Futureverse News - February 2024
Welcome to the February 2024 edition of Futureverse News, your monthly update on everything from the Futureverse ecosystem. This past month has seen several key updates happening across our ecosystem, and anticipation is building for our upcoming game launches, so let’s dive right in!
Message from Leadership
While February may be the shortest month of the year, it also represents an important milestone for us as it was only this time last year that the directors and shareholders of 11 different companies finally signed all the necessary paperwork to officially come together as one singular entity we now know as Futureverse. The year that has come since has seen a wave of challenges and triumphs, each one taking us a step closer to our goal of powering an open metaverse.
As more of our products hit the market, and The Root Network gains momentum towards its full launch, I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. Happy 1st Birthday Futureverse, here’s to many more!
Alex Smeele - VP Community, Futureverse
Products
The Next Legends: Open Alpha is Launching Soon
It’s almost time to step into the ring with Muhammad Ali: The Next Legends, the world’s first metaverse AI boxing game, inspired by Ali's legendary journey. Your mission is to coach your Boxers and guide them to become one of The Next Legends.
To prepare for your journey to greatness, pick a Boxer and a Genesis or Gen II Brain and pair them together in The Locker Room.
FutureScore Quests
This month has seen the launch of yet another Quest, as well as the highly anticipated distribution of rewards for Quests 005: The Trade & Quest 006: The Swap, but there’s another recent update to FutureScore Quests system which we’re excited to share with you.
Introducing Engagement Score
Futureverse’s gamified loyalty system, has had an update. As you know, FutureScore reflects and rewards your ongoing participation in the ecosystem. With this latest update however it’s now made up of two parts, a Collectible score and a new component, an Engagement score.
Your Collectible Score is based on eligible collectibles you acquire, trade or exchange. Your Engagement score is based on eligible FutureScore Quests and activities. Your Engagement score can decay over time if your activity drops.
Track yours in your FuturePass now!
Quest 007: The Strike
Quest 007: The Strike is here. Get front-row seats to Gods & Goblins new auto-brawler game - Grumble, join the mayhem as a spectator, ‘play god’ with an in-game event, and help test the stream-to-play technology.
To complete this Quest simply log in to MARK with your FuturePass, head to the ‘Grumble’ livestream and activate an in-game event via the ‘Play God’ button.
Rewards are based on Quest completion and your FutureScore, and will be visible in your FuturePass after the conclusion of the Quest.
ATEM 240SX Design Competition
The ATEM Car Club community recently engaged in an exhilarating opportunity to shape the identity of our IRL 240SX! We invited members to participate in a design competition where they could unleash their boundless creativity to help define the aesthetic of our beloved car. ATEM Car Club was thrilled to share colouring templates and ignite the imaginations of our community members, inviting them to submit their designs. These submissions served as the muse for our internal creative team as they crafted the final look and feel of both our physical and digital renditions of the car.
Selecting three winners from the impressive pool of submissions was no easy task. The passion for car culture displayed by the ATEM Community was palpable, and your creative expressions took us on an unforgettable journey. Without further ado, let's congratulate our champions: 1st Place goes to @cosminolx for their subtly bold style, 2nd Place to @Elkay821 for exceptional linework paying homage to Futureverse and Thunder Bunny Racing, and 3rd Place to @kiwis_4_life for meticulous attention to detail and cyberpunk vibe. Special recognition goes to @Urban_Gecko_ZA, @MichelleAStaton, and @dropbear_dad with honourable mentions.
We extend a huge thank you to all participants who turned the Nissan 240SX into awe-inspiring automotive art. Check out their submissions on the official X (Twitter) thread, and make sure to comment and applaud their creativity and celebrate our exceptional champions!
Futureverse Swappables Engine
Revolutionizing Digital Collectibles: The Swappables Engine has ushered in a new era of personalization! Imagine shaping your collectibles from scratch, a journey where creativity meets technology. Explore the endless possibilities and start to build your digital masterpiece with the Swappables Engine at the heart of your digital experience.
Read more about it here!
Year of the Rabbit
To celebrate the conclusion of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, the Futureverse team has fulfilled a longstanding promise to distribute a special Chinese New Year-themed Scene, Sound & ROOT reward for all Fluf & Party Bear holders who have an active FuturePass. Congrats to everyone who received these rewards, and as always thanks for participating in our ecosystem!
Ecosystem
Futureverse Base Camp - First Cohort
The Futureverse Base Camp accelerator program selected seven startups from close to 500 applicants focused on accelerating the development of the open metaverse, including scalable and interoperable apps, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) games and experiences.
The remote 12-week accelerator program covers business building across product roadmap, community strategy, token design and economics, fundraising and more.
Congratulations to the successful candidates in this first cohort: Intraverse, Lifelike Digital, MintPass, Plurality, REKT Interactive, Spark, and Nucanon (Stori)!
These chosen teams will receive mentorship from industry leaders across multiple sectors, including gaming, the entertainment industry and AI.
Outlier Ventures’ programs have been accelerating web3 startups since 2019, with a portfolio of 250 startups from every region of the world, with notable alumni including Futureverse’s Immersve, along with Auki, Boson Protocol, Fetch.AI, Ocean Protocol, among others, which have collectively raised over US $350m in seed capital.
Check out the recent Blockster article for more information, or this explainer video from Outlier Ventures to understand more about how the Futureverse Base Camp works.
The Root Network - Public Validators
The Root Network is fast approaching open beta and with that comes an expanded number of validator slots for new participants and developers!
The number of validation seats will increase to 42 on Sun 18th Feb PT / Mon 19th Feb NZT, with new validators being elected within the 48 hours following.
Validators are node operators, and an essential part of the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. On The Root Network, validator nodes are responsible for authoring new blocks and participating in the finalization protocol.
Being a validator requires a comprehensive understanding of system administration to effectively navigate and troubleshoot various challenges. Therefore it is highly recommended you have significant system administration experience before attempting to run your own node.
See the documentation for requirements, instructions and the election process.
Rootscan Launch
We’re always excited to see teams building new tools for The Root Network, and one such team from Sanctum Labs, in conjunction with the Futureverse and Born Ready Ventures, has just launched a brand new block explorer - Rootscan.
Sanctum Labs will be offering the engine that powers Rootscan (called Rootscan API services, or rsAPI) as a service. To learn more, you can check out their thread on X (Twitter).
Ottó Blockchain- Introducing the Ottó Community Council
Last year, Ottó announced their search for motivated volunteers to help shape the future of Ottó Blockchain. As you may know, for a blockchain to truly achieve decentralization, it's crucial to establish an effective governance system, enabling the community to make decisions that will steer our future. The response to our call for volunteers has been overwhelming, with numerous enthusiastic individuals expressing their interest.
This dedicated team is poised and ready to collaborate, marking a momentous stride towards a governance model powered by the collective strength of our community.
Join us in congratulating and welcoming these exceptional individuals to the Ottó Blockchