The crypto-based gaming industry is lacking games that offer “AAA” game vibes with flawless in-game mechanics and visually stunning gameplay. Illuvium, an upcoming open-world MMORPG, is set to revolutionize this with its interactive experience that enables enthusiasts to explore the cosmos and challenge the most frightening creatures.
Based on a concept of autonomous governance, Illuvium is gaining traction with enthusiasts and the incorporation of play-to-earn (P2E) has further contributed to the popularity of the game. Moreover, while Illuvium is in its infancy, the title has managed to create hype with early sneak peeks and the promise of bringing one-of-a-kind gameplay to the crypto-based gaming scenes.
Most games that adopt Web3 technology and utilize blockchain engines are often found to lack the gameplay which would attract a casual gamer since the focus is mostly on offering monetary gains to the players through minting and trading NFTs. As a result, NFT-based games have failed to attract casual gamers. However, with Illuvium, which is said to be the first AAA title coming out of the blockchain gaming sphere, we can expect casual gamers to be drawn to the game.
Today’s roundup focuses on the distinct features of Illuvium and also provides a detailed overview of how to play Illuvium and capture the most incredible beasts of the game world to make the most formidable combination of heroes capable of taking on any opponent.
What is Illuvium?
Illuvium is an Ethereum-based MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that enables its players to explore the cosmos in search of Illuvials, a bread of vicious monsters habituating the planet and growing stronger each day by absorbing the radiations emitted by the planet. Players take on these beasts and capture them using Shards and once a player has managed to capture Illuvials, they have complete digital ownership over them, meaning that they can be traded on the native marketplace for monetary gains.
The Illuvium project is led by the Warwick brothers (Kieran Warwick & Aaron Warwick) and they aim to bring the first role-playing game to the Ethereum blockchain with a AAA feel. And because there’s a great emphasis on offering the finest gameplay within the blockchain gaming scenes, Illuvium is said to feature the most realistic graphics and in-game mechanics that are yet to be seen before in the crypto spheres. Since Illuvium is developed on Unreal Engine 5, we can expect to see some stunning visuals that would take our breath away.
Illuvium is currently under development and although it was supposed to be fully functional by the first quarter of 2022 (Q1), a few setbacks have plagued the development of the gigantic universe, leading to further delays. The latest developments suggest that we can expect to see the open beta of Illuvium in the first few months of 2023.
Illuvials are the in-game NFT monsters that players can acquire during gameplay. Players have to hunt for Illuvials in the gigantic space and capture them using Shards. Each Illuvial has distinct characteristics and for rare illuvials, powerful Shards are required. Think of Shards like Pokemon balls, for you to capture these little monsters, you will need powerful Shards and if you don’t have them, it wouldn’t be possible to capture Illuvials.
Illuvials belong to varying classes and affinities and the rare illuvials possess mighty abilities, capable of taking on any opponent. The developers have incorporated “Fusion” technology into Illuvium which allows the players to combine or fuse two illuvials to create an entirely new Illuvial monster with a unique combination of classes and affinities.
Statistically higher and unique characteristics of Illuvials add value to NFT, and these won’t only aid the players in battles, but also can be sold on the market for a decent profit. Currently, there are over 100 Illuvials roaming the cosmos, and it's up to the players to hunt and capture them to acquire and mint digital assets that offer real-world value.
What are Shards?
Shards are the in-game assets that are acquired from the natural resources of the outer planets. Shards are the most basic requirement of Illuvium since it allows players to hunt and capture Illuvials roaming through the planet. To capture powerful Illuvials, players are required to have powerful Shards in their arsenal.
The Shards, which are acquired from mining within the metaverse of Illuvium, belong to different classes or rarities. In case you don’t have any powerful Shards in your arsenal, it wouldn't be possible to capture the desired Illuvials. However, players can head to IlluviumDEX (Decentralized Exchange) to acquire some powerful Shards when it is operational.
How does Illuvium work?
Illuvium is aimed at offering different sorts of experiences, all in a single place. Having multiple modes of gameplay, Illuvium lets you experience everything from role-playing elements to head-on encounters with other players in ranked matches.
