Bored Ape Yacht Club is developing a new “play-to-earn” NFT game

Andrew Amos
Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT with cigar in hand

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is one of the most exclusive ⁠and well-known NFT groups in the space. Now, they’re using their fame to develop a new “play-to-earn” NFT game where players can buy in, earn tokens for playing, and cash out.

If you know of the NFT space, you know of BAYC. One of the biggest and most exclusive groups in crypto, the Yacht Club (and its various spinoffs) have been sold for more than $1 billion collectively.

Now, with the launch of their ApeCoin cryptocurrency on March 16, they’re expanding their reach into the gaming market with a new “play-to-earn” game.

Professed as “a token for culture, gaming, and commerce used to empower a decentralized community building at the forefront of web3”, ApeCoin will be powering BAYC’s title, although details on what it’ll include are thin.

The game will be developed in conjunction with nWayPlay, who have created a number of other “play-to-earn” titles in the gaming space.

The concept of play-to-earn has been popularized by NFT games, where players can earn more tradeable collectibles just by playing the game. They can then use these newly-minted NFTs to power their own gameplay, or sell them off for a profit.

ApeCoin will also be used to power over NFT games in the marketplace, with game developers jumping at the chance to integrate the new cryptocurrency into their titles.

NFT games have fallen under scrutiny from players across all gaming spaces. Axie Infinity, one of the most well-known in the space, has been criticized for its high cost of entry in the thousands and “exploitative” scholarships.

Recently, YouTube star Dr Disrespect announced his game company, Midnight Society, would be integrating NFTs into their gaming universe starting with Project Moon.

While the star is adamant the games will remain free-to-play, players can buy and trade cosmetics on the blockchain to use in Midnight Society titles. This includes an early access NFT, the Founders Pass, which currently retails for around $50.

There’s no timeline on BAYC’s NFT game release yet, but with the first concept images out, development is certainly underway.

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About The Author

Hailing from Perth, Andrew was formerly Dexerto's Australian Managing Editor. They love telling stories across all games and esports, but they have a soft spot for League of Legends and Rainbow Six. Oh, and they're also fascinated by the rise of VTubers.