Pikaster: Play-to-Earn NFT Card Battle Game

What is Pikaster

Friends, imagine you’re playing a super cool card battle game where the characters not only have unique designs, but can also become stronger through your nurturing, and even give birth to new little characters. The best part is, the time and effort you put into the game can earn you valuable digital assets, which you can even trade outside the game! This is Pikaster, a “Play-to-Earn” (P2E) game that combines gaming fun with blockchain technology.

Essentially, Pikaster is a strategy card battle game based on NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). You can think of it as a digital version of “Pokémon” or “Yu-Gi-Oh!”, except that each of your “Pikaster” monsters is a unique digital collectible, with true ownership belonging to you.

This project is developed by the Metaland team and uses the familiar Unity game engine, so the graphics and experience should be solid. It mainly runs on the KuCoin Community Chain (KCC), with plans to expand to Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and Polygon in the future, meaning more players will be able to join in.

In the world of Pikaster, you can take your Pikaster squad into various battle modes, such as player-versus-player (PvP), adventure (PvE), World Tree challenges, guild wars, as well as boss fights and seasonal tournaments. Through these modes, you not only enjoy the fun of the game, but can also win in-game token rewards. You can also breed new Pikasters, evolve them, stake them to earn yields, or buy and sell your NFT assets in the in-game marketplace.

To make things easier, Pikaster has a built-in wallet and marketplace, so even friends who aren’t familiar with blockchain can easily manage their digital assets and trade, just like playing a regular mobile game.

Project Vision and Value Proposition

The Metaland team behind Pikaster has an ambitious vision: they hope to build a community-governed metaverse, like a digital parallel world, with Pikaster as the first game in this metaverse.

Their mission is to create a diverse digital environment, not just with games, but also social, entertainment, sports, and more, allowing players to deeply participate in the construction and management of the ecosystem, enjoying fun while also gaining real economic returns. Their slogan is “Truly-Play & Truly-Earn,” emphasizing both playability and profitability.

Pikaster aims to solve a core problem common to many Play-to-Earn games: inflation. Many such games have unreasonable token issuance mechanisms, leading to economic collapse and sharply reduced player earnings. Pikaster addresses this with an innovative “three-token model,” like installing a precise regulator for the game economy, hoping to better balance token output and consumption, and thus maintain long-term economic health.

Compared to similar projects, Pikaster stands out in several ways: first, it emphasizes a “truly playable” gaming experience, striving for excellent gameplay; second, its unique “three-token model” aims to solve the inflation issue; third, its built-in wallet and marketplace greatly simplify operations, lowering the barrier for non-crypto users; finally, the team notes that their NFT prices are relatively reasonable, reducing the initial investment threshold for players.

Technical Features

Pikaster has some notable technical aspects:

Game Engine and Blockchain Foundation

Pikaster is developed using the familiar Unity game engine, ensuring visual quality and smooth operation. It was initially built on the KuCoin Community Chain (KCC), an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain, meaning it can leverage the KCC ecosystem. The project also plans to deploy on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and Polygon, further expanding its user base and ecosystem interoperability.

NFT Assets and Gameplay

The core of the game is the Pikaster NFT—these digital monsters have unique attributes (like vitality, endurance) and skills. Players can “breed” new Pikasters, similar to raising pets, with offspring inheriting some traits from their parents and possibly evolving new abilities. Additionally, players can “stake” their Pikaster NFTs to earn extra yields, a common DeFi (decentralized finance) mechanic applied in gaming.

Built-in Wallet and Scholarship System

To help Web2.0 (traditional internet) users transition smoothly to Web3.0 (blockchain internet), Pikaster integrates a wallet in-game, simplifying crypto asset management and trading. The project also features a “scholarship system,” typically meaning NFT owners can rent out their NFTs to other players, allowing those without initial funds to participate, while NFT owners earn rental income, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem.

Tokenomics

Pikaster’s tokenomics are a major highlight, adopting a “three-token model” to build a more stable and sustainable in-game economy.

Three Tokens

• $MLS (MetaLand Shares): This is the governance token of the Metaland metaverse, akin to company shares. Holders of $MLS can participate in major project decisions, vote on the game’s future direction, and in the future use it for breeding Pikasters, staking, shopping online/offline in the metaverse, and participating in Move-to-Earn activities. The project team’s revenue mainly comes from holding $MLS tokens. The total supply of $MLS is 200 million.
• $RBP (Rare Ball Portion): This is the main in-game token of Pikaster, like gold coins in the game. Players earn $RBP through daily battles and quests. It is also one of the materials needed for breeding Pikasters. The total supply of $RBP is 10 billion.
• $SRBP (Super Rare Ball Portion): This is the rare in-game token of Pikaster, akin to rare gems in the game. It is usually earned by participating in more challenging game modes and is relatively scarce. $SRBP is also an important material for breeding Pikasters. The total supply of $SRBP is 1 billion.

Economic Balancing Mechanism

The Pikaster team hopes that this three-token model, especially the synergy between $RBP and $SRBP, will alleviate the inflation problem common in GameFi projects. When one game token shows inflationary trends, the team can adjust the consumption and conversion mechanisms of the other token to balance the economy—like a pool with two faucets and a drain, adjusting the faucets to keep the water level stable. Additionally, the project mentions “buyback and burn” mechanisms for $SRBP and $RBP, helping reduce token supply in the market and support token value. Notably, almost all $SRBP and $RBP are distributed to players through in-game activities, making players the main beneficiaries of these tokens.

Team, Governance, and Funding

Team

The Pikaster project is developed by the Metaland team, a metaverse subsidiary under the Metaland Technology Foundation. The team has a strong background, reportedly including core members from well-known AAA game studios like Blizzard and Supercell, as well as professionals experienced in mobile games, DeFi protocols, and GameFi projects. Many team members are also seasoned players in the crypto space. The project’s CMO, Luffy, has over 10 years of experience in the gaming industry and nearly five years in blockchain and crypto. However, as of now (2022), detailed personal profiles of team members have not been fully disclosed.

Governance

Pikaster’s vision is to build a metaverse driven by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). This means the project’s future development will not be decided solely by the development team, but by community members holding $MLS governance tokens. This governance model aims to give the community greater autonomy and ensure the project better serves players’ interests.

Funding

Pikaster has received strategic investment from well-known crypto exchange KuCoin and TronDAO. In addition, KuCoin Ventures, the venture capital arm of KuCoin, has also invested in Pikaster, providing important funding and resources for the project’s early development.

Roadmap

The Pikaster team says they have an “ambitious yet clear and detailed long-term roadmap,” with new elements being added continuously. While specific timelines vary in public sources, we can outline some key historical milestones and future plans:

Key Historical Milestones

• April 8, 2022: Pikaster was announced as the first project on KuCoin’s IGO (Initial Game Offering) platform.
• April 11, 2022: Pikaster launched NFT token sales and its first game offering on the KuCoin IGO platform.
• April 21, 2022: Pikaster’s official marketplace went live, allowing players to trade NFT assets.

Key Future Plans

• Multi-chain Deployment: The project plans to expand from KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) to Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Polygon, and other major blockchains to grow its user base and ecosystem.
• Metaverse Ecosystem Expansion: As part of the Metaland metaverse, Pikaster’s governance token $MLS will support more functions in the future, including online/offline shopping and Move-to-Earn gameplay.
• Continuous Game Content Updates: The team promises to keep launching new game modes, NFT types, and features to enrich the Pikaster experience.

Common Risk Reminders

When learning about blockchain projects like Pikaster, as with any emerging technology or investment, we need to stay clear-headed and recognize potential risks. Here are some common risk reminders:

Technical and Security Risks

• Smart Contract Risks: Blockchain projects typically rely on smart contracts, and if there are bugs in the code, hackers may exploit them, causing asset losses. While the team may conduct audits, audits cannot guarantee 100% security.
• Platform Stability Risks: As a game, Pikaster’s operation depends on the stability and security of underlying blockchains (like KCC, BSC, Polygon). If the underlying network has issues, it may affect gameplay and asset safety.
• Game Development Risks: Game development is complex and may encounter technical challenges, delays, or the final product may not meet expectations.

Economic Risks

• Token Price Volatility: The crypto market is highly volatile, and Pikaster’s tokens ($MLS, $RBP, $SRBP) may fluctuate sharply or even go to zero. This could cause player earnings to shrink or investments to lose value.
• Inflation Risk: Although Pikaster’s three-token model is designed to combat inflation, GameFi economic models are very complex, and in practice may still face inflationary pressure from excessive token output or insufficient consumption, affecting token value and player earnings.
• Liquidity Risk: If tokens lack sufficient trading volume in the market, players may find it hard to buy or sell tokens at ideal prices.
• NFT Value Risk: The value of Pikaster NFTs depends on market demand and the health of the game ecosystem. If the game loses popularity or faces other issues, NFT values may drop accordingly.

Compliance and Operational Risks

• Regulatory Policy Risk: Global regulations on crypto and NFTs are unclear and constantly changing. Any new policies in the future could negatively impact Pikaster’s operations and token value.
• Competition Risk: The GameFi field is highly competitive, with new projects emerging constantly. Pikaster must keep innovating and developing to stay competitive.
• Team Execution Risk: The project’s success largely depends on the team’s execution and ability to deliver on the roadmap. If the team fails to progress as planned, it may affect long-term development.
• Information Transparency Risk: While the team provides some information, if key details (such as team member profiles, financials, audit reports, etc.) are not transparent enough, it may increase investor uncertainty. For example, searching Pikaster’s GitHub reveals a podcast recording app called “PiCaster,” not the game project code, which may mean the core code is not fully open source or not published on common platforms, raising concerns about technical transparency.

Please note: The above risk reminders are not investment advice. Always exercise caution and conduct thorough personal research before participating in any blockchain project.

Verification Checklist

When researching a blockchain project in depth, here are some links and information you can check yourself to help you make a more comprehensive assessment:

• Official Website: The most direct channel for learning about the project, usually including project introduction, team info, whitepaper links, etc.
  • Pikaster Official Website: www.pikaster.com
  • Pikaster Metaland Website: www.pikaster-metaland.com/
• Whitepaper/GitBook: The whitepaper is the project’s “manual,” detailing its vision, technology, economic model, etc.
  • Pikaster Whitepaper: pikaster2021.gitbook.io/pikaster/
  • Another GitBook link: megaverse-1.gitbook.io/pikaster/
• Block Explorer Contract Address: You can use block explorers (like KCC Explorer, BSCScan, PolygonScan) to check the project’s token contract address, view token supply, holder distribution, transaction records, etc., reflecting on-chain activity.
• GitHub Activity: For technical projects, GitHub is an important indicator of development activity and code transparency. However, searching “Pikaster GitHub” mainly returns a podcast recording app called “PiCaster,” not the Pikaster game project. This may mean the core code is not published in a public GitHub repo or uses another name—note this point.
• Social Media Activity: Follow the project’s official Twitter, Telegram, Discord, Medium, etc., to learn about the latest updates, community atmosphere, and team-community interactions.
  • Twitter: @PikasterNFT
  • Telegram: https://t.me/+qJsXWbgALDllMzZl or https://t.me/+6XDRjefnfYpmYzY1
  • Discord: https://discord.gg/rbEDPfCPbF or https://discord.com/invite/EdcUXGVP5H
  • Medium: https://medium.com/@pikaster2021

Project Summary

Pikaster is a Play-to-Earn NFT card battle game developed by the Metaland team, running on the KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) and planning to expand to other major blockchains. The project’s core highlight is its innovative “three-token model” ($MLS, $RBP, $SRBP), aiming to solve the inflation problem common in GameFi and build a more sustainable economic ecosystem. The game emphasizes “Truly-Play & Truly-Earn,” striving to provide an excellent gaming experience while also delivering economic returns for players. The team has a strong background, with experience from well-known game studios and strategic investment from institutions like KuCoin.

Through features like a built-in wallet and scholarship system, Pikaster aims to lower the barrier to blockchain gaming and attract more traditional gamers into the Web3 world. The game offers rich PvP and PvE modes, as well as NFT breeding, evolution, and staking, increasing both playability and asset utility.

However, like all blockchain projects, Pikaster faces risks such as crypto market volatility, economic model stability, regulatory changes, and technical security. In addition, the open-source status of its core code is not clearly stated in public information, which somewhat affects technical transparency.

Overall, Pikaster is a project with unique attempts and potential in the GameFi field, seeking to address industry pain points through innovative economic models and user-friendly experiences. But remember, the blockchain and crypto space is full of uncertainty, and every project carries risk. The above is for project introduction only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own in-depth research (DYOR) before making any decisions.