Beginner's Guide to SHRAPNEL: The AAA Blockchain Shooter Game

Author: Stella L ([email protected])

This article was first published in the Footprint Analytics column on CoinGecko.

Key Takeaways

• Developed by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning veterans at Neon Machine, SHRAPNEL is an intensely competitive AAA extraction shooter game.
• SHRAPNEL operates its blockchain as a subnet built on Avalanche, but players have to wait a bit longer to experience full blockchain integration in the game.
• SHRAPNEL launched the game on the Epic Games Store for early access in February 2024.
• The players’ mission is simple but challenging: Survive, Collect, and Extract.

Introduction to SHRAPNEL

SHRAPNEL is an intensely competitive AAA extraction shooter game set to launch on PC in 2025, with early access available since February 2024. Developed by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning veterans at Neon Machine, SHRAPNEL offers a unique blend of high-stakes skill-based play, creative modding tools, and a vibrant community marketplace. The game supports both solo and team-based gameplay, emphasizing user-generated content that allows players to create and mint their game items as NFTs on its own blockchain network built on Avalanche.

Avalanche, launched by Ava Labs in 2020, operates on a unique three-blockchain structure comprising the X-Chain, C-Chain, and P-Chain. This platform allows developers to create customized blockchains, known as Subnets, with specific rules, regulations, and functionalities tailored to their needs. SHRAPNEL leverages this technology by operating its blockchain as a subnet built on Avalanche.

As an early access game, SHRAPNEL will continue to evolve, offering players the opportunity to experience the game’s development firsthand and provide feedback to shape its future.

The SHRAPNEL Studio: Neon Machine

The SHRAPNEL Studio, known as Neon Machine, first started as part of HBO Interactive and spun out on its own. The studio is composed of award-winning industry experts from AAA games and platform technology projects. With experience spanning across renowned companies such as Xbox, HBO, EA, ConsenSys, Microsoft, and Amazon, the team brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.

Neon Machine is a unique blend of designers, producers, artists, and programmers. This diverse team operates at the intersection of games, television, movies, and graphic novels, having collectively produced some of the most significant franchises in entertainment, including HALO, Call of Duty, and Westworld.

Fundraising by SHRAPNEL

SHRAPNEL raised $37.5 million across three rounds of fundraising.

The initial round, announced in November 2021, was led by Griffin Gaming Partners with support from Polychain Capital and Forte, raising $10.5 million to fund team expansion and game development. Forte also provided technical support for the project. The second round, announced in April 2022, raised $7 million through a token sale to build the infrastructure for SHRAPNEL’s Avalanche gaming subnet — the SHRAPNEL Subnet. In October 2023, the Series A round raised $20 million, led by Polychain Capital, to further develop the game as the team prepares for its early-access release.

Why is SHRAPNEL Popular?

SHRAPNEL’s journey from concept to early access has been marked by significant milestones and strategic achievements. Here’s a recap of SHRAPNEL’s key development phases:

• November 2021: Neon Machine secured the first funding round totaling $10.5 million.
• April 2022: Neon Machine completed a $7 million token sale.
• June 2022: The Operators NFT Collection was released.
• October 2022: The first game trailer was released. It was built on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5, the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool.
• December 2022: The community following SHRAPNEL on social media grew to almost 100,000.
• April 2023: The first public demo — the MPX.1 prototype — was released at Consensus 2023.
• September 2023: The Web3 developer platform Mercury (formerly Gamebridge) was unveiled.
• October 2023: The successful closure of the $20 million Series A funding round was announced.
• December 2023: SHRAPNEL passed the 100,000 account signup mark.
• December 2023: SHRAPNEL expanded its pre-launch community to more than 100,000 Discord members and 370,000 X followers.
• February 2024: SHRAPNEL launched the game on the Epic Games Store for early access.
• February 2024: The first early access event SHRAPNEL Training Exercises(STXs) started on February 8, 2024, and STXs are held monthly during the initial months.
• May 2024: SHRAPNEL launched V1 of the Marketplace.

SHRAPNEL’s popularity can be attributed to its meticulous development process, high-quality graphics, and advanced technology, developed over a long period by a team with extensive AAA game experience. The gameplay itself offers a compelling blend of risk and reward. Players must balance the temptation of securing rare loot with the danger of being eliminated before escaping, creating a thrilling and strategic experience.

The seamless integration of traditional AAA game development with blockchain technology is another key factor. SHRAPNEL leverages platform partners like Fireblocks and Subsum for security, and Layer Zero and MoonPay for a user-friendly experience. This combination of high-security and low-friction gameplay appeals to both traditional gamers and blockchain enthusiasts.

Furthermore, SHRAPNEL’s commitment to community engagement and expanding its franchise across different storytelling mediums has significantly contributed to its appeal, including comics and a live-action short film.

The SHRAP Token

The SHRAP token is an ERC-20 token created on the Avalanche C-Chain and utilized within the SHRAPNEL Subnet. During the token genesis event (TGE), a total supply of 3 billion SHRAP tokens was generated. As outlined in the SHRAPNEL whitepaper, no additional tradable tokens are expected to be created or minted.

The SHRAP token serves multiple purposes within the SHRAPNEL ecosystem.

• Publishing: It facilitates the publishing of all player-created content (PCC) on the platform, including Callsigns, Insignias, skins, maps, and vanities. By using SHRAP tokens, these creations are published on-chain as NFTs.
• Governance and promotion: Token holders can participate in platform governance by voting on DAO proposals and other key issues. They can also promote maps and certain vanity items, effectively voting for content to enhance its discoverability.
• Gas token and exchange: the SHRAP token functions as a gas token, enabling seamless payment of validators within the subnet, providing players and creators with a gasless experience. It also acts as a medium of exchange in the SHRAPNEL Marketplace.

