The First ‘Blockbuster’ Blockchain Game – The Next Axie? (ILV)

In recent months, we’ve been closely following one of the hottest emerging trends in the cryptocurrency market: the rise of blockchain-based games. Underlying consumer mentions of blockchain gaming, play-to-earn mechanics, and NFT game assets are surging to new highs, up +159% month-over-month and +568% QoQ on a 30-day moving average.

The unprecedented success of ‘Axie Infinity’ (AXS) has brought worldwide exposure to the concept of decentralized gaming, and now countless projects are scrambling to emulate that success and become ‘the next Axie.’ We’ve already featured several promising names in this emerging market, including open-world Ethereum-based games like Decentraland (MANA) and The Sandbox (SAND).
A new challenger is approaching... An up-and-coming project that promises to be the first AAA quality, fully decentralized gaming experience: Illuvium (ILV).
Although still under development, Illuvium bills itself as an open-world fantasy battle game, with high-fidelity graphics, NFT characters, and play-to-earn mechanics.
Buzz surrounding the game and its governance token, ILV, has exploded alongside broader interest in blockchain gaming – Specific mentions of Illuvium are at an all-time high on a 30-day moving average.

ILV holders stand to receive special in-game benefits, as well as proportional share of all profits generated within the game’s ecosystem.
With less than 1M tokens in circulation (and a max supply of 10M), the price of ILV has already gained by more than +600% over the past 2 months.
It's clear that hype is building. However, it remains to be seen if Illuvium’s highly credentialed development team can deliver the first-ever ‘blockbuster’ blockchain gaming experience.