Bored Ape Yacht Club, one of the most widely recognized NFT collections, is moving beyond the swag phase. In a recently announced partnership with Animoca Brands, the NFT startup will lend its art to a new play to earn game.
“We’re excited to work with Animoca Brands to grow the BAYC universe and expand the utility and benefits offered to all Bored Ape NFT holders,” stated a spokesperson of Yuga Labs, the creator of Bored Apes.
“Animoca Brands is a trailblazer in the blockchain gaming space with a proven track record of delivering. We can’t wait to share more with the community about what we’re building.”
BAYC announced the partnership without giving further details on the upcoming game.
The game will be open for the owners of one of the most expensive NFT collections, where separate rare images were traded for millions of dollars in notional value.
The Bored Ape collection has just 10,000 NFT-protected images, with top valuations reaching $3.4M in a Sotheby’s auction. Bored Apes have been sold at auction for a total of $26M, and Yuga Labs, the creative house behind the collection, has sold NFTs valued at $3B.
Animoca Brands is a leading builder and investor in NFR and digital property projects. The firm is behind the SAND token and the Sandbox game, and has also produced games Crazy Kings and Crazy Defense Heroes. Animoca Brands also has investments in OpenSea, Alien Worlds, Axie Infinity and Dapper Labs, the builder of CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club game is expected in the middle of next year. Currently, the Apes brand is involved in merch initiatives and continues to grow its community. The Ape collectibles also confer exclusive access to events or merchandise. Spinoff collections include Mutant Ape Yacht Club and Bored Ape Kennel Club.
Top Ape collectibles are on offer for as much as 50 ETH on OpenSea, fetching possibly more in curated auctions.
