Wax Studio’s Blockchain Brawlers Game Earns $357M in First Week

In this corner, Axie Infinity, sucker-punched by a $620 million breach.

In the other corner, another play-to-earn (P2E) game claiming to be more secure and featuring a rowdy bunch of non-fungible tokens (NFT).

Wax Studios’ Blockchain Brawlers has earned $357 million in trading volume in just one week, according to a company press release.

Since the game’s beta version went live on the Wax blockchain on March 30, players have earned daily, on average, 3,200 BRWL, the game's native token.

Wax Studios is affiliated with World Asset eXchange (WAX).

Wax Studios head Michael Rubinelli told CoinDesk via phone call his company’s game draws players by “instantaneously” allowing purchases to be implemented into gameplay via the Wax blockchain.

“As gamers, we lose and we run away and when we want to go buy the biggest gun or the most gigantic ax, we want it right now,” said Rubinelli on transaction speed while gaming on Wax.

In Blockchain Brawlers players purchase NFT brawlers and equipment in WAX, the chain’s native token, or BRWL, the game’s native token, and battle other players to earn BRWL rewards.

GameFi has been in the news recently after the recent $625 million hack of the Ronin blockchain that supports Axie Infinity.

Rubinelli claims that won't happen with Blockchain Brawlers because the layer 1, or base, blockchain supporting his game makes it less likely to be hacked. Axie Infinity was attacked through the Ronin Bridge, which enables users to pass funds between the Ronin network and Ethereum.

However, Wax has a bridge of its own, with Binance’s BNB chain. Soon, it will have a bridge on Ethereum, said Rubinelli.

Critics have pointed out the “digital serfdom” created by Axie stemming from the high barrier to entry to play. Similarly, in Blockchain Brawlers the floor price for a brawler and a ring, the items necessary to play, is a hefty $6,000.

Often players in P2E games rent out their assets to other players who cannot afford to purchase the NFTs, which means renters may become involved in long hours of gameplay with little in the way of payment.

Rubinelli acknowledged the high price to play the game, and said that in order to be inclusive without exploiting players Blockchain Brawlers may implement a “brawler lender rating” system. Players will be rated on their experience lending assets, and this information will be made public for potential renters to see.

“We're a decentralized solution, but we do play God every once in a while when it comes to building healthy habits and healthy behaviors in our communities,” said Rubinelli.

UPDATE (April 8, 20:40 UTC): Corrects that the game was released on March 30.