South Korean game publisher Nexon Group announced Monday that it is partnering with Ava Labs to launch its 2D mass multiplayer online role-playing game MapleStory on the Avalanche network.
The collaboration aims to offer its players a Web3 experience under the name MapleStory Universe, the company said in a statement.
“MapleStory Universe migrated to Avalanche for network security and the success with which Avalanche has integrated and supported various Web3 games over the years,” Nexon said in the release.
Nexon said in the release that MapleStory Universe will be supported by its own Avalanche subnet, which can be thought of as a network within a network designed for its gaming ecosystem.
The first game in the updated Web3 lineup, named MapleStory N, aims to allow players to create their own game worlds and receive Web3 rewards for doing so. Although the release did not specify what type of Web3 incentives users will receive, its website states that non-fungible tokens are at the heart of its value ecosystem.
The PC version of MapleStory N on Avalanche is expected to launch by the end of this year, the company said.
MapleStory, launched in 2003, was one of the first online games to popularize the free-to-play model. It has since expanded its service to launch servers in the United States, Europe, and other Asian countries, such as Japan and China. He complaints having had over 180 million users worldwide in its 20-year history.
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About the Author
Danny Park is an East Asia reporter at The Block who writes about topics including Web3 developments and crypto regulations in the region. He was formerly a reporter at Forkast.News, where he actively covered the fall of Terra-Luna and FTX. Based in Seoul, Danny has previously produced written and video content for media companies in Korea, Hong Kong and China. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and business marketing from the University of Hong Kong.