The popularity of esports has undoubtedly grown significantly throughout the years. Still, it’s safe to say that the industry didn’t hit the mainstream until recently, when viewers watched digital sports games on their flatscreen TVs while lounging around on their couches.
However, it appears that the tides are turning for the esports industry thanks to VR headsets. These headsets allow players to physically move around in the in-game environment while competing with other players. In other words, long gone are the days when you only sat idle on your chair. This time, you can fully immerse yourself in the game.
One example of this next-generation esports game is Zen Fighters. It’s a game where you can not only move around and fight other players, but you can earn some money for your efforts, too. In this article, we’ll discuss this fascinating new game and figure out why it sets itself apart from other similar titles.
About Zen Fighters
Zen Fighters is an up-and-coming esports game optimized for virtual reality. The most exciting part is that it incorporates non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into its gameplay to provide a fun and exciting ecosystem similar to a real sports market. Players of Zen Fighters can earn NFT rewards such as in-game items, character cosmetics, new fighters, or even $ZENY tokens for any achievements.
Moreover, players have ownership over these in-game assets stored on their crypto wallets. If they want, players can sell those assets for any other crypto in global blockchain marketplaces like OpenSea.
Fans of famous franchises like Harry Potter, Pokemon Go, and Street Fighter will surely enjoy Zen Fighters. Taking elements from these world-renowned titles, Zen Fighters has an innovative one vs. one competitive gameplay that you can only play and experience in VR. You have to think on your feet and be ready for whatever move your competitor will make next.
Game Lore
According to the lore of Zen Fighters, the Zen Republic metaverse has a solar system that consists of seven planets and one sun within its orbit. The residents of these planets have been fighting over who owns the sun for years, and after millennia of conflicts, they were finally able to come to an agreement that they would all share the energy emitted by the sun.
As a result, the seven planets formed the Zen Fighter league to symbolize their newfound partnership. In this tournament, big-league fighters from across the Zen Republic gather and compete with one another.
Types of NFT Fighters
Zen Fighters has three different fighter types, and they come from different planets within the metaverse. Namely, there are the Martians, Reptilians, and Sumerians. Each fighter is an upgradeable NFT with various cosmetic differences, such as body color, hair color, etc.
The most interesting and most important trait of a fighter is its superpowers. Whenever a fighter is born into the Zen Republic metaverse, they come with three random superpowers that players can’t modify or change. Some fighters are born more powerful, while others are weaker.
However, even though you can’t change their inborn powers, you can still ensure your fighter becomes stronger by experiencing more points and unlocking new superpowers. A fighter’s value in the market can increase in this way.
Play-to-Earn
Zen Fighters follows a play-to-earn (P2E) model. As mentioned previously, every asset within the metaverse is an NFT, and you can purchase them using the game’s native currency, $ZENY. When you create an account, you’ll immediately be linked to a crypto wallet where you can keep your accumulated NFTs, $ZENY, and any other crypto you may have.
Players of Zen Fighters have a huge chance to earn a profit, especially those who supported the game early on. Here are some of the ways you can earn while playing:
- Every time your character levels up, they receive not only new superpowers but a treasure box containing valuable cosmetics and other items. If your character has a high enough level, you can sell them on the marketplace for a profit, depending on their skills and appearance.
- You can participate in staked battles, where you stake a certain amount of tokens and take everything if you win.
- There are tournaments wherein you can battle against other players. Naturally, the winner wins the prize pool.
- You can also compete in competitive and cooperative minigames to earn tokens or treasure boxes if you win.
Spectators Are Essential
If you’re familiar with esports games, you’re most likely aware that spectators are an essential part—the same goes for Zen Fighters. At this time, there aren’t many viewers for VR games players, which is why the Zen Fighters developers are aiming to pique spectators’ interest. They hope that this will eventually draw in more players as time passes.
Zen Fighters will give incentives to viewers, i.e., they’ll receive $ZENY like the players do. The game will also be hosting invitation-only competitions featuring the best fighters on the planet. Like in real-life esports tournaments, viewers will be able to watch and participate in the fight by cheering and supporting their favorite fighters through live streams. Not only that, but viewers can also bet on their fighter of choice, among other things.
