YGG Purchases Genesis NFTs in Castaways, Branch.gg’s Free-to-Own Game

YGG has purchased NFT assets in Branch.gg’s first free-to-own web3 game, Castaways. Branch.gg is a gaming startup developing an open-world sandbox massively multiplayer online (MMO) game where players work together to ensure their survival.

YGG has acquired 34 of the 1,000 total Castaways Genesis Character NFTs worth US$29,056 at the time of purchase in the open market. In total, YGG has 35 Genesis characters with one acquired from an airdrop. Through this purchase, YGG will be able to produce more NFTs to equip members of the guild and grant them access to play the game and build a thriving community in Castaways.

“We at YGG have been monitoring the progress of Castaways since the early days of their launch and are very impressed with the team’s ability to scale the early alpha and provide a fun experience. We are always looking for opportunities in games that provide our community with avenues to progress and work cooperatively as a guild,” said Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG.

These Castaways Genesis Characters NFTs will be the factories for all character creation and traits in the Castaways ecosystem. In addition to this, YGG owns a Genesis Island NFT in Castaways that lets the owner control the outflow of two resources, Lava and Coal, while giving players access to regions of the island.

“We are proud to welcome all the passionate players of YGG to our community. Together, we’re pioneering the new free-to-own model in web3 gaming. YGG can expect to have a lot of fun, make lots of new friends and earn a few upcoming airdrops in Castaways,” said Dayton Mills, CEO of Branch.gg.

Castaways is a browser-based game that is currently in alpha. Players can play on desktop and mobile without the need to sign up. In the game, players build environments, participate in mini-games and trade game resources with each other.

Each player starts adrift at sea on a raft or an island. Here, players can fish for food, craft tools with crafting materials, and harvest resources to build and expand their island. Players have the option to invite their friends to their island or travel the seas to find other players and fight them for their resources.

YGG’s Head of Product Development KnightAv’s Castaways island

KnightAv’s island is currently managed by five YGG council members, who have control of the residential living plots.

Wooden shelter in Castaways

Castaways currently has four gameplay loops:

• Crafting — The crafting system allows players to create items or tools from materials found in the game. Players can begin crafting by simply opening their inventory and selecting an item to craft from the crafting space.
• Fishing — Fishing in Castaways involves a rhythm game that other players can join when a big fish is present. Players need to craft a fishing rod to participate in fishing.
• Farming — Currently, there are two types of crops, sugarcane and palm tree. Sugarcane can be harvested and replanted in grass. Palm trees yield wood and coconuts, which can be planted in sand or grass to grow more palm trees. Players need to collect dirt and seeds from birds to begin farming, while protecting their crops from seagulls.
• Mining — A pickaxe or stone sledgehammer is required to start mining. Stone acquired through mining can be converted into sand to plant coconut trees.

YGG’s Castaways Island

Branch.gg was founded by Dayton Mills, Connor Hollasch and Charles Vien, the developers of Castaways, after building Minecraft servers and creating massive communities. Dayton is the CEO of Branch.gg. He created Statscraft (acquired by Tebex in 2017), a plugin for Minecraft users to view the metrics of their servers. Connor, the CTO at Branch.gg, is the co-founder of ImagineFun, a popular Minecraft server that offers the most faithful Minecraft recreation of Disneyland. Charles co-founded game companies such as Vortex Games, a game studio behind many popular Minecraft servers.

Dayton and Connor have also recently been recognized in the Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list for 2023 in the “Games” category.

In May 2022, Branch.gg completed a US$12.5 million seed round led by Dragonfly and Polychain. YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon, Sky Mavis co-founder Jeffrey Zirlin, Polygon Studios CEO Ryan Wyatt, a16z general partner Jon Lai, Limit Break co-founder and CEO Gabriel Leydon, and entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant also participated in this round.

For more information about Castaways, check out their wiki, website, Discord and Twitter.

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