One Championship, a Singaporean mixed martial arts (MMA) brand, is teaming up with Animoca Brands to create a Web3-enhanced mobile strategy fighting game that incorporates non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The game, One Fight Arena, is set for an early 2024 launch, with player testing scheduled to begin later this year.
Fighters will be represented by NFTs
In the game, the MMA athletes will be transformed into NFTs, providing players with authenticity and statistics on each rare character.
This feature will allow players to collect and trade fighters, adding a new level of ownership to the game. The game also intends to simulate each fighter’s experience, starting from the beginning of their respective fighting careers.
The game will be released as a mobile game for those looking to play entirely for free with no token needed. However, those that want to engage with the NFTs will have access to a gaming experience that houses digital gaming.
According to One Championship co-founder and Group President Hua Fung Teh, the game will provide MMA fans with a new experience that will engage with the brand’s global fanbase at a deeper level.
Web3 gaming sector continues to make strides
The move by Animoca Brands and One Championship to incorporate NFTs into the MMA game comes as Asia is increasingly becoming a prime market for Web3 games.
According to a DappRadar report released this month, Asia could eventually dominate 80% of the entire Web3 gaming market. Other industry players have echoed this sentiment in recent months, indicating that the future of gaming could be more heavily reliant on blockchain technology and NFTs.
Animoca Brands’ Executive Chairman Yat Siu believes that the partnership with One Championship will provide fans of the world’s largest martial arts organization with a novel gaming experience.
He also noted that the partnership that birthed the idea to create the game will enable fans of the sport access the best level of gaming that has note been seen in the gaming sector in a while.
