generation all at once, and the game’s quick pace leaves very little computation power for much else – not to mention there is an opponent that might just sneak in an attack and kill you if you are too focused on other tasks.
It may sound overwhelming, but Wildcard is a pretty simple game at its core: you just need to run around summoning monsters that will advance towards the enemy base and attack anything on their way.
The objective is to destroy your opponent’s goal while protecting yours. You create decks of creatures beforehand and choose a champion with unique abilities, including game-changing ultimates.
Built for a crowd
Wildcard has huge e-sports potential.
Playful are very focused on making Wildcard a spectator sport, full of engaging incentives that will drive crowds to the arena.
One of their most impressive ideas is that contestants and content creators will be able to interact with the viewers directly during a match, whether it is shooting NFTs out into the crowds or outfitting fans in their favourite team’s swag.
The studio will host its first tournament, the Melee on the Meteor exhibition event, on February 23. They are building a really nice production that should get the Wildcard audience rooting for some up and coming stars. Keep an eye out for me in the Frostburn Arena.
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