An emerging blockchain-based game project called Illuvium has already managed to garner support from big fans in the industry – a development due in part to Illuvium co-founders Kieran and Aaron Warwick being the brothers of Cain Warwick, co-founder of decentralized financial (DeFi) platform Synthetix.
Cain announced in a tweet on Friday that his brothers ‘after two years of pressure’ reveal a blockchain-based game to the world:
I’m very excited that two of my brothers are starting a crypto NFT game after years of pressure @illuviumio. As promised, I only completed $ 1 million @ketting link market buy in Kain.eth via @ 1inchExchange. I am now going 2 weeks offline and enjoying the beginning of 2021! https://t.co/LMb5YkJbtr
– kain.eth (@kaiynne) 2 January 2021
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Kieran Warwick made it clear that development work has only been going on since September, and that the “two years” refers to the length of time Cain spent for Kieran to re-enter crypto full-time.
‘I left to start a food business in 2016, [and] afterwards may not be the best call, ”admits Kieran.
Despite the late survey, the few sources released to the public already promise a title with myriad influences.
‘The two genres we got the most inspiration from are collectible RPGs (like Pokémon) and Auto Battlers (like Teamfight Tactics or Dota Underlords). In terms of aesthetics, we’re going for a stylized feel that sits somewhere between the manga style of RPG and hyper-realistic games, ”Kieran said.
The game also features some unique twists that leverage a local ILV token farming program, as well as the implementation of NFTs in innovative ways that can impact the game asset collection strategy.
‘We use a merger mechanism where three Illuvial NFTs are burned by the user to create a more powerful Illuvial NFT. This mechanism is common in Auto Battlers, but by using smart contracts to control the decoration and combustion, we have brought in more security for collectors and players. ”
While the ambition is great, the Warwick brothers bring an extensive ecosystem into their pocket. Despite the fact that Kieran has only recently re-entered full-time, Kieran says he is no stranger to concepts such as liquidation merger, as he is currently “strongly participating in DeFi in more than 50 projects.”
Excited about the @illuviumio next level Metaverse!
Play
NFT’s
Build up @IMMUTABLE X
(hyperscalable L2)All brought by you @KieranWarwick & Brothers!
If you want to be early, join the quarrel and keep it cool
https://t.co/uc8ENQ3SEX https://t.co/1JQW9s18Xm pic.twitter.com/5h1BHImEN5– CryptoFit ($ NERDz) (@ Crypt0Fit) 2 January 2021
On top of that, some of the biggest names in DeFi and gaming are early fans. Kieran says that “six of the best DeFi founders” invested in Beluvium’s seed round – presumably including Cain. Illuvium is also being built using a layer 2 scale solution from Immutable, the development studio behind the NFT card game Gods Unchained.
Kieran says he hopes to leverage these connections to create a gaming experience that empowers players.
‘One of the most frustrating experiences as a player is to feel like a consumer of a game rather than a participant, and although many game studios have improved over the last few years by giving more control to their communities, there are no way about the level of community ownership we are going to offer in the traditional gaming world. ”
To ensure this community ownership, Kieran said Illuvium will be run by a DAO, which will enable players to control game adjustments and balancing. In addition, a portion of the funds from the results of ‘Leviathan’ arena fights with a winner, a victory attempt, will be allocated to a vault controlled by the DAO, as well as other fees.
Although even a game show is a few months out and the liquidity mining program is planned for early March, Illuvium’s 15-man team is determined to deliver a product to a market that they say could eventually become the standard.
“We believe main players will see the opportunity to migrate to unauthorized platforms where they can really own the entire game.”