Key Insights
- Seraph is a blockchain-based action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by Seraph Studio and built on BNB Chain’s Layer-2, opBNB.
- Seraph has achieved impressive network activity, generating over $2 million in revenue within a single 30-day season. In the past 30 days (November-December), there have been over 20 million transactions and 1.84 million unique players.
- The ActPass marketplace allows users to buy and sell their in-game items and, through offchain ordering, transfer items between accounts and the game instantly.
- Awaiting the TGE, players can buy Seraph Starry Journey Feathers to gain token exchange eligibility.
Background
Over $19 billion in funding has flowed into the metaverse and Web3 gaming space since 2017. The evolution of blockchain-based gaming has come a long way, with the abstracting of onchain actions from the end user and the achievement of true AAA gaming experiences. Seraph is a blockchain-based action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by Seraph Studio that showcases how far the gaming space has advanced. Inspired by classic loot-focused ARPGs, Seraph offers players an immersive experience as they embark on quests, uncover hidden treasures, and craft equipment. Seraph is a free-to-play game that incorporates play-and-earn elements, allowing players to earn rewards via gameplay challenges.
Seraph Studios bridges the world of traditional gaming with Web3 technology. By combining extensive gaming industry knowledge and scalability expertise with a native Web3 team, Seraph is uniquely positioned to showcase the real-time benefits blockchain technology offers to the gaming community.
Seraph has consistently ranked as the number one game built on BNB Chain in terms of overall users and transactions. The project also has its own marketplace where users can buy and sell in-game equipment. SERAPH, the project’s token, has yet to have its Token Generation Event (TGE), but when it does, holders of the Seraph Starry Journey collection will be able to redeem their feathers for SERAPH tokens.
Gameplay Basics
Heroes
Seraph asks the gamer to choose between four main characters to start their journey, with a fifth, the Druid, in development: (i) the Valkyrie is best used for long-range attacks through the use of bows and spears; (ii) the Barbarian possesses strong strength and endurance and can use various weapons and combat skills, specializing in close combat with enemies on the front lines; (iii) the Sorceress focuses on magic and can manipulate three elements: frost, fire, and lightning through various spells; and (iv) the Necromancer who commands undead minions and casts curses.
Seraph also has a PFP collection known as the SOUL PFP, comprising 6,000 NFTs – 500 of which are classified as SSR (Super Super Rare), with the remainder designated as R (Rare). Holding an NFT from this collection signifies being a core player.
Equipment
Seraph has an expansive equipment system from which players can benefit. Each player has ten slots they can fill: left-hand weapon, right-hand weapon, necklace, two rings, helmet, armor, belt, gloves, and shoes. Each equipment item falls into one of the tiers below:
Each character class benefits from different combinations of equipment. For example, equipment that contains the label “Valkyrie” has a broader range of base damage values than equipment without this label. This encourages players to seek equipment that fulfills specific categories to reach their preferred overall build. As such, if a player seeks maximum damage output, then equipment with the “Valkyrie” label should be equipped.
If a player has a companion/pet equipped, they will benefit from automatic item pickup, item appraisal, disassemble, shop, and other conveniences. Players can set parameters for the type of items the pet can pick up.
Dungeons
Seraph offers players three types of dungeon gameplay: Void Realms, Mystery of Chaos, and Trial of Seraph.
Void Realms
The Void Realm will be unlocked after a player completes the main story quest or by using the cash item, Riftbreaker’s Gift. The Void Realm has 18 difficulty tiers and a few special boss maps. If a player is able to beat the monsters on the map they choose, they can be rewarded with Soul Spars, item materials, and/or high-level equipment. The Void Realms can be entered as a team, which is helpful for the higher difficulty levels.
Mystery of Chaos
The Mystery of Chaos dungeon is designed for “Equipment of Seraph” NFT holders, where players can complete challenges and acquire new Equipment NFTs. To access this dungeon, players must first accumulate energy bars by killing monsters. Once these bars are acquired, the player can challenge the dungeon boss. Beating the boss will result in multiple chest drops where the Equipment NFTs can be found.
Trial of Seraph
Once the main story quest is complete, the Trail of Seraph dungeon will also unlock. This dungeon is the main place where gems and amulets will drop. The gameplay is similar to that in Mystery of Chaos, with the key difference that non-boss monsters do not drop any items but only experience rewards. The Trail of Seraph can be accessed by a team of players, increasing the difficulty depending on the number of players in the dungeon.
At the end of each challenge, a player’s performance is ranked based on the number of levels cleared and clearance time. Ranking rewards are distributed accordingly, encouraging competitive gameplay and teamwork.
Technology
Marketplace
Seraph Studios created the ActPass marketplace for players to buy/sell their in-game items. Following a simple log-in flow, the complexities of the blockchain are effectively abstracted away from the user. ActPass allows users to deposit a select list of crypto assets needed to buy any digital item and instantly syncs with the same account used in-game. This means no waiting for the new one-handed sword the player just bought to show up; they can equip it right away.
ActPass controls the user’s wallet in the marketplace to simplify the overall experience. ActPass sends the NFTs in/out of the game at no additional cost to users other than the initial purchase price.
ActPass functionality is possible as Seraph is built on opBNB, the Layer-2 solution of BNB Chain. As opBNB has low gas fees of ~$0.001 and aims to process 4,000+ tps, players can engage in frequent transactions, such as trading NFTs and acquiring in-game equipment, without any financial impacts, allowing smooth and uninterrupted gameplay even during peak activity periods. This scalability supports real-time asset synchronization in the ActPass marketplace, ensuring that newly purchased items are instantly available for use without delays. The use of opBNB aligns well with Seraph’s mission to provide the highest quality gaming experience to its players by abstracting the direct blockchain complexities.
In-Game Economy
All players can earn rare asset outputs throughout their game progression, especially in the Void Realm. Players who equip NFT Equipment can produce Soul Spars, the main in-game currency, by defeating monsters in the Void Realm dungeon and consuming the Chaos Energy of the NFT Equipment. Soul Spars, which are not onchain, have four main uses in-game:
- Consuming Soul Spars to enter the Mystery of Chaos dungeon, where “Equipment of Seraph” NFTs can drop.
- Enhance NFT Equipment and consumption in affix gameplay to improve a player’s combat abilities and level.
- Buy/sell goods in the in-game ActPass marketplace.
- Offers players the ability to bundle their Soul Spars into “Soul Boxes” onchain and sell them as NFTs to other players.
Tokenomics
Seraph is a free-to-play game that also incorporates play-and-earn aspects. The TGE for the project’s intended token, SERAPH, has yet to occur; however, players who acquire Seraph Starry Journey Feathers can redeem them for tokens in the future.
The feathers are split into three rarity levels with a set redemption rate for future SERAPH:
- 1 Starry Feather = 1 SERAPH
- 1 Chaos Feather = 3 SERAPH
- 1 Soul Feather = 10 SERAPH
A portion of the token supply is allocated for player rewards and distributed each season through a “user interactives” system (shown in the core loop model above) that quantifies players’ interactions based on their behaviors and activities.
SERAPH is designed to be used to unlock features, craft items, and facilitate participation within the game. To further increase the utility of SERAPH, it will also be used to:
- Reforge chaotic affixes for NFT Equipment each season.
- Reveal the attributes of NFT Equipment obtained through drops.
- Participate in unique opportunities, such as “Soul Spar” and “Equipment of Seraph” NFT drops.
- Engage in future community governance activities.
Network Activity
Seraph has already proven profitable. From Aug. 22, 2024 to Sept. 25, 2024, Seraph generated over $2 million in in-game revenue and hit an all-time high of 90,000 unique players. In the last 30 days (November-December 2024), Seraph has had over 20 million transactions and 1.84 million unique players in the Seraph ecosystem.
Roadmap
Closing Summary
Seraph exemplifies the recent advancements in blockchain-based gaming. This dungeon loot game offers players an immersive action role-playing experience where they can engage in quests, uncover treasures, and craft equipment while benefiting from play-and-earn mechanics that reward active participation. The ActPass marketplace simplifies the trading of NFTs and in-game items, so minimal blockchain knowledge is needed.
Seraph has already demonstrated strong network activity, achieving revenue and a growing user base on BNB Chain’s opBNB. By leveraging its Web3 capabilities, Seraph is well-positioned to lead the next wave of blockchain gaming, offering players entertainment and tangible rewards within a thriving ecosystem.