Illuvium Overworld - Role Playing Game World
Firstly, Illuvium Overworld allows the players to roam around the universe, gather resources, capture Illuvials, and explore the cosmos for the rich NFTs that are buried within. This mode of playing incorporates the role-playing elements of the game, offering a unique experience within blockchain gaming
Illuvium Zero
Next up, Illuvium Zero is a simulation mode where players can acquire land plots and set up their base of operations. From minting new NFTs through the fusion process to building a gigantic complex, the Illuvium’s metaverse opens up alleyways for innovative means of monetary gains.
Illuvium Arena
Lastly, Illuvium Arena mode is the player-versus-player (PVP) mode where players will deploy their forces against each other in an auto battler mode. The teams will consist of the various illuvials but the one with the most formidable combination is likely to drag their enemies through the mud and reap hefty awards.
With each win in the Arena mode, players will be awarded a fungible token which they can redeem into their real-world pocket. Illuvium's earning potential is hard to predict at the moment, but a game of this caliber often comes with generous payouts, so the number won't disappoint fans.
Game tokenomics
Illuvium tokenomics are based on ILV and sILV (special Illuvium) tokens. Prior to the launch of the game, interested players are advised to invest in ILV and sILV for governance purposes. For non-enthusiasts, the concept of dual currencies can a bit complicated but, here’s a brief guide to what are Illuvim tokens and how players can utilize them most effectively.
What is the Illuvium token (ILV)?
Illuvium tokens or ILV tokens are the ERC-20 governance token within the ecosystem of Illuvium which is used for utility and governance purposes. Holders of ILV have the right to vote on various matters of the game through the Illuvium decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).
ILV tokens have a limited supply of 10,000,000 ILV coins out of which, almost 7% of the currency is in circulation, long before the release of the game. A great chunk of funds is reserved for in-game rewards, seed sales, treasury, and team.
What is the ILV token used for?
ILV tokens are used for governance purposes as well as for purchasing utilities from the IlluviumDEX. Players will have to convert ILV coins to sILV to pay for certain utilities within the ecosystem of Illuvium. For instance, sILV coins will be used for Fusions, traveling between realms, in-game purchases, and many other operations within the ecosystem.
Moreover, aside from governance purposes, ILV coins will enable players to trade on the native marketplace of Illuvium, making it crucial for every player to get a hold of this fungible currency.
How to purchase ILV Tokens?
ILV tokens are widely available and players can use decentralized and centralized exchanges such as Bitcoin or UniSwap to obtain ILV coins. If you already have some funds in your crypto wallet, here’s how you can easily swap them for ILV coins:
- Create a MetaMask account.
- Load funds into your MetaMask account.
- Head over to UniSwap and connect your MetaMask account.
- Navigate to the “Coin Swap” page of the decentralized exchange.
- Swap the currency you have in your wallet for the “ILV” tokens.
Connect your wallet to Illuvium
Before you can play Illuvium, connecting your wallet to the Illuvium ecosystem is necessary, and here’s how you can simply connect your wallet to Illuvium in a few steps.
- Make sure to create a MetaMask account.
- Go to the official website of Illuvium and create an account.
- Click on the “Staking” tab from the main menu.
- Click on the “Connect Wallet” button located at the top-right corner of the windows.
- Click on Connect and it would automatically detect the wallet and connect it with the account.
The crypto wallets that are accepted at Illuvium include MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Fortmatic, Portis, Torus, CoinBase Wallet, Wallet Con., and Trezor.
How to Play Illuvium
Illuvium’s multiple modes of gaming make it a unique entity within the video game industry. And to fully wrap their head around the gameplay and mechanics of the game, players will need to invest their time heftily to gain an understanding of every important aspect of the game.
Moving on, Illuvium is still in infancy mode and cannot be played as of this moment. However, players can sign up for the Open Beta to get a taste of what seems to be the first AAA game of blockchain gaming.
Players will need to download the Illuvium application to their desktops and since the system requirements are minimal, almost everyone with a mid-tier PC could enjoy the Illuvium ecosystem and get a taste of the unique play-to-earn game.
Here's a brief guide on how to play Illuvium game.
Exploration
In the Illuvium Overworld mode, players can roam different planets to valuable NFTs and most importantly, Illuvials. The world is said to be extremely big and is home to hundreds of valuable resources which would act as in-game NFTs that players could trade on the native marketplace for a profit.
