On January 10, 2024, the SEC officially approved 11 Bitcoin spot ETF applications, significantly boosting confidence in the cryptocurrency market. According to data from Immutable and DappRadar, the proportion of Web3 gaming financing in the total Web3 industry funding increased continuously during 2022-2023. This resurgence of bullish signals has reignited market interest in the GameFi sector. In this context, “Cards Ahoy!”, a Web3 card game led by Metalist Game, is rapidly gaining widespread attention from the industry and players due to its impressive product testing performance.
During the ten-day closed beta test in November 2023, “Cards Ahoy!” performed exceptionally well, attracting over 1.2 million pre-registrations and nearly 25,000 participants. The total in-game time reached nearly 180,000 hours, with a ten-day retention rate of 47.18%, and the highest transaction price for a single card NFT in the trading market hit 600 USDT. After initiating the third closed beta test on January 15th, with a limited invitation to 4,500 players, over ten thousand players queued up, receiving widespread praise from players, including recognition from top KOLs such as the Hearthstone champion Youyong’ai and other professional players. The game also saw intense competition from top guilds in Korea and Japan vying for leaderboard positions, with a remarkable ten-day retention rate of 90.13%, gaining significant attention in the community. As a native project on the opBNB chain, “Cards Ahoy!” was selected as part of the BNB Star and Opbnb Odyess tasks, making it a standout in the Web3 gaming field and increasing anticipation for its public beta performance.
The “Clash Royale” of Web3, the next blockbuster game for everyone. As the next generation card game, “Cards Ahoy!” demonstrates its strong product design, positioning itself as the “Clash Royale” of Web3. Let’s analyze it from aspects such as gameplay, economic system, unique meme design, team strength, and investment prospects:
Simple, Fun Gameplay with Low Barrier to Entry
“Cards Ahoy!” has quickly garnered attention in the Web3 gaming space during its testing phase, thanks to its unique art style and fast-paced gameplay. While the game’s visual design may remind players of the popular “Clash Royale,” “Cards Ahoy!” offers a brand new experience by perfectly blending classic collectible card game elements with Web3 technology. Features include 60-second fast-paced battles, four factions with unique buffs, an extensive card collection and upgrading system, and thrilling live PvP combat. The main gameplay involves collecting cards, engaging in ladder battles, continuously leveling up, and earning more rewards each season. With a server-wide leaderboard, the victors take all.
In the third beta, players could freely experience the arena, and the upcoming public beta is prepared to handle a large influx of Web2 traffic. The game is easy to pick up and play anytime, anywhere, potentially attracting a player base comparable to “Clash Royale.” Additionally, the public beta will introduce a guild system and a comeback arena, offering low-threshold, rewarding gameplay that is also highly attractive in Web2. The MEME VIP PASS, as the first NFT launch, offers both direct empowerment and brand enhancement expectations.
The game has already sparked significant interest on social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Discord. The abundance of related live streams, tutorial videos, and the trading frenzy for game activation codes showcase the game’s high playability and the enthusiastic response from the player community. Positive feedback and game reviews across various platforms, with many players declaring it “the most fun card game in Web3 gaming they’ve played,” further attest to the allure and potential of “Cards Ahoy!”
Meme Design: Pioneering a New Trend in the Web3 Era
“Cards Ahoy!” seamlessly integrates a series of memes from the Web3 community, featuring characters that are easily recognizable and widely accepted within the Web3 space. It continues the tradition of classic TCG card battles with fast-paced, light-competitive gameplay, engaging art style, and an easy-to-learn experience, making it enjoyable even for those completely new to Web3. With quick 60-second matches, the game’s lightweight design is more likely to attract a broader user base. Its simple yet powerful visual style, infused with meme culture, has significant potential for viral spread, further expanding the game’s audience and community engagement.
