2023 was a year of transition in so many ways.
Aavegotchis becoming 3D. GHST becoming a free-floating token with the removal of the bonding curve. The Gotchiverse and Spirit Force Arena migrating to Unity.
And, behind the scenes, Pixelcraft Studios transforming from an NFT/blockchain startup into a well-rounded Web3 Gaming Dev Studio, complete with game directors, designers, artists, and more.
On the macro scale, Web3/Crypto gaming really started heating up in 2023, confirming what we’ve been saying since 2020: Gaming will be a massive driver of blockchain tech adoption.
We believe Aavegotchi is positioned perfectly to benefit from (and even lead) this wave, and we spent 2023 preparing.
Now, on the cusp of 2024, we’d love to share some highlights of what to expect from the Aavegotchi gaming platform next year.
…but first, a quick review of the successes we’ve had during 2023!
Major Successes in 2023: A Brief Review
ETH Denver
The GotchiGang presence at ETHDenver 2023 was stronk, with both Pixelcraft Studios and AavegotchiDAO members converging. Our iconic 2023 Holiday sweater helped us stand out and lead the hype train.
What if we told you ETHDenver 2024 will be even bigger?!
👻 After turning heads at #ETHDenver2023, the coziest sweaters evar have been RESTOCKED
— Aavegotchi 👻 💜 (@aavegotchi) March 6, 2023
🔥 Now's ur chance to grab one & rep da #GotchiGang!!!
📸 @timtimehttps://t.co/YQoWCn5mhH pic.twitter.com/lHNOdn0drc
Closing of the Bonding Curve
The DAO decided that backing GHST with DAI posed an existential threat, and took action to release GHST from the bonding curve in March 2023. In true “proof that we are living in a simulation” form, DAI depegged on the exact day the curve closed. This closure gave a major funding injection by transforming the remaining DAI liquidity into treasury and freed GHST to free float on the market.
3.8 $GHST
— Aavegotchi 👻 💜 (@aavegotchi) March 6, 2023
👻 pic.twitter.com/VxUfJga2gi
Aavegotchi Brand Refresh
Once we decided that Aavegotchi would be adding 3D assets to the roadmap, a brand refresh was needed. And the new look is stunning – the brand guide even comes with its own font: Aavegotchi Regular!
Aavegotchi
Creation of DAO Foundation
Further decentralization of AavegotchiDAO was and continues to be a top priority. The successful establishment of the AavegotchiDAO foundation was a huge step forward in this regard.
Aavegotchi
Launch of The Forge
The Forge is a protocol-level update built by the community that allows new Wearables to be produced and distributed without diluting existing assets. Big brain stuff!
Aavegotchi
Addition of 3D Assets
Adding 3D versions of every Aavegotchi, including collaterals, eyes, and wearables, is a daunting task. But we’ve been steadily making progress, with more than half of the assets now successfully converted to 3D. Expect all assets to be ready for their 3D debut in the next couple months!
Aavegotchi
Alpha Launch of Spirit Force Arena
Spirit Force Arena (SFA) is a Gotchified battle royale arena built in 3D! Directed by Andy Tudor, the previous Game Director of Need for Speed and Project CARS franchises, SFA fuses classic battle royale mechanics with cute Gotchi graphics to create a fun and frenly competitive game.
In 2023, we launched alpha versions of SFA without full compatibility for 3D Gotchis or Web3 integrations. 2024's releases will include full Aavegotchi asset support, Web3 integrations (including in-game purchases), progression systems, and multiple new game modes, for maximum entertainment.
Alpha Launch of Gotchi Guardians
Gotchi Guardians is a free-to-play multiplayer tower defense survival game for PC and mobile (coming 2024).
Crafted under the visionary direction of Jason Slama, the game director of Gwent, Guardians combines rapid-fire combat with classic tower defense mechanics, all enveloped in a charming Aavegotchi-inspired aesthetic.
Whether you're a seasoned tower defense aficionado or new to the genre, Gotchi Guardians offers a captivating blend of intricate strategy and accessible gameplay, ensuring a delightful experience for all.
Guardians recently launched its alpha and has many more features planned for 2024, including full Web3 support for in-app purchases and 3D Aavegotchi, a player progression system, and of course more maps and content.
First Mobile Game Release
We also released a preview of Licky’s Escape, a charming Aavegotchi-themed puzzle game for mobile, with over 100 downloads so far on TestFlight. Full version coming soon to the Apple app store.