The purpose of utilities and elements aren’t for monetary purposes alone, they will also be used to upgrade armor, illuvials, shards, and other in-game resources. Capturing of Illuvials and resource mining will be done in the Illuvium Overworld mode and you can expect some player-verses-environment (PVE) battles as well.
Before divulging into the world of Battle Arenas, players will have to acquire a lineup of Illuvials that can be used during combat. A total of 5 Illuvials will be required before players can fight other players in the combat mode.
Starting off, players can spend their time capturing the most formidable Illuvials of the universe or purchase them from the shop to get straight to battling opponents and earn in-game rewards.
Farming Mode
In the farming mode or Illuvium Zero, players can purchase land plots to set up their base of operations. The base will have all the essential buildings for minting new NFTs, upgrading and fusing Illuvials, and extracting resources from the planets. Illivum Zero farming mode is said to resemble other farm simulators with RTS such as Clash of Clans.
Players who aren’t interested in battling other players could stick to the exploration and farming part since they can easily mint NFTs and sold them on the marketplace to turn a profit. While Illuvium is aimed toward real-time strategy, the exploration and farming modes are equally important and entertaining as well.
Arena Mode
Players will use real-time strategies by creating a team of Illuvials that would dominate the opponents. The Arena mode of Illuvium features ranked matches where two players, each with a team of 5 Illuvials, will face each other in a death match. The player who managed to defeat the Illuvials of the opponent is crowned the winner and awarded ILV tokens as in-game rewards for winning ranked matches.
Once a player enters a battle, they have an opportunity to create a lineup of heroes and create a combination that would dismantle the opponent team. Pairing up special Illuvials or using super rare Illuvials on the battleground ensures victory but, it is vital to use strong tactics. After winning the battle, players will be rewarded with experience and ILV tokens which they can further use to improve their Illuvials and other NFTs.
Game Characters
Illuvitars, which refers to the player’s avatar within the ecosystem, have countless combinations for dressing options, and it's up to the player to shape their digital presence. Upon signing up, players will be asked to create an avatar and it is important to make sure that your avatar truly represents your digital identity.
Moreover, the Illuvium game lets you catch creatures called Illuvials. Feeding on the radiations emitted by the planet, Illuvials are the main in-game characters within the Illuvium ecosystem and as discussed earlier, these can be captured using Shards, a special tool built to entrap even the most powerful Illuvials of the universe.
Illuvials are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and can be traded on the native marketplace. Characteristics of the Illuvials such as their class and affinity have an impact on the price of these monsters. Illuvials with the most unique and rare class are sold at a higher rate while common Illuvials can also bring in only a few bucks.
Game Mechanics
Upon an encounter, a player must have a lineup of Illuvials in their arsenal to take on their enemies. Before the battle, players can devise different strategies and tactics to ensure that they can bag a win. Initially, players can choose from different Illuvials and deploy the ones that would be the most suitable for the battle.
Once the placement and the deployment of the Illuvials are completed, the battle will begin and the Illuvials will start to attack each other. Illuvials with special perks can heavily influence the outcome of the battle so ensure to have powerful Illuvials in your arsenal. Lastly, once the battle is started, the gameplay is automated and players don’t get a say in how the Illuvials go about attacking the opponents. Once the battle is finished, winners will be rewarded with the native tokens of the ecosystem which, they can then, redeem into their real-world wallets.
Can you play and earn with Illuvium Game?
Illuvium incorporates play-to-earn (P2E) mechanics as well as offers, its players, a native marketplace where they can trade their valued NFTs. Meaning that there’s a lot of potential for players to earn a living by playing Illuvium. As discussed earlier, after each win in the ranked mode, players will be awarded ILV tokens which they can convert to real-world money and withdraw to their wallets.
Similarly, mining NFTs and selling them on the marketplace is another potential source of income through Illuvium. Players can roam the outer worlds in search of Illuvials and sell them on the marketplace for a decent profit. In a similar manner, useful resources and NFT blueprints can be mined and sold to the higher bidder on the native marketplace of Illuvium.
In short, yes, players can earn a decent sum by playing the Illuvium game, selling NFTs, and utilizing the player-owned land parcels.
Closing Thoughts
Illuvium game is months away from being operational but the hype surrounding the game has already gained widespread attention. The current games within blockchain gaming spheres seem to lack decent mechanics and good graphics but, Illuvium plans to change that and it is one of the many reasons that the game is likely to do well upon its release.
