This Whitepaper offers a comprehensive overview of everything Warped. It serves as a detailed guide to the project’s infrastructure, team expertise, design philosophy, and the underlying virtual economic model. This document is designed to inform and align the reader with the project’s overall direction and future plans. Through this, you’ll gain insight into our vision for Warped Universe, how it will integrate blockchain technology, and how the community will play a key role in the game's development and progression.

Our mission is to onboard millions of players to expand the Warped Universe, one solar system at a time.

To begin, let's explore what "Warped" represents:

Warped Games

Warped Games is a studio of passionate and experienced professionals with a proven track record of success. Our team has created and launched both independent and AAA titles, establishing successful game studios while adapting to the ever-evolving technologies of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.

With members who have led the development of some of the largest MMO titles and pioneered innovative blockchain integration, Warped Games is dedicated to leveraging new technologies to create immersive environments. We strive to create games that build meaningful connections with players, delivering unforgettable experiences from start to finish.

Warped Universe

A choose-your-genre PvE game where players embark on missions to shape the Warped Universe in real-time or turn-based modes, spanning both ground and spaceflight gameplay. Whether playing solo or in co-op, players work together to expand and protect solar systems while battling the Void, a relentless enemy bent on total destruction of the Warped Universe. After selecting their genre and mission, players align with either the Luminaries (light) or the Foundationalists (gravity), influencing the environment and shifting the balance. Each mission progresses the story and dynamics, making every player’s contribution critical to the survival and growth of this (un)known universe.

$WARPED Token

$WARPED is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum Mainnet, serving as the backbone of Warped Universe. It powers the game’s ecosystem and aligns with Warped Games' vision for player-driven game development.

Warped Foundation

The Warped Foundation manages the Warped Treasury and its operations, strategically directing funds toward liquidity, as well as the development and marketing of Warped Universe. By ensuring steady financial support and regulatory compliance, the Warped Foundation enables Warped Games to innovate at the intersection of blockchain and gaming. Incorporated in the Cayman Islands and managed by Leeward Management, the Warped Foundation serves as the financial backbone and governance body for Warped Games, Inc., a Delaware C-corporation.

Re-emerging from the remnants of a chaotic, ancient realm, this universe challenges the boundaries of space and time as we know them. Overseen by the Oracle, an enigmatic artificial intelligence, humanity is called upon to face a daunting task: restoring balance to a fragile and volatile universe. Among the many, only the most creative and determined individuals are chosen by the Oracle to embark on this transformative mission. The ingenuity and resolve of these select individuals will be tested as they navigate mysteries, harness volatile forces, and contend with a relentless adversary threatening to erase anything and everything in its path.

Those brave enough to heed the Oracle’s call are drawn to Celadon Station, a repurposed oil rig concealing a cutting-edge particle enrichment laboratory deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. There, armed with knowledge provided by the Oracle, scientists have engineered the Celadon Gate, a portal leading to a new dimension so incomprehensible that it could only be described as the Warped Universe.

The Nexus Station will serve as the central hub for players in Warped Universe, functioning as a vibrant social, strategic, and operational base. It will stand as a testament to the ingenuity of the Oracle and the determination of its first settlers.

The core function of the Nexus Station is utilizing advanced technology to construct new planets using the Residuum collected by its inhabitants, the players.

More than just a home base made with otherworldly physics, the Nexus Station will act as a dynamic social hub where players can interact, explore, and showcase their avatars. Some of the features within the Nexus Station will include:

• A Real-Time 3D Solar System Map: Here players will be able to track the current state of the Warped Universe, monitor planetary progress, view operational facilities, and scout for regions under threat from the Void. This feature will add a strategic layer to mission selection and player agency.

The Warped Universe is in a radical state of flux. As the Warped Universe changes over time, so will the gaming experience.

The Warped Universe post-release development cycle will feature a procession of seasons that introduce sweeping changes:

• New Solar Systems: Each season will introduce a new solar system for players to build, complete with new missions, planets, and technology.

• Lore Updates: Expect updates to the game’s lore, including new species, along with their unique environments, combatants, cosmetics, and weapons that define their civilization.

• Limited Edition Collectibles: Each season will feature new limited edition cosmetics for characters, spaceships, weapons, and more. Once a new season begins, items from previous seasons will remain usable but will no longer be available for purchase in-game.

• Design and Aesthetic Changes: The game’s design and aesthetics will evolve with each season, introducing new worlds and unique solar system dynamics. This ensures the visual experience remains fresh and engaging.

The season-by-season development affects the core components of the game itself. By integrating blockchain features, Warped Universe’s game design will evolve every season, largely driven by $WARPED-holder input and votes, as explained in the $WARPED Token Utilities and Features section.

Campaigns will be used to encourage players to engage with specific game modes, maps, or missions within a set timeframe. These campaigns may coincide with the release of new maps, game modes, or missions, motivating players to explore the diverse experiences Warped Universe has to offer. Players who meet the campaign criteria can earn $WARPED and/or Cosmetic Rewards, which they can claim ownership of to hold, trade, or use as they see fit.

In single-player or co-op, players will face the Void, a formidable force that will serve as the primary antagonist in Season Zero. These opposing forces, with traits similar to those of the players, will vary in strength, numbers, and equipment, ensuring dynamic and engaging challenges that change with each mission.

To accommodate different playstyles, missions will offer varying levels of difficulty, presenting challenges for both newcomers and experienced players. With each mission uniquely shaped by the evolving state of the Warped Universe, no two experiences will feel the same, keeping gameplay fresh, rewarding, and immersive.

To succeed, players will have to strategically harness the forces of light and gravity, balancing both long-term plans and immediate tactics. These choices shape the Warped Universe and form the core repeatable gameplay loop.

$WARPED serves as the backbone of the Warped Universe, driving exclusive features, creative influence, and a thriving player-driven economy.

Through $WARPED, players can actively shape the future of the game by voting on curated design proposals, influencing seasonal updates, new assets, and key narrative elements.

The cyclical economic design ensures that player spending directly contributes to the ecosystem, creating a strong alignment between the success of Warped Universe and the utilization of $WARPED.

Note: $WARPED is currently an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, but future plans will include deployment on the Sui Network.

Mission rewards in Warped Universe are designed to keep players engaged, incentivized, and strategically involved in their progression, while maintaining a fair, anti-pay-to-win ecosystem. Gameplay-enhancing items are earned solely through gameplay, ensuring skill, effort, and strategy are the driving forces behind progression. By focusing on a streamlined, merit-based rewards loop, we aim to empower players to make meaningful choices about their growth while avoiding item and currency bloat.

To further ensure fairness, items and resources claimed through end-of-mission rewards that directly impact player progression are kept off-chain. This ensures they cannot be traded with other players, preserving a balanced and skill-driven experience for all players.

Cosmetics and customizations allow players to express their individuality and make their experience in Warped Universe truly their own. While attributes enhance functionality, cosmetics focus on personalization, offering a wide array of options to visually distinguish your equipment and character.

All cosmetics and customizations will be stored in the player's Game Vault as NFTs, with the option to withdraw them to a Personal Vault. This design grants players with full ownership of their items and the ability to trade them on the secondary market. For further details on how this will work, see the Ownership in Warped Universe section.

Ways to Obtain Cosmetics and Customizations

Cosmetics and customizations in Warped Universe are either exclusively earned or purchased, never both. Regardless of how they are obtained, all cosmetics will grant full ownership through the Game Vault.

Occasionally, Warped Universe will introduce fun, one-off opportunities for players to earn rewards through exploration, puzzles, or quests. For example, players may have opportunities to encounter Nyzrak inscriptions to decipher or stumble upon clues to a puzzle during missions. These rare occurrences will offer chances for players to receive one-time $WARPED or Cosmetic Rewards.

As maps will be procedurally generated, these unique encounters will be randomized and will not appear at pre-determined times or during specific missions, adding elements of surprise and fortune to a player’s journey.

Warped Universe leverages the innovative capabilities of the Sui Network to offer evolving NFTs, creating dynamic cosmetics that grow with the player’s journey. Powered by Sui's object-centric model and Move programming language, cosmetics and other items can gain unique traits and attributes tied to gameplay milestones or achievements. This ensures that player-earned rewards carry additional depth and personalization.

Themed Seasonal Content

Each season will have its own story arc, introducing new maps and missions along with a fresh selection of limited-time cosmetics, aligning with the evolving themes and narratives of the Warped Universe. These time-limited cosmetics not only keep the game experience engaging and current but also enhance the rarity and value of items from previous seasons.

Paid for Premium Battle Passes enable players to unlock exclusive rewards that cannot be purchased directly from the in-game store. These rewards include unique cosmetics and other items that highlight a player’s dedication during that specific season. Free Battle Passes are available to all players but lack the premium rewards and utilities tied to the paid Premium Battle Passes.

Scarcity and Web 2.0/Web 3.0 Dynamics

The rarity and value of Warped Universe NFTs will be influenced by multiple factors:

• Limited Availability: Cosmetics and Battle Pass rewards will only be available for limited periods for their respective seasons or capped by quantity, making them scarce and only obtainable on the secondary market once made unavailable in the in-game store.

• Web 2.0 Purchases Impacting Scarcity: The majority of Warped Universe purchases are expected to come from Web 2.0 platforms, where NFTs are minted and stored in the player's Game Vault. However, unless players actively claim ownership of the NFTs, they remain unavailable for trading, effectively reducing the circulating supply. This scarcity is further amplified on platforms like Steam, where current restrictions prevent NFTs from being claimed or interacted with by players on their platform, potentially locking them indefinitely and further reducing the circulating supply of those NFTs.

Missions in Warped Universe serve as the lifeblood of the metagame, with each decision directly impacting the balance, expansion, and survival of the Warped Universe. From the Nexus Station, players will be able to interact with a real-time 3D map of the solar system, offering a dynamic and visually immersive way to track planetary progress, facility development, and regions under threat from the Void. This feature will deepen immersion by allowing players to strategically choose missions based on real-time data, ensuring their actions leave a lasting impact with every play session.

The Impact of Missions on the Warped Universe

Below are some examples of how missions will shape both personal growth and the broader progression of the metagame:

• Collecting Residuum: Expedite the development of new planets, facilities, and technologies while advancing personal progression through claiming end-of-mission rewards.

• Defending Assets: The protection of planets, outposts, and facilities from Void assaults will be critical to ensuring their continued functionality and survival, with implications for both the Warped Universe and personal development.

• Convoy Defense: Escorting critical supplies and reinforcements to sustain outposts and facilities will be essential for long-term survival and success.

• Shifting the Light/Gravity Balance: Aligning with either the Luminaries or Foundationalists when completing missions will sway the balance toward light or gravity, impacting the universe's dynamic for all players, for better or worse.

These examples illustrate how players’ choices will impact not only their own progression but also the progression of the Warped Universe itself. The Warped Universe will be a fragile, dynamic environment that must be balanced through collective decision-making and collaboration, not solely personal ambition.

Genre and Gameplay Variety

As highlighted in Choosing Your Genre, players have the freedom to decide how they approach each mission. Certain missions may lend themselves better to turn-based strategy for tactical depth or real-time action for immersive intensity. This variety ensures that no two missions feel alike and offers players the flexibility to tailor their experience based on their preferred playstyle.

Designed for Collaboration

Missions in Warped Universe foster collaboration, with objectives designed for cooperative play. Players can join forces to tackle larger threats, such as Void invasions, or to achieve ambitious goals like building a planet to uncover new resources and technologies. Working together on shared objectives enables greater rewards and amplifies the impact of co-op PvE gameplay.

Residuum is the core resource driving progression in the Warped Universe. Collected during missions, Residuum serves as the foundation for advancing both individual player growth and the progression of the Warped Universe itself. This versatile resource is critical to shaping the Warped Universe, connecting every mission to meaningful outcomes.

Individual Use: Empowering Player Progression

Residuum empowers players to shape their journey through the Warped Universe:

• End-of-Mission Rewards: Residuum can be allocated at the end of missions to obtain rewards, such as Nexite, Sparks, Artifractal Cores, or Battle Pass XP.

• In-Mission Utility: Players can use Residuum to amplify certain skills, enabling strategic advantages in critical moments, or transmute it into ammunition during emergencies.

This dual-purpose presents players with meaningful choices: Should you use the Residuum you collect to gain immediate advantages in a mission, or save it for post-mission rewards, and your long-term growth?

Note: Residuum cannot be stored or carried over between missions. Residuum collected can only be used during the mission or at its conclusion.

Collective Use: Advancing the Warped Universe

Residuum also fuels the broader development of the Warped Universe:

• Building New Planets and Facilities: At the Nexus Station, Residuum powers the creation of new planets and facilities, shaping the evolving gameplay by influencing the overall metagame. For example, constructing a new research lab might unlock new technology, providing access to advanced equipment or powerful upgrades, enhancing gameplay strategies for all players.

• Strengthening Community Goals: As a shared resource, Residuum ensures that every mission contributes to the collective progress of all players. Large-scale projects, such as building new planets and facilities, will require a specific amount of Residuum collected across all missions. These shared objectives will foster collaboration and motivate the community to work together toward the advancement of the Warped Universe.

In the Warped Universe, light and gravity are not merely forces but primal entities, the architects of existence. Unlike Earth, where these forces have settled into a predictable rhythm, they exist here in a volatile, malleable state, offering a nearly infinite source of cosmic potential.