SHRAP tokens are distributed among seven pools: community rewards(33%), team and advisors(27%), seed token holders(20%), ecosystem fund(8.5%), market making and liquidity(3%), and public distribution(1.5%). The tokens are set to unlock over a period of up to 60 months following the TGE, which began on April 29, 2024.

In March 2024, the unlock schedule was revised, reducing the number of tokens unlocking in April 2024 by nearly 75%, with the community reward pool emissions and ecosystem fund remaining unchanged. This non-linear unlock schedule divides the total unlock period into four epochs, starting with a lower unlock rate and accelerating as the user base and SHRAP utility grow.

In May 2024, SHRAPNEL announced that players could acquire SHRAP tokens via credit and debit cards. Instead of the traditional method of purchasing tokens through exchanges, players can now quickly and easily convert fiat currency into SHRAP using Moonpay or Stripe as payment gateways.

How to Play SHRAPNEL

Before you download and register for SHRAPNEL, there are a couple of important things to know. First, as an early access game, you’ll need to purchase an Extraction Pack to join. Early access events STXs are held once a month and last for about five days. You can only play during these events, as the game server goes offline afterward to allow Neon Machine to make improvements before the next STX event. Second, ensure your system meets the requirements to enjoy the best AAA game experience.

Create a SHRAPNEL Account

• Visit the SHRAPNEL website and click “GET GAME”.
• Download the game from Epic Games. If you don’t have an Epic Games account yet, you need to create your account first.

• Create your SHRAPNEL account with your email address. Then you can log in the game with your account.

Unlocking Early Access

Extraction Packs are your gateway to SHRAPNEL early access. Each pack contains playable Operators, cosmetics, consumables, and more. They can be purchased on the SHRAPNEL Marketplace. The Basic pack is priced at $9.99, while the Light, Medium, and Heavy packs cost $19.99, $49.99, and $99.99, offering additional in-game items, consumables, and exclusive skins for an enhanced gaming experience. SHRAPNEL provides three payment methods: Card, Bank, or Cash APP Pay.

SHRAPNEL Gameplay

SHRAPNEL is set in 2044, after a massive asteroid collision with the moon created rings that bombard Earth with meteorites. This led to the evacuation of a dangerous area called the Sacrifice Zone. Originally guarded by paramilitary contractors, the discovery of valuable asteroid fragments turned the Zone into a battleground for mercenaries seeking wealth.

In 2040, scientists found that these fragments, called Compound Sigma, could manipulate physics in extraordinary ways. This increased their value and led to intense wars among Mercenary Extraction Forces (MEFs). Now, in 2044, the battle for control and riches in the Sacrifice Zone continues.

As an Operator in SHRAPNEL, you start the game by clicking the “Deploy” button on the home page, which typically takes a few seconds to fetch a server.

Your mission is simple but challenging: Survive, Collect, and Extract. Explore the Zone to find new weapons and items that will help you survive longer. Locate Sigma to power up your abilities and use it to eliminate other Operators. Finally, reach an Extraction Zone and escape with your Sigma to climb the STX leaderboard and win rewards.

The game controls on the PC are familiar to those who play popular shooter games. You’ll use the “WASD” keys for movement, the left mouse button for shooting, and the shift key for running, among other standard controls.

Now you can explore the Zone and find new weapons and items.

When you locate Sigma, hold the “F” key to pick it up. Be careful not to get eliminated by other Operators. Survive as long as you can!

When you successfully eliminate another Operator, you can collect their Sigma, weapons, and items. Drag these items to your pockets and backpacks to secure them.

Finally, you need to reach an Extraction Zone and escape. Successfully extracting will secure your collected Sigma and items, helping you climb the STX leaderboard and win rewards.

When enjoying the game, you’ll find that SHRAPNEL isn’t your typical early-access shooter experience. The game currently offers only one operator, a limited selection of weapons, and a mostly unfinished map. You may encounter missing textures on buildings and other surfaces and basic geometric shapes acting as placeholders for future content. It’s very much a gray-box environment, with multiple areas still under development.

Neon Machine chose this approach to involve the community as early as possible, allowing them to fine-tune both the map and SHRAPNEL’s extraction gameplay based on player feedback.

Looking Ahead

SHRAPNEL looks and plays like a blockbuster FPS, especially in trailers and demos. In the current STX event, players can’t really tell it’s built on the blockchain. The focus is on enjoying the gameplay, without the need for Web3 integration like connecting wallets or purchasing NFTs. You don’t have to be a Web3 expert to play SHRAPNEL or engage with the crypto side at all. The team’s main priority is making a compelling FPS, as blockchain features won’t matter if the game isn’t fun.

Neon Machine is carefully rolling out the game’s blockchain economy, beyond the SHRAP token. According to the SHRAPNEL roadmap, players will soon be able to create and mint unique skins for weapons and gear as NFTs, as well as custom maps. The SHRAP token will be used to promote player-made creations within the community. As one of the most anticipated AAA FPS games, SHRAPNEL has the potential to elevate the blockchain gaming experience.

About Footprint Analytics

Footprint Analytics is a blockchain data solutions provider. It leverages cutting-edge AI technology to help analysts, builders, and investors turn blockchain data and combine Web2 data into insights with accessible visualization tools and a powerful multi-chain API across 30+ chains for NFTs, GameFi, and DeFi.

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