After a change of ownership this spring, the HV-MTL NFT Mechanical Combinations hit it Ethereum—which were originally created by Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs, are set to be featured in a brilliant free-to-play arena shooter called Shatterline.
Faraway, a gaming startup that still works closely with Yuga and bought the HV-MTL and Legends of the Mara IP in April, teased the collaboration this week on Twitter (aka X). The short trailer shows off the pixelated mechs transformed into 3D flying companions that can aid your on-foot hero in the first-person shooter.
Breaking line is a PC shooter that has been in Early Access since 2022, and recently announced plans to shut down Early Access servers on August 1 ahead of the full game’s launch later this year. Faraway co-founder Alex Paley said DecryptThis week, GG announced that a launch on the Epic Games Store was in the works.
According to Paley, Faraway has been talking to Shatterline developer Frag Lab since 2022 about the possibility of implementing Web3 functionality. However, he said, Frag Lab wanted to refine and define the gameplay before considering such additions.
“We thought it looked absolutely incredible,” Paley said of Shatterline’s early testing.
Faraway entered into discussions with Yuga Labs earlier this year regarding the acquisition of the HV-MTL and Mara IPs with the goal of expanding them into a potentially wide range of games. Yuga co-founder and CEO Greg “Garga” Solano had admitted that the Bored Ape creator had spread himself too thin, and had “lost his way” because of this.
Paley said that being able to collaborate with Shatterline on this collaboration played a role in his decision to pursue the Yuga deal, as Faraway believed that a polished competitive action game was on the horizon and that the IP would work well within that framework. He also sees HV-MTL and the Mara IP as a way to differentiate Shatterline from the pack of shooters.
“That’s what pushed us to go all the way,” Paley said.
Paley said he expects a Q4 2024 launch for Shatterline with its HV-MTL integration. He said owners of HV-MTL NFTs will see “pretty significant power benefits” when using them as companions in player-versus-environment expedition modes, and that Shatterline will offer both Web3 rewards (like tradable items) and traditional Web2 rewards for players.
After the initial launch, Faraway plans to integrate more HV-MTL classes and then delve into the Legends of the Mara IP, as hinted at at the end of the trailer, with Koda Maras, Shattered Goliaths, and other characters and creatures originally created by Yuga Labs.
Frag Lab could have implemented NFT In 2022, when they were initially discussing crypto integrations, Paley said, before the market cooled. But he commended the team for instead focusing on perfecting the gameplay and getting Shatterline ready to launch to a wider audience. That moment is fast approaching, he suggested.
“I just want to commend this team for building during the Bears season. [market]”, he said, and I wait until the time is right.”
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