The balance of light and gravity is essential to the Warped Universe and to the player’s ability to combat the immeasurable threats they face. Let’s explore the factions that harness these forces.

The Luminaries

Driven by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to uncover the secrets of the cosmos, the Luminaries represent the spirit of adventure and the pursuit of knowledge in the vast expanse of space. They see the Warped Universe not as a remnant of destruction, but as a canvas of infinite possibilities waiting to be explored and understood.

A catalyst for them was the discovery of star maps in the Oracle's archives. These maps, showing both charted and uncharted sectors of the Warped Universe, ignited the imaginations of these explorers.

The group, united through boundless wonder, formally organized themselves as the Luminaries, dedicating their efforts to exploration, diplomacy, the pursuit of knowledge, and the discovery of new technologies. Their motto, "Illuminating the Unknown," became a beacon for like-minded individuals on the station. Inspired by the way light travels across space, unfettered and illuminating, they strive to expand their knowledge and presence in the Warped Universe.

The Foundationalists

As the Warped Universe captivated many with its cosmic allure, some began to advocate for a more focused approach: strengthening and fortifying the Nexus Station. Grounded in the belief that true strength comes from within, this philosophy gave rise to a group known as the Foundationalists.

The Foundationalists commit themselves to ensuring that the Nexus Station is not just a waypoint but a stronghold of safety, knowledge, and community. They view the Nexus Station as a sanctuary for the myriad beings displaced or affected by the cosmic upheavals of the Warped Universe. In their vision, the Nexus Station should have the capabilities and capacity to welcome and sustain all who seek shelter and purpose within its confines.

United under the motto, "Strength in Foundation," the Foundationalists emphasize their commitment to security and sustainability.

Balancing Forces in a Fragile Universe

While the Luminaries and Foundationalists may have different approaches and goals, they understand the importance of cooperation and balance. Conflict between them is rare, as they recognize that tipping the balance too far in one direction can lead to instability, causing psychedelic and destructive environments that affect gameplay for all. Utilizing the forces of light and gravity can create chaotic events when players favor one force over the other, altering the landscape and player experience in unexpected ways. However, they should not be opposed to shifting the balance, when necessary, as such shifts can enhance or transform abilities, leading to unique tactical advantages.

In Warped Universe, players are the central driving force, shaping the environment through their actions and decisions. Our design philosophy centers on providing ultimate freedom and flexibility, offering diverse experiences that cater to a wide range of playstyles. Whether players prefer strategic planning, fast-paced action, or a blend of both, Warped Universe is built to adapt to their preferences.

Skill-based progression is central to Warped Universe’s design, ensuring a fair and balanced ecosystem. Blockchain integration will be used to enhance the player experience by enabling ownership of cosmetic and customizable items without providing any financial advantage in gameplay. This approach ensures that Warped Universe remains a meaningful and enjoyable experience where players can thrive, personalize, and shape the trajectory of a universe.

Sci-fi worlds rely on striking visuals to capture their vision of the future. With Warped Universe, we take this a step further, blending familiar elements of classic science fiction with a distinct, psychedelic twist. Every detail is crafted to immerse players in a universe that feels both mysterious and expansive, making Warped Universe content instantly recognizable and captivating with its unique atmosphere.

Battle Passes in Warped Universe provide players with a structured path for earning rewards and unlocking customizations as they complete missions and progress through the game. Available in Free and Premium (Paid) tiers, Battle Passes offer a variety of rewards that focus primarily on customization and unlocking content, ensuring that progression remains fair and skill-based.

Earning Bonus Battle Pass XP

Players will always earn Battle Pass XP by completing missions, ensuring steady progression through the tiers. However, as part of the end-of-mission rewards, players can choose to allocate Residuum to claim Bonus XP, advancing through the Battle Pass quicker.

For a more detailed description on Battle Passes and their unique utility, see Battle Passes in the Ownership in Warped Universe section.

By leveraging the dynamic fields feature of Sui's Move language, Mutable NFTs can evolve alongside a player’s journey. Unlike the static nature of traditional NFTs, Mutable NFTs can adapt and grow over time, reflecting enhanced skins, modular components, or embedded lore and statistics. This innovation integrates blockchain technology into gaming in a more meaningful and interactive way.

In Warped Universe, Mutable NFTs will become a dynamic on-chain extension of your in-game achievements, evolving as your journey progresses.

The Game Vault is a custodial wallet automatically assigned to every Warped Universe account upon creation, regardless of the platform the player uses to access the game. Even players who cannot engage with blockchain features due to platform restrictions (e.g., Steam) will have their purchases securely stored on-chain.

The Game Vault operates seamlessly in the background, with gas fees being managed by Warped Games on behalf of the players. This ensures that blockchain integration does not disrupt or complicate the experience for players who prefer a traditional gaming setup. For these players, the Game Vault functions simply as a secure database for their purchases.

In Warped Universe, $WARPED tokens and exclusive Cosmetic Rewards offer players unique opportunities to deepen their engagement beyond the core gameplay loop. These rewards are not part of the standard progression system and are instead earned through special events, campaigns, and unique challenges.

By encouraging exploration and collaboration, $WARPED and Cosmetic Rewards enhance the overall player experience in meaningful ways. Whether players participate in collective goals, time-based activities, or uncover hidden surprises, these rewards add variety, foster community interaction, and bring a layer of exclusivity to the Warped Universe.

These rewards will be on-chain and will require players to connect a Personal Vault to their Game Vault in order to withdraw, trade, or spend their rewards.

For more details on Personal Vaults and Game Vaults, see Ownership in Warped Universe section.

The Sui Network is a next-generation layer 1 blockchain designed for high performance and user-friendliness, specifically tailored for its application in gaming. Created by former Meta engineers, Sui offers scalability and efficiency, enabling developers to build applications with high transaction throughput and low latency. Its architecture promotes accessibility for developers and users alike, enabling seamless engagement with blockchain technology. This vision powers innovations like the SuiPlay0X1 handheld console, which brings cutting-edge blockchain-enabled gaming experiences directly to players.

Sui employs a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus model, which allows SUI holders to delegate their voting power to validators, enhancing the network's scalability and reduces the energy demands typically associated with blockchain networks. This focus on sustainability aligns perfectly with our goal to build a lasting, responsible ecosystem.

Events are designed to bring the community together to achieve significant milestones with real implications for the Warped Universe. These milestones might involve building a new planet or facility, defeating a specific number of enemies, or completing other large-scale objectives.

Once the event is completed, all participating players will receive $WARPED and/or Cosmetic Rewards based on their efforts and contributions. Event-exclusive Cosmetics will be unique and cannot be purchased from the in-game store, offering players a tangible piece of Warped Universe history to keep, trade, or sell as they choose.

Koju will be the currency used to buy cosmetics, customizations, and Battle Passes, offering players a way to personalize and enhance their journey in the Warped Universe. Pegged at $0.01, Koju will function as a closed-loop token on the Sui Network, meaning it is not tradeable and behaves like a traditional in-game currency.

While Koju will operate on-chain, players won’t need to interact with any blockchain interfaces. All transactions will be managed seamlessly behind the scenes by the Game Vault, ensuring a frictionless and familiar player experience.

This model allows Warped Universe to utilize the advantages of the Sui Network without impeding the player experience, while preserving a fair and balanced ecosystem for all players.

Beamable is a backend-as-a-service platform that streamlines game development by providing essential tools for features like leaderboards, social interactions, and cloud saves. Our partnership with Beamable enables us to integrate these functionalities without custom backend development, allowing our team to concentrate on content creation and gameplay enhancement.

By connecting effortlessly with various blockchain platforms, Beamable facilitates decentralized asset ownership and monetization, enriching the gaming experience. It also promotes community engagement through features like in-game chat and guild systems, fostering a collaborative environment for players.

Most importantly, Beamable's seamless integration with the Sui Network simplifies the adoption of blockchain technologies, making it user-friendly. This integration supports in-game purchases, virtual currencies, and scalable updates, ensuring a responsive player experience.

Our approach to game design and development reflects a deep understanding of player preferences and market trends. Warped Universe is not just built to adapt to these evolving demands but to lead and define what players will come to expect in the next generation of gaming experiences.

Nestable NFTs use a Parent-Child structure to group multiple NFTs into a single Parent NFT, simplifying the purchase and management of digital items. The Parent NFT grants ownership of its Child NFTs, which can be used collectively or individually in-game. These assets can be sold as a bundle in one transaction or detached to trade separately through Sui Kiosk. Additionally, Nestable NFTs are designed to be dynamic too, allowing for the addition of new Child NFTs or updates to attributes for both Parent and Child NFTs.

By introducing a player-centric marketplace for trading in-game assets, Sui Kiosk gives Warped Universe players the freedom to trade their cosmetics, Battle Passes, and other NFTs. Its decentralized design gives complete control to the user by enabling them to store and manage assets independently while customizing how they trade.

The Sui Kiosk is where Premium Battle Pass holders can sell or rent their Battle Pass NFTs, enabling other players access to content from previous seasons.

The blockchain that onboards the most traditional players won’t be chosen by the players themselves; it will be selected by the studios creating the games they love. Sui’s advanced technical capabilities and object-centric data model are purpose-built to meet the demands of game developers integrating blockchain into their games. Combined with its focus on user-friendliness and innovations like the SuiPlay0X1 handheld console, Sui offers a seamless integration that enhances the gameplay experience rather than disrupting it.

We strongly believe Sui has the potential to bring blockchain gaming to the mainstream, delivering a frictionless experience that aligns perfectly with player expectations and developer needs.

As Warped Universe grows, decentralized storage becomes essential for maintaining the authenticity and accessibility of in-game assets. Mysten Labs’ Walrus protocol offers a secure and cost-efficient solution for storing raw data and media files, including images, audio, video, and other game assets, without sacrificing performance.

Unlike traditional NFTs, which often rely on off-chain storage platforms like IPFS or AWS, Walrus enables both the NFT and its metadata to be stored in a decentralized manner. This approach enhances the reliability and permanence of digital assets, allowing Warped Games and our players to securely store in-game content, captures, statistics, and more.

Sparks are the upgrades that define and enhance the performance of your equipment. Earned through end-of-mission rewards, these upgrades provide players with the flexibility to tailor their weapons, armor, and ships to suit their unique playstyle and objectives.

Sparks vary depending on the category and classification of equipment they can be applied to:

• Damage Buffs: Increase flat or percentage-based damage output.

• Critical Enhancements: Boost critical hit chance or critical damage.

• Defense Modifiers: Improve health, shield regeneration, or resistance to specific damage types.

• Utility Adjustments: Adjust reload speeds, fire rates, or reduce cooldown times for specific abilities.

Disclaimer: The items in this example are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent finalized game specifications.

For more information on how attributes are earned and applied to equipment with Sparks and their Potential, please refer to Mission Rewards and Player Progression section.

Equipment in Warped Universe will be central to shaping your gameplay experience. It offers flexibility and customization to suit your unique playstyle, achieve specific objectives, and to stand out from the crowd.

Equipment is earned through gameplay by acquiring Artifractal Cores, rewarding player progression and ensuring a fair and balanced ecosystem. For more details on obtaining and customizing equipment, refer to the Mission Rewards and Player Progression section.

Categories and Classifications

Equipment is organized into broad categories, each containing specific classifications that define its role and functionality. For example:

Weapons:

• Heavy rifle

• Pistol

• Sniper rifle

• Shotgun

Armor:

• Heavy armor

• Light armor

Ships:

• Wings

• Body

• Tail

Disclaimer: The items in this example are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent finalized game specifications.

Base Equipment and Customization

Each classification starts with a single base-level piece of equipment, designed to evolve as players progress. This design allows for extensive customization and personalization, empowering players to adapt their gear to suit their playstyle, enhance performance, and express their individuality.

Balance is at the heart of everything in Warped Universe. It’s woven into the story, gameplay mechanics, and even the visuals. Whether it’s balancing light and gravity within the game’s universe or the interaction between player input and developer creativity, everything is designed with equilibrium in mind. Our goal is to create a seamless blend of innovation and familiarity, ensuring that every aspect of the game contributes to a cohesive, engaging experience.

During the formative period of the project, our team explored the style and themes of our favorite media, including movies, games, album art, paintings, and various forms of art. These discussions often led to a singular realization: the team was most inspired by the raw creativity found in concept art itself. Instead of taking direct influence from finished works in media, the team asked: What if the distinct aesthetic of concept art came to life in the game?

This question led to an exploration of painterly environments in-game and a study of what works and what doesn’t, particularly when using this style. The result was a defining visual rule: psychedelic, painterly environments contrasted with crisp, clear character designs to provide balance. When characters are detailed and vibrant, they highlight the artistic nature of the environments. Conversely, when environments possess a unique watercolor or concept art quality, they make the characters and their cosmetics stand out even more.

This intentional juxtaposition of cutting-edge graphics with the charm of hand-painted, tabletop-inspired aesthetics ensures that every in-game scene evokes a distinctive sense of wonder while maintaining clarity and focus.

The Void exists as a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of the Warped Universe. It is neither malevolent or benevolent; it simply is, perpetually striving to reclaim what it perceives as noise and return it to an undisturbed silence.

Manifesting through entities that reflect its nature of non-existence, these beings are formless and adaptive, reacting to the presence and actions of those trying to rebuild the Warped Universe. These entities do not engage in traditional conflict but instead employ a strategy of attrition, wearing down the will and hope of its opponents until they succumb to despair.

The Void's goal is simple yet profound, to revert the Warped Universe to a state of pure potentiality, where nothing exists but the primordial essence of possibility. It views the Oracle’s attempts at reconstruction as a perverse act of defiance against the natural order of existence. The Void believes that by erasing everything, it will restore balance, creating a grim equilibrium where neither suffering nor joy can exist.

The mission rewards system in Warped Universe has been designed to provide a sustainable, fair, and rewarding progression experience. By carefully balancing item rarity, resource usage, and upgrade opportunities, we ensure that every reward feels meaningful and progression remains driven by player effort and strategic decision-making.

As development progresses, these mechanics will be continuously monitored, refined, and adjusted to ensure a balanced and enjoyable experience for all players. Our goal is to build a progression system that evolves with player feedback and stands the test of time.

All equipment classifications begin with a single base version. Artifractal Cores determine the randomized base attributes of that equipment, while Sparks enable players to customize and enhance equipment attributes to suit their goals.

Each Spark is attribute-specific, meaning it applies a single, predefined enhancement to a piece of equipment. For example:

• One Spark might add +5 Damage

• One Spark might add +3% Accuracy

Sparks provide meaningful progression by allowing players to fine-tune their equipment, whether they want to optimize for specific stats, adapt to their playstyle, or prepare for particular objectives. Combined with cosmetics, which alter the visual appearance of equipment, Sparks give players complete control over both the performance enhancement and appearance of their equipment.

We chose Sui because it unlocks the potential of blockchain for traditional gamers without requiring them to be experts in blockchain. Built by industry leaders focused on creating seamless user-friendly experiences, Sui is the ideal home for Warped Universe and will serve as the catalyst for our mission to onboard millions of players. Below, we explore the key benefits Sui will bring to Warped Universe and our community.

Performance and Scalability

Sui's Move infrastructure is built on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture, which allows for efficient parallel processing of transactions. This structure enables Sui to reach transaction speeds of up to , making it an ideal choice for fast-paced, real-time gaming economy. By using DAG, Sui ensures high scalability while maintaining a seamless, low-latency experience.

Warped Universe is ultimately brought to life through Unreal Engine 5, a powerful engine known for its cutting-edge technology and scalability. Our team has extensive experience building with Unreal Engine, allowing us to fully harness its capabilities to deliver visually stunning, highly immersive worlds.

Nanite and Lumen

Features like Nanite virtualized geometry and Lumen real-time lighting enable us to create environments with unprecedented detail and realism. Nanite ensures high performance while maintaining intricate detail, and Lumen allows for dynamic, realistic lighting and reflections, bringing the Warped Universe to life with immersive shadows and atmospheric lighting.

Warped Universe simplifies the purchasing experience by offering two store systems to meet players' needs:

In-Game Store:

Cosmetics and Battle Passes can be purchased here using Koju for added convenience.

The Warped Games team is a tight-knit group of veteran developers and blockchain enthusiasts with nearly 30 years of collaborative experience, launching hit titles such as Lego Universe, Jumpgate, Dragons and Titans, and Auto Assault.

Many of our team members came together to develop the metaverse and spaceflight MMO for the Starl Metaverse project, attracting a diverse global community of over 100,000 members and 35,000 token holders. Our expertise in virtual environments and blockchain integration enabled us to be the first team to implement interactive NFTs in Unreal Engine 5. From building a custom marketplace to hosting a live virtual concert in partnership with Amoeba Music, our team has consistently demonstrated trustworthiness, professionalism, and transparency, pushing the boundaries of gaming and blockchain alike.

With a rich history of working together, the crew at Warped Games has evolved into more than just a team; we are a family passionate about creating real value and providing memorable experiences for our community.

Discover more about our team by visiting our team page on our website:

Nexite is the primary resource for utilizing progression-based rewards in Warped Universe. Used to cover the cost of acquiring and enhancing equipment, Nexite plays a key role in enabling players to grow their capabilities through meaningful gameplay. As Nexite is used to enhance gameplay mechanics, it must be earned, and is not available to be purchased.

How Nexite is Earned

Players can claim Nexite as part of their end-of-mission rewards by allocating Residuum collected during the mission.

Skills in Warped Universe are designed to offer adaptability, allowing players to tailor their abilities to match the challenges they face. Whether aligning with the Luminaries or the Foundationalists for a mission, players can experiment with a variety of skills unique to each faction. This flexibility ensures that no player is locked into game-defining decisions from the outset and can change their approach as their playstyle evolves or to adapt to the demands of a specific objective.

Adapting Skills to Missions

The skills players choose will depend on their preferred playstyle or the objectives of a mission. For example, when facing a horde of Void enemies, players may unleash an area-of-effect gravity-based ability like the Singularity Pulse, or perhaps there may be a light-based skill better suited to their strategy. This flexibility ensures players have diverse options that cater to a variety of playstyles and preferences for a more fun and engaging experience.

Influences on Skill Choices

Skill choices are not only shaped by mission types but also by the evolving state of the Warped Universe:

• Facility Enhancements: Newly built or upgraded facilities may enhance specific skills, providing boosts to their effectiveness or unlocking unique capabilities.

• Universe Dynamics: The current balance of light and gravity within the Warped Universe may influence a player’s skillset. For instance, certain skills may become more useful if the state of the universe is skewed more towards light or gravity.

By allowing players to adapt their skillsets and experiment with new approaches for each mission, Warped Universe encourages continuous exploration of different gameplay styles. This level of flexibility is designed to enhance player retention and long-term enjoyment.

Warped Universe integrates blockchain in a way that enhances the player experience, offering meaningful ownership and influence while preserving a fair, player-centric ecosystem. Ownership is focused on cosmetics, customizations, and Battle Passes, ensuring all gameplay-enhancing items remain off-chain to reward effort and skill.

Our on-chain items are designed to encourage players to take ownership of their assets, unlocking their full potential and exploring the unique utilities made possible through blockchain integration.

The Move language, originally developed for Meta’s Diem blockchain project, is a secure and flexible programming language designed to manage digital assets safely on the blockchain. When Mysten Labs adopted Move for Sui, they tailored it further, optimizing it specifically for gaming and high-performance applications.

Move’s resource-oriented programming model inherently prevents many common security issues, like reentrancy attacks, making it a reliable choice for managing in-game assets. Through Move, this model has been enhanced with an object-centric data structure, which assigns a unique ID to each object. This allows for greater flexibility in representing and transferring in-game assets as NFTs, empowering us to create more interactive and responsive experiences, as highlighted in the following sections.

The Battle Pass in Warped Universe serves as a comprehensive system for tracking player progression throughout each season. It is divided into free and premium (paid for) tiers, ensuring accessibility for all players while offering additional benefits for those who opt for the paid version. The Battle Pass unlocks new items, missions, and experiences, making it a central feature of the Warped Universe ecosystem.

Free and Premium Tiers

• Free Battle Pass: All players will automatically receive a free Battle Pass, which is not an NFT. However, cosmetic items unlocked at select tiers of the free Battle Pass will be available as NFTs.

• Paid for Premium Battle Pass: Premium Battle Passes are NFTs that grant expanded rewards across all 100 tiers. Rewards include NFTs like exclusive customizations and cosmetic items, alongside non-NFT unlocks such as new missions.

Players are able to upgrade their free Battle Pass to a paid for Premium version at any point to unlock rewards without losing their progress.

Tier Structure and Progression

Each Battle Pass consists of 100 tiers, with a reward unlocked at every tier for Premium Battle Pass holders. Free Battle Pass holders will unlock rewards at select tiers only. To add further depth to the progression system, players who complete their Battle Pass can reset it to a higher difficulty.

• Difficulty Levels: Battle Passes feature five difficulty levels, allowing players to repeat the initial 100 tiers with increasing difficulty. As players progress through higher difficulties, they can unlock enhanced variations of items earned in the first 100 tiers, such as alternative textures and colors with rare traits in the NFTs or increased Koju rewards. This system adds rarity to the items, making the rewards more valuable as players complete higher difficulty levels. In total, this creates 500 tiers for players to conquer within each Battle Pass.

Unique Ownership and Accessibility

Only one Premium Battle Pass can be purchased per account per season, ensuring that progression remains tied to individual effort. Importantly, items unlocked in the Battle Pass are not tied to the pass itself. Players retain ownership of their earned rewards even if they choose to sell or rent their Battle Pass NFT. This design allows for greater flexibility, enabling players to explore seasonal content while keeping their hard-earned achievements.

Accessing Past Content

Premium Battle Passes act as time capsules, allowing players to revisit and unlock content from previous seasons. Unlike traditional games where seasonal content becomes inaccessible, Warped Universe enables players to use, rent, or sell their Battle Pass NFTs, ensuring that earlier content remains available for exploration.

Many blockchain games today lean heavily on financial incentives, which often leads to two main problems: play-to-earn and pay-to-win mechanics. Play-to-earn games can create a cycle where players focus on extracting value until the market becomes oversaturated, leaving little to no value left. On the other hand, pay-to-win games can alienate players by giving financial advantages to those who can afford to invest more, creating an uneven playing field.

Warped Universe emphasizes a game-first approach, avoiding the pitfalls of play-to-earn and pay-to-win mechanics that often lead to repetitive gameplay and player alienation. Instead of prioritizing financial incentives, we focus on crafting enjoyable experiences that resonate with players and foster genuine engagement. Here, blockchain features enhance the game rather than overshadow it, fostering a community where everyone can thrive without needing to pay for advantages or focus on trying to extract monetary value.

To conclude this whitepaper outlining our approach to game design and community building, let's summarize the key elements that will enable us to onboard millions of players to build the Warped Universe.

Innovative Multi-Genre Gameplay Our focus on a multi-genre design creates dynamic gameplay, allowing players to take ownership of their experiences, which enhances engagement and broadens Warped Universe's appeal.

Sui Network Integration Integrating with the Sui Network emphasizes user-friendly design, making blockchain technology accessible and enjoyable for all players. This integration allows for unique utilities that enrich the gaming experience.

Player-Driven Design With player agency at the core of Warped Universe's design, players' actions directly influence both gameplay and the game's trajectory. By adding $WARPED token holder voting on proposals and encouraging participation in community initiatives, we aim to foster a deeper connection with our players, allowing them to see the impact of their choices on the game's evolution.

Leveraging Trends in Gaming By capitalizing on the growing trends of free-to-play and cooperative gameplay, we will ensure that Warped Universe aligns with contemporary gaming preferences.

Maximizing Accessibility To ensure accessibility, Warped Universe will be available across multiple platforms and devices, allowing a wider audience to enjoy the game without barriers.

Post-Launch Growth Our seasonal model will introduce fresh content and gameplay mechanics that evolve with player feedback and $WARPED token holder input. Each season will bring new missions, limited-edition collectibles, and lore updates that keep the game dynamic and relevant to the player’s desires.

Experienced Team Finally, our motivated team brings a proven track record in game development and fostering an engaged community, enabling us to bring our ambitious vision for Warped Universe to life.

Congratulations on making it this far. Now step through Celadon Gate, get in your ECHO armor, and join us on this unforgettable journey as we heed the Oracle's call to shape the Warped Universe.

Warped Universe prioritizes skill and effort over financial advantage, ensuring no items available in the in-game store enable pay-to-win mechanics. Gameplay-enhancing items, such as weapons, skills, and ships, must be unlocked through in-game achievements, whether in real-time or turn-based modes, allowing players to progress in ways that suit their preferred playstyle.

This earn-based approach extends to select cosmetics, which can only be unlocked by completing specific challenges or milestones. These achievement-driven cosmetics not only add value through scarcity but also serve as badges of honor for players willing to push their limits.

By ensuring that both gameplay and select cosmetics reward effort, Warped Universe fosters a fair and balanced ecosystem that values dedication and skill.

In Warped Universe, blockchain serves as an invisible backbone, seamlessly managing assets and Koju transactions behind the scenes. For most players, it functions like a traditional database, providing stability and security without requiring direct interaction.

This approach ensures blockchain interaction remains entirely optional. Players seeking a traditional gaming experience can enjoy Warped Universe without engaging with blockchain features. For those interested in exploring deeper, these features unlock new possibilities, from owning and trading assets to participating in $WARPED utilities, adding a value-driven dimension to the immersive gameplay experience.

Closed-loop tokens are digital currencies that operate exclusively within a specific ecosystem, ensuring stability by avoiding external trading or speculation. This design keeps their value consistent and tied directly to in-game utility, creating a predictable and player-friendly ecosystem.

Koju

In Warped Universe, Koju will function as a closed-loop token, used solely for purchasing Cosmetics and Battle Passes. It will behave like any other in-game currency, with all transactions managed seamlessly by the player’s Game Vault. Players won’t need to interact with wallets or sign transactions, as everything will be handled behind the scenes for a smooth and familiar experience.

This approach allows us to deploy Warped Universe’s economy on-chain while avoiding the drawbacks of relying on a volatile token for in-game use and ensuring an appealing and consistent player experience with no need for manual blockchain interaction.

Our multi-genre approach loses its potency if the game is limited to certain platforms or devices. That’s why Warped Universe will be available across all major platforms, beginning with the Epic Store and Steam, with aims to list on Google Play and the Apple Store. Furthermore, we plan to integrate with various devices, such as PC, Xbox, PlayStation, SuiPlay0X1, the Steam Deck, and mobile platforms like iOS and Android.

By embracing cross-platform accessibility, we aim to maximize our reach to the estimated 3 billion gamers worldwide.

For players who want full control of their in-game assets, the Personal Vault offers an easy path to true ownership. By connecting a non-custodial wallet to their Warped Universe account through our website, players can seamlessly withdraw their on-chain assets from their Game Vault into their Personal Vault, opening up the opportunity to own and trade them.

While all Koju transactions are securely managed within the Game Vault to ensure streamlined gameplay, the Personal Vault allows players to take ownership of their items, offering them the flexibility to trade or use them on their own terms without compromise.

Drawing from our passion for diverse gaming experiences, we have developed an innovative design that integrates multiple genres within a single environment. This allows players to select their mission and then choose their preferred gameplay style, whether real-time action or turn-based strategy. Both genres utilize the same weapons, skills, damage systems, and mechanics, creating a fluid transition that enhances immersion, increases engagement, and broadens appeal.

Real-Time Action: On the Ground or in Flight

As a third-person action shooter, this gameplay style caters to fast-paced thrill-seekers, making it perfect for immersive experiences on PC or console.

Turn-Based Strategy: On the Ground or in Flight

This top-down game style is ideal for players who prefer a more tactical approach. It also makes Warped Universe more accessible to mobile and tablet gaming audiences.

Play Your Way

By allowing players to select how they engage with each mission, Warped Universe caters to a wide range of playstyles while encouraging collaboration across the community. This innovative approach draws on the preferred mechanics of popular real-time games like Fortnite and Helldivers 2, as well as successful turn-based strategy mechanics found in Dungeons and Dragons and XCOM, making Warped Universe appeal to an audience with diverse gaming preferences.

Looking ahead, additional game genres may be introduced during post-launch development, shaped by player preferences through $WARPED-holder votes. This evolving, multi-genre approach ensures Warped Universe remains dynamic and supported by growing trends and player preferences, as detailed in the Market Opportunity section.

The $WARPED token distribution has been carefully planned to ensure the project’s sustainability and long-term growth, while incorporating the lessons learned from our past experiences in managing tokenized economies and Web 3.0 communities. Below is a breakdown of how tokens are allocated and utilized, focusing on key areas that drive the project forward.

Private Sale

To fund early development and establish our legal entities, $WARPED was sold in two private sale phases. The first phase, priced at $0.00019, was for long-standing supporters, while the second, at $0.00023, targeted influential figures in the blockchain space. Tokens were vested over a period of six to twelve weeks.

Presale

The presale was divided into multiple phases, starting at $0.00037 to $0.0042 per token, with 500 million tokens (5% of total supply) allocated per phase. Tokens were vested over 12 weeks (40% at launch, 30% at six weeks, and 30% at twelve weeks). Early phases prioritized whitelisted wallets to reward long-term supporters. Proceeds were split between liquidity (40%) and development and growth (60%).

Team Allocation

To ensure long-term team commitment, 1.5 billion (15% of total supply) of $WARPED tokens were set aside for team members. These tokens were vested over 12 months, with a 3-month cliff, followed by a linear release over the subsequent 9 months.

Uniswap Launch Liquidity

Shortly following the presale, $500,000 in ETH was paired with 800m (8% of total supply) of $WARPED tokens on Uniswap v2, enabling open-market access. The initial launch price was approximately $0.00063.

Treasury Allocation

A significant portion of $WARPED tokens has been allocated to the Warped Foundation's treasury to support ongoing project needs. This treasury allocation is flexible, allowing us to adapt to the evolving demands of the ecosystem. Key areas supported by the treasury include:

• OTC (over-the-counter) sales

• On-chain and off-chain exchange liquidity

• Team and advisor growth

• Marketing initiatives

The Warped Foundation's treasury ensures that Warped Games remains financially stable as we continue to build and scale the Warped Universe.

Token Distribution

• Private Sale: 10%

• Presale: 30%

• Team: 15%

• Launch: 8%

The chart below demonstrates the unlock periods for all vested token allocations from launch date:

Building new planets and facilities lies at the heart of the Warped Universe's metagame, serving as the driving force that pushes the Warped Universe forward. Each season, players must collaborate to expand the solar system by constructing planets that house critical facilities. These facilities offer opportunities to uncover new technologies to build new equipment, improve skills or attributes, reduce specific resource costs, and further develop the Warped Universe, from which all players can benefit.

The foundation of progress in Warped Universe is Residuum, collected through missions and used to build planets and facilities. Instead of being pooled universally, Residuum is allocated based on the missions players choose. For example, one mission might focus on constructing a research facility to unlock new equipment, while another could aim to gather Residuum for building an entirely new planet. This means that each mission players choose carry meaningful implications across the solar system, creating real agency as their decisions have an immediate and lasting impact on the evolution of the Warped Universe.

However, the Warped Universe remains in a delicate balance, as these creations are not invincible. The Void, ever-present and relentless, seeks to undo progress by targeting and destroying facilities, and if given the chance, whole planets may return to nothingness. If these structures are not properly defended, the technologies, perks, and content they provide risk being erased from existence, undoing hard-earned advancements.

This dynamic fosters genuine player agency, where decisions, mission selection, and collective efforts directly influence the Warped Universe's trajectory. Success and failure become tangible, creating an evolving environment that constantly reacts to players’ actions, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

Warped Universe's innovative design combines multiple popular game genres, appealing to a wide array of player preferences. By unifying these genres into a cohesive metagame, players can select their preferred playstyle for both ground and space missions, resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience that maximizes playability.

Real-Time: On the Ground and in Space

Our real-time action modes offer thrilling gameplay similar to successful titles like Fortnite and Helldivers 2, the latter of which sold over , becoming PlayStation’s fastest-selling title. This playstyle captivates players with its invigorating action, allowing them to jump straight into the heat of battle.

As part of our collaboration with Mysten Labs, Warped Universe is set to integrate with the , a handheld console redefining the future of gaming. Designed for gamers who value portability and performance, the SuiPlay0X1 combines sleek design, intuitive controls, and seamless blockchain integration, without compromising gameplay or requiring complex setups.

High-End Performance at Your Fingertips

The SuiPlay0X1 is powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840U processor and AMD Radeon 780M graphics, delivering exceptional performance for on-the-go gaming. With 512GB of SSD storage (expandable via microSD) and a 7-inch bezel-less screen, players can enjoy a visually stunning experience, perfect for building, defending, and exploring in Warped Universe anytime, anywhere.

Rewards and Burns

The success of Warped Universe will directly support the $WARPED token ecosystem through a revenue redistribution model. 15% of net revenue from Koju purchases and NFT royalties will be used to purchase $WARPED tokens, which will then be allocated as follows: 50% will be sent to the Rewards Vault, and 50% will be burned.

Note: The 15% net revenue redistribution and 50/50 burn-reward split will serve as the default ratio but may be adjusted based on new analytics, community feedback, and $WARPED token holder votes.

Artifractal Cores will allow players to acquire new equipment, such as weapons, armor, or ship components. Available in different rarities, they determine the base statistics and number of attributes applied to the equipment, combining strategic choice with an element of discovery.

Earning Artifractal Cores

Earned as part of a player’s end-of-mission rewards, Artifractal Cores are obtained by allocating Residuum collected from a mission for them. This ensures that advancing equipment is directly tied to a player’s effort and current needs.

Artifractal Core Rarity and Their Impact on Equipment

Artifractal Cores come in different rarities, which determine both the number of attributes and the range of statistics applied to the equipment when claimed. Higher rarity Cores provide better opportunities for stronger and more numerous attributes, while lower rarity Cores have more modest ranges and attributes.

The attributes and their values are randomized within a specific range based on the Core’s rarity.

For example: A player uses a low-tier Artifractal Core to obtain a rifle. The result might include:

• 3 random attributes, such as +10% Damage, +5% Fire Rate, and +3% Accuracy.

If the player is unsatisfied with these attributes, they can spend another Artifractal Core to create a new version of the rifle in the hope of getting better attributes within the Artifractal Core’s range. A higher-tier Artifractal Core could increase their chance to generate more attributes (e.g., 4–5) and within a higher statistical range (e.g., +15% Damage or +10% Accuracy).

Disclaimer: The numbers in this example are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent finalized game specifications.

Summary

Players acquire Artifractal Cores as mission rewards, select the type of equipment to craft at the dedicated workstation on the Nexus Station, and spend Nexite to finalize the process. The Artifractal Core’s rarity determines the range of randomized attributes, and players can spend another Artifractal Core for an opportunity to get a more optimized base specification.

Co-op games are experiencing a strong surge in popularity, as evidenced by sales figures and player engagement. For example, despite only 5.7% of games on Steam offering co-op gameplay, they accounted for 36% of total units sold for new releases in 2023, with this trend increasing through 2024.

With these studies revealing that co-op titles are outperforming non-co-op games, with a staggering 1,313% more lifetime sales for top-performing co-op games on Steam, studios are recognizing this increasing demand, resulting in more co-op titles being released year after year.

What's Fueling This Growth?

This rising interest in co-op games can be attributed to a variety of factors. One significant reason was highlighted by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who noted, “,” emphasizing the growing desire for co-op gameplay within the gaming community.

Additionally, the community-driven nature of co-op games fosters collaboration and social interaction, which in turn increases content creation opportunities. Streaming has become a major driving force in the gaming industry, with streamers capitalizing on collaborative content to provide more engaging experiences for their audiences.

Good co-op games encourage word of mouth and organic awareness spread, delivering a natural hype cycle for a game. At the heart of successful games are the emotions they elicit from players. These feelings are intensified when playing with friends or as part of a team.

Replayability is also crucial for engaging gameplay, especially in co-op games. While many single-player titles can become repetitive and lead to declines in player retention, co-op games inherently provide fresh experiences with each session. The dynamics of team interactions create new strategies and outcomes, encouraging players to return.

Enhancing the Future of Co-Op Gaming

Warped Universe expands on the key features that make co-op gameplay so popular by focusing on dynamic replayability. The diverse mission types, procedural content generation, and the dynamics of light and gravity on gameplay shape the Warped Universe through constantly evolving game mechanics, ensuring players encounter new challenges and experiences every time they play. This keeps the game fresh and encourages cooperation, as players must adapt their strategies based on the changing environment and the collective goal of building out each solar system.

By creating a game where every decision matters, Warped Universe positions itself to attract players looking for meaningful and engaging experiences. This aligns with industry insights showing that replayability and social interaction are key factors in player retention.

The free-to-play (F2P) model may seem counterintuitive, yet its success is evident, as demonstrated by hit titles like Fortnite, which generated over $9 billion in it’s first two years, and mobile giants and , both achieving billions in revenue.

How does the F2P model succeed?

According to a paper published by researchers at the University of Vienna, purchasing motivations within the F2P model can be categorized into four key factors:

1. Unobstructed Play

Unobstructed play focuses on players' desire for uninterrupted gameplay. Players often purchase virtual items to skip wait times or revive characters after losing. Research shows that frustrations, such as being stuck, can drive spending. In Warped Universe, we will prioritize a smooth gameplay experience that encourages organic purchases rather than frustration-driven spending.

1. Social Interaction

Social interaction motivates players to enhance their gaming experiences with friends through personalization and shared events. Studies indicate that gamers often buy virtual items to express themselves and impress peers, with over half of paying players valuing social features. Warped Universe will foster meaningful social connections, allowing players to share experiences and personalize their gameplay.

1. Competition as a Motivator

Competition inspires players to improve their skills and showcase achievements. While purchasing virtual items for an advantage can be tempting, it raises concerns about "pay-to-win" mechanics. Warped Universe will sidestep this issue by tying gameplay enhancing items to in-game achievements, ensuring players feel accomplished without compromising game integrity.

1. Economic Rationale

Economic factors, such as reasonable pricing and special offers, influence purchase motivations. Players are more likely to invest when they perceive good value. Warped Universe emphasizes cost-effectiveness and offers incentives for token holders, including exclusive discounts and early access to content. Our seasonal model means that new content becomes available as seasons change, encouraging ongoing engagement and investment. By offering promotions and balancing free and premium content, we cultivate positive relationships with our community, enhancing their gaming experience without feeling exploitative.

In-Game Purchases Transform Game Revenue

As highlighted, the free-to-play model effectively capitalizes on player motivations, leading to substantial in-game spending. Games dominate movies and music in revenue because they sustain deeper levels of engagement over time. Recurrent consumer spending is a massive driver of this revenue, with in-game purchases playing a significant role. This was highlighted in , which showcased recurrent consumer spending grew by 94%, accounting for 79% of total revenue.

Player Ownership of Their In-Game Purchases

While the traditional F2P model drives in-game spending, blockchain transforms this closed system into a cyclical one. Typically, player purchases are locked within the game, benefiting only the studios. Blockchain changes this by allowing players to own their in-game purchases as NFTs, enabling trading and transfers on secondary markets or retaining across seasons.

This is particularly impactful in our seasonal model, where items and content are time-limited. Players can acquire past seasonal items or revisit previous content only by purchasing cosmetics or renting a Battle Pass on secondary markets, adding value that extends beyond its immediate use.

By merging the F2P model with blockchain, we enhance player engagement and foster a community where players are active beneficiaries of the game’s ecosystem.