TL;DR
- Axie Infinity shifts focus to “Risk-to-Earn,” tying rewards to player skill and stake.
- Major combat updates and new dungeon formats expand PvE and collaborative gameplay.
- AXS tokenomics and governance proposals aim to improve long-term economic sustainability.
The biweekly Lunacian Lounge revealed significant gameplay and economic updates for Axie Infinity, highlighting a strategic shift toward “Risk-to-Earn” mechanics. These changes include combat improvements, expanded dungeon gameplay, and restructured reward systems designed to balance incentives and tie rewards to player skill and stake through systems like the Codex battle pass.
Combat Upgrades and Strategic Enhancements
Axie Infinity’s combat system has evolved from its earlier turn-based card model to a more dynamic Origins experience, now available across PC, Android, and MacOS platforms. The upcoming “Squad Leaders” feature will introduce non-Axie avatars with unique abilities, intended to transform team composition strategies and meta planning.
Seasonal competitive formats, including Origins S13 Final Era and Epic Era, continue to distribute AXS rewards through high-stakes play, significantly impacting token liquidity and reward distribution within the game’s economy.
Expanding PvE and Collaborative Play
Multiple dungeon formats are being introduced to expand PvE content, offering token rewards on the Ronin Network. A notable Ragnarok collaboration brings new monster sets and RON rewards to Axie Dungeon. Social Dungeons emphasize cooperative gameplay while distributing tokens like $PIXEL and $RON.
The Codex serves as a comprehensive battle pass that unifies progression and reward distribution across both PvP and PvE gameplay modes, creating a more cohesive player experience.
The Shift to Risk-to-Earn
“Risk-to-Earn” emerged as a priority for 12% of playtest participants, introducing meaningful in-game stakes tied to player choices and resource commitment. This model requires players to accept potential loss or investment to access higher rewards, while complementary “Skill-to-Earn” mechanics reward player mastery and strategic success.
The premium Battle Pass for Season 0: The Ascendant Path is priced at 7.5 AXS, creating a modest monetary barrier with enhanced reward potential. AXS maintains its dual utility as both an in-game medium and a governance token, with staking conferring voting power over ecosystem direction.
Governance discussions have included proposals like AIP-003, which contemplates staking Community Treasury ETH, highlighting treasury management and on-chain risk considerations. The Lunacian Lounge acknowledged past inflation issues—particularly unsustainable emissions of SLP—as motivation for the current economic redesign.
- “Risk-to-Earn is about introducing meaningful stakes into gameplay,” according to the Lunacian Lounge playtest summary.
Traders and treasuries should view these design changes as potential catalysts for token rotation and shifts in on-chain activity. The Codified battle pass economics concentrate predictable reward flows, aiding treasury forecasting, while risk-based earning mechanisms may increase short-term volatility in token outflows and user engagement metrics.
Governance proposals linked to staking Treasury assets create an institutional vector for exposure that treasuries must evaluate for counterparty and custody risk.
These changes represent a deliberate pivot toward mechanically meaningful rewards, diversified gameplay, and tighter governance coupling, aiming to improve long-term sustainability by rewarding skill and commitment rather than simple time investment.
