Building a Web3 Gaming Metaverse from the Auto Chess Game Mojo Melee

Popular metaverse game projects that were established in the last cryptocurrency cycle are now rapidly expanding. On March 4th, the Web3 gaming metaverse platform Planet Mojo announced several significant updates within its gaming ecosystem. These include the teaser for the upcoming parkour game GoGo Mojo, a new season titled “The Path of War” for its flagship auto chess game Mojo Melee, and the launch of the first ETH series “War Banner NFT” in collaboration with Magic Eden to celebrate the new season. Additionally, Planet Mojo has revealed plans to release the Android and iOS mobile versions of Mojo Melee later this year. This project, which kicked off at the end of 2021, is poised to yield results in the cryptocurrency bull market after nearly two years of development during the bear market.

Launching the Planet Mojo Metaverse with an Auto Chess Game

Planet Mojo was developed by Mystic Moose, an independent game studio made up of industry veterans from LucasArts, EA, Activision, and HappyGiant. At the end of 2021, Mystic Moose secured $5 million in seed funding and launched the metaverse platform Planet Mojo. In June 2022, the team released the first trailer for Planet Mojo and announced it had raised over $9 million in funding from partners including Animoca Brands, Courtside Ventures, Alameda, Spartan, Republic, Sfermion, and Merit Circle.

At the time of this nearly $10 million fundraising, the first game of Planet Mojo, Mojo Melee, was just in its initial stages. For venture capitalists (VCs), the appeal was not only Mystic Moose’s extensive experience in traditional game development and publishing but also the long-term potential of building a gaming metaverse starting with an auto chess game. Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, a lead investor in the seed round, stated, “As a die-hard fan of auto chess, I am very excited about Planet Mojo and its upcoming blockchain-based metaverse and auto chess game.”

Different from decades-popular game types like RPG, FPS, and MOBA, auto chess is a new genre that has emerged in the last five years. It typically refers to games where players do not manually control characters in combat. Instead, after strategically placing their units, the game characters automatically engage in battles on the chessboard and map. This gameplay became widely known around 2019, following the breakout success of “Dota Auto Chess” developed by the Chinese game studio Drodo Studio based on a DOTA2 custom map. This game attracted eight million fans within months. Major game developers followed suit, entering the fray with their IP-based auto chess games, such as “Teamfight Tactics” from the “League of Legends” IP and “Dota Underlords” developed by DOTA2’s developer, VALVE. Built on Polygon, Mojo Melee combines the auto chess game with the new paradigm of Web3 gaming, taking an unusual path and starting its construction during the crypto bear market.

In September 2022, Mojo Melee commenced several rounds of Pre-Alpha game testing, opening its doors to all players. After nearly a year of development, Mojo Melee launched a public beta version of its browser game in May of the previous year; in August 2023, Mojo Melee debuted on Amazon Prime Gaming, introducing a six-month promotion exclusive to Prime members. As new seasons roll out, the gameplay mechanics and details of the game system continue to expand, now fully integrated with Web3. Consequently, Mojo Melee has shifted its focus towards launching on mobile platforms rather than on Steam, which prohibits Web3 integration. Currently, the game’s Android and iOS mobile versions are under testing, with a global release planned for the first half of 2024.

Core Gameplay of Mojo Melee: A Balance between Casual and Competitive Play

Like all auto-battler games, Mojo Melee features a game mechanic that is easy to learn, maintaining a casual style while incorporating strategic and competitive elements.

Before entering a Mojo Melee battle, players must select combat units to form a team, including 1 Mojo, 4 Champions, and 2 magical stone items. Mojo, the core of the ecosystem, is a magical creature resembling a plant, categorized into flowers, leaves, vines, and moss; Champions are warriors from tribes on the Mojo planet, with 6 classes currently available: Paladins, Assassins, Warriors, Berserkers, Shamans, and Priests. Both Mojos and Champions, regardless of their category, correspond to different base attributes and special abilities. Additionally, magical stones serve as special items that can be used to buff one’s combat units or inflict damage on the opponent.

At the start of each match, players receive gold coins to purchase combat units, which are listed in the reserve bar and limited to three choices per turn. Players can also spend gold coins to refresh the reserve bar for a chance to draw three new units. During the match, players can assemble and deploy their teams between rounds, placing Mojos and Champions at any position on their half of the field. Purchasing identical combat units already present in the arena will upgrade their base attributes and enhance their special abilities. In battle, Mojos and Champions gain energy through attacking and taking damage, with each character possessing a unique ability that activates automatically once their energy is full.

Mojo Melee mainly consists of two game modes: duels and brawls. The combat in all modes is the same, with the main difference being the number of players involved in the battle and the winning conditions. In duel mode, two players will engage in one-on-one PK (player kill), and the first to win three out of five rounds will be the victor. This allows players to analyze each other’s strategies over several rounds, counter moves, and adjust their battle plans accordingly. Brawl mode requires the participation of eight players and is divided into two stages. Players first compete in group matches, with the top two from each group entering the semifinals, followed by the finals. This mode allows players to continuously compete against multiple players and requires constant adjustment of tactics based on the opponent’s style, greatly enhancing the game’s competitiveness and playability.

Game Token Economy: Embracing Play to Own over P2E

Planet Mojo has a dynamic economic system that includes Web2 soft and hard currencies, as well as an ERC-20 token $MOJO planned for future release.

$MOJO is planned as the utility token for the Planet Mojo and its ecosystem of games, products, and experiences, to be used for activating token-gated products and services. If launched, $MOJO will be distributed through gaming and $MOJO Sinks.

GEMS are the hard currency in Mojo Melee, used to purchase various in-game assets like champions, skins, experience, etc.

ORE is the in-game utility soft currency and reward, allowing players to upgrade their digital collectibles by purchasing experience, available in Mojo Melee and other games.

During the game development process, the Mystic Moose team abandoned the once popular “play to earn” mechanism in favor of “play to own,” refocusing on the “fun first” in games. Based on this, Mystic Moose will mark the beginning of a “new chapter” for Mojo Melee with the War Banner NFT as a free collectible, granting holders additional allowances and benefits. This series has a total supply of 2000, with 100 belonging to the treasury, and was fully minted on March 5, 2024, Beijing time.

According to the roadmap, Planet Mojo will soon launch an on-chain and in-game avatar system, Mojo Maker, allowing users to create content autonomously and DIY their Mojo. Moreover, Mystic Moose is planning a AAA game called “PROJECT NOVA,” which is currently in its early stages, with no game modes or further details revealed.

As Mojo Melee continues to update and GoGo Mojo is set to be introduced to players, the development team’s ongoing effort is to enable players to fully utilize “Mojo” characters, truly enjoy their digital assets and the fun of gaming, and provide an interoperable and immersive gaming experience.

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