New Web3 game Monster World, based on the legend of Ragnarok, is built on Ronin. Check out the previous sequels and challenges of RO.

The developer of the popular MMORPG game Ragnarok, also known as RO, Gravity, announced this year that they will be launching a new game called Ragnarok: Monster World, which will be the "third" game combining blockchain and NFT elements with the Ragnarok IP. The team also announced yesterday that the game will be built on the Ronin network and is expected to go live in the third quarter of this year.

Ragnarok: Monster World - the Newest Web3 Game from Ragnarok Series

"Ragnarok: Monster World" is the latest blockchain-integrated game developed by Gravity, the creator of the popular game "Ragnarok Online". This time, they have partnered with the blockchain integration service provider 0×& and will be building the blockchain component on the Ronin blockchain. The game has also received investment from Sky Mavis, the parent company of Ronin.

The team mentioned that they chose to build the game on Ronin because the "Ragnarok" IP already has a strong player community in Southeast Asia, and a significant portion of Ronin's user base also comes from this region, which facilitated this collaboration.

It is expected that "Ragnarok: Monster World" will offer a different gaming experience from previous titles, focusing on monsters from the "Ragnarok" universe. Players will be able to collect various monsters during their adventures, which will be tradable as NFT assets. Therefore, the target audience is expected to be existing players of the "Ragnarok" series.

The game is currently under development and is only open for players to subscribe to receive the latest updates. However, the official team has stated that the game is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year.

Ragnarok Series' Previous Attempts at Web3 Integration

The "Ragnarok" series has released multiple versions of games, some of which have experimented with integrating blockchain technology.

Ragnarok Labyrinth NFT

"Ragnarok Labyrinth NFT" is a mobile game released in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia markets, developed by Gravity. It was their first attempt to introduce a Web3 game using their flagship IP. Initially targeting the Southeast Asian blockchain gaming market in 2022, Gravity later expanded to other regions.

"Ragnarok Labyrinth NFT" collaborated with the blockchain integration service provider onBuff. Players could earn ONBUFF POINT through the in-game PVE mechanism, which could be exchanged for NEWTON and ONIT tokens. However, due to the rudimentary token economics and lack of sustainability, it did not enhance the game's quality.

Since the game was not launched in the Asian market, it seemed more like Gravity's initial foray into the blockchain industry and search for partners, thus it did not attract much attention from the market.

Ragnarok Landverse

"Ragnarok Landverse" is the second game that uses the IP integrated with blockchain, built on the BNB Chain, and developed in partnership with the Thai NFT game developer Maxion. It aims to recreate the early PC version's gameplay style while incorporating innovative blockchain tokenomics.

"Ragnarok Landverse" features a complex token economy involving functional tokens like ADAM, Zeny, equipment, and materials within the game for character upgrades and game progression. Outside of the game, it involves the ION token from the Maxion platform, BNB, land NFTs, stablecoins, and more on the BNB Chain.

Any transactions related to "Ragnarok Landverse," including equipment trading, token exchanges, and land transactions, incur a 20% transaction fee.

However, as there is no official launch in Chinese and Korean servers and marketing activities yet, and it is currently only available for PC download, the discussion and interest in Taiwan are not high.

Can Ragnarok: Monster World Overcome Low-Quality Challenges?

Whether the new installment of the "Ragnarok" series with blockchain elements can learn from past works and truly introduce a sustainable and playable Web3 game still faces many challenges.

The biggest challenge for "Ragnarok: Monster World" to endure may lie within itself. Whether it can break away from short-term profit thinking and design and operate with a long-term perspective will be closely watched by players.

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