Top Team Support, Creating the Next Generation Web3 Card Game
“Cards Ahoy!” is led by Metalist Game, whose team members hail from major gaming giants such as NetEase, Ubisoft, Blizzard, and Riot Games, constantly at the forefront of the Web3 gaming field. They have previously collaborated with renowned entities like the Associated Press and NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, and have also formed a new partnership with The Ton Network, aiming to launch the first Telegram game. Consequently, “Cards Ahoy!” could be among the first batch of games within the Ton ecosystem, which is widely regarded as a potential “bull market engine” due to its backing by Telegram’s 800 million monthly active users and its ability to facilitate fast, low-cost blockchain transactions, offering advantages unmatched by other Layer 1 solutions.
Although the funding amount and investing institutions for “Cards Ahoy!” remain undisclosed, the partner backgrounds displayed on the official website are solid, including notable names such as Binance, OKX, NetEase, the Associated Press, and NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, representing leading companies in both the Web2 and Web3 sectors.
The announced development team reveals that Metalist Game has assembled a top-tier strategy card game team, blending development experience from famous card games like Marvel Duel, Hearthstone, and Onmyoji. This experienced development team is set to bring a qualitative leap in the playability of blockchain games, coupled with the blockchain’s economic model, to create a richer ecosystem. This strong team endorsement not only ensures “Cards Ahoy!” maintains high quality in both technology and art but also boosts the game’s reputation in the market and confidence within the player community.
Outstanding Economic System Design, High Investment Expectations
“Cards Ahoy!” is not just a card game that combines leisure and strategy but also a model for the integration of Web2 and Web3 gaming, providing a new platform for players that is both entertaining and investable. The development team of “Cards Ahoy!” is well aware of this aspect. In a speech at an offline event, the product team mentioned that they believe the self-circulation of assets and player ownership of assets represent the greatest value in the Web3 gaming domain. For players, games are no longer merely consumer goods but have transformed into assets that can retain or even increase in value. This shift leads to higher player retention rates, as well as increased User Revenue Per Use (URPU) and Lifetime Value (LTV). Therefore, the product team is committed to combining the playability of Web2 games with the economic system of Web3 to create this epoch-making next-generation Web3 card game, providing players with an exciting and profound gaming experience.
Thus, “Cards Ahoy!” attracts players not only with its gameplay but also with its economic system and balanced design, standing out in the industry. The game’s economic model is meticulously designed to support sustainable updates and iterations, ensuring long-term player engagement and market activity. In-game assets, such as NFT cards, can be used within the game and traded on the market, maintaining or even increasing in value. During the third beta test, community players personally tested and profited by selling leveled-up cards at a price higher than 100U after 10 days, with some lucky players drawing a golden panda for 30U and instantly making 800U, with level 3 panda cards being flipped for up to 6000U. The addiction to opening packs and the preservation of asset value, combined with the game’s high playability, further help the game to break into the mainstream, making “Cards Ahoy!” a dual choice for both players and investors.
It’s evident from the third beta that the card trading market was exceptionally active, and the stability in the prices of high-value cards indicates that “Cards Ahoy!” has the potential to break away from the traditional Ponzi schemes, paving a new growth path for the Web3 gaming market. This economic design not only provides a fair and enjoyable gaming environment for players but also offers potential economic returns for investors.
Although “Cards Ahoy!” has impressed with its performance during the testing phase, attracting a lot of attention and positive feedback from players, it’s important to recognize that success in the testing phase does not guarantee final outcomes. As the public beta approaches, the game team must redouble their efforts to continue optimizing the gaming experience and maintain and enhance their current strengths. Given its unique game design, economic model, and support from a top-tier development team, “Cards Ahoy!” undoubtedly has the potential to become the next popular Web3 mobile game for the masses. We look forward to “Cards Ahoy!” overcoming the upcoming challenges, bringing more joy and novel experiences to gamers, and leading the trend for the next generation of Web3 card games.
Official Website：https://cardsahoy.metalist.io/
YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckOJSOcBzMc
