What happened
One of the most-watched cryptocurrencies in the market today is none other than Axie Infinity (CRYPTO:AXS). The blockchain-based metaverse game has seen an incredible surge in interest this morning, briefly spiking more than 15% in the span of 30 minutes. Some of these impressive gains have been pared; however, Axie Infinity is still up 6.6% over the past 24 hours, as of 12:45 p.m. ET.
This massive jump higher appears to be directly related to the company's rollout of a "lite" version of its crypto game in key markets on the Apple App Store.
Axie Infinity's Origins card game will be rolled out in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, allowing users to play without NFTs. Instead, Origins will allow players to start with "free non-NFT starter characters," but users will still have the ability to transfer NFTs into the app.
So what
One of the key barriers Axie Infinity's portfolio of games has had to mass adoption is the requirement for users to buy and sell Axies, or digital avatars, used to battle and earn rewards in-game. By allowing more mainstream adoption of the game by non-NFT enthusiasts, the hope is to drive demand from gamers who may otherwise steer clear of such blockchain games. If they like what they see, there's always the option to upgrade to the more wholesome experience and delve into the world of NFTs.
This move to launch in key Asian and Latin American markets also bodes well for investors, who have noted the game's prevalence in lower-income countries. While the days of users earning a living on Axie Infinity and other such play-to-earn games have been over for some time, the ability to earn a few dollars here and there playing a game is intriguing in certain locales.