The Sandbox Game Release
The Gotchi Farmy team released an EBIC official collab between Aavegotchi and The Sandbox called "Ripples of the Gotchiverse". The collab even inspired a new wearables set for Sebastien Borget!
🎮 📣 NEW GAME ALERT 📣 🎮
— Aavegotchi 👻 💜 (@aavegotchi) November 6, 2023
1️⃣ "Ripples of the Gotchiverse" is an official collab between Aavegotchi and @TheSandboxGame by @TheGotchiFArmy
2️⃣ OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE: Nov. 9th
3️⃣ #PlayToEarn Rewards: 50K $SAND + 5K $GHST
How to play and earn rewards 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ikTeZudlJG
Community Game Releases
Multiple community-made games were also released this year. Dropt, a Gotchi-powered roguelite/dungeon crawler, and Gotchi Battler, an autobattler aiming to shake up the Rarity Farming meta, both saw releases and crypto-prized tournaments in Q4 of 2023.
Gotchi Heroes also launched an XP event and is currently getting a huge UI update. We can't wait!
…There’s so much to talk about! We could go on all day with all the milestones we as a community achieved this year, but we are even more enthusiastic about the days ahead!
Let’s skip to the exciting part – a preview of what’s coming in 2024!
2024 Preview
2024 is shaping up to be the most significant year in Aavegotchi history. With multiple key parts of infrastructure coming into place, we can finally build the gaming platform we’ve always wanted!
Below is a short description of five major new developments we’ll be focusing on in 2024.
Note that these are just brief descriptions – each of them will be fleshed out into a full blog post in 2024.
And of course, this list is by no means exhaustive!
1) Aavegotchi Gaming Console
Living atop Gotchichain and likely one of the most active dApps is the Aavegotchi Gaming Console (AGC).
AGC is a single term for a bundle of services designed to enhance the gaming experience on Gotchichain.
These include (but are not limited to):
- A unified, on-chain player profile powered by DID technology
- A cross-game player progression and achievement system
- A downloadable game launcher
- An integrated marketplace
- A loyalty points system
All Aavegotchi games will be able to plug into the AGC and utilize each of the primitives in their games, helping us truly achieve our vision of Aavegotchis as "crypto companions across a multiverse of games".
2) GHST Staking 2.0
GHST is the primary eco-governance token representing the entire Aavegotchi ecosystem. With the sunsetting of FRENS in early 2023, GHST lost an important utility linking it to the wider ecosystem, which a new proposal we’re calling “GHST Staking 2.0” aims to fix.
GHST Staking 2.0 introduces a novel two-token staking system utilizing both GHST and GLTR, with staking rewards paid in ETH. This proposal will be introduced to the DAO in early 2024.
3) Aavegotchi Gaming Console NFT Mint
To celebrate the launch of AGC and Gotchichain, we are planning a special NFT Mint (sale + airdrop). These NFTs will be an important (but not required) part of the achievement and reward system offered in the official Pixelcraft Studios gaming titles (SFA, Gotchiverse, and Gotchi Guardians), enabling play-to-own rewards and gamified unlocks.
A portion of the NFTs will be airdropped to existing Aavegotchi asset holders and ecosystem participants, and the remaining will be sold or auctioned for ETH and GHST.
4) More Game Releases
Finally, we will continue building on foundations laid in 2023 to deliver fun and engaging gaming titles built on Aavegotchi. Gotchiverse3D, Spirit Force Arena, Gotchi Guardians, are all top priority, with Licky’s Escape and other new titles also rounding out our official offerings.
In addition to the above, we will also continue supporting all forms of community games, as well as strengthen outreach to other gaming studios to build on the Aavegotchi Gaming Console.
5) Expansion of the Baazaar
The Baazaar is the native marketplace of the Aavegotchi protocol. Since its inception, it has done over 52 million GHST in volume trading Aavegotchis, Wearables, FAKE Gotchis, REALM Parcels and other core Aavegotchi NFTs.
Now, together with the launch of the Aavegotchi Gaming Console, we will continue to expand and decentralize the Baazaar, allowing games building on Aavegotchi to launch and trade their own NFT collections on the marketplace, with creator royalties supported. Skins, power-ups, avatars…the possibilities are as endless as the games you can build!
In Summary
We want to thank all Aavegotchi asset holders for your support during this year of transition. We are confident that the most exciting days of the Aavegotchi protocol are still to come, and look forward to all the challenges and opportunities the new year will bring.
Have an aavesome holiday and we’ll see you in 2024!
Aavegotchi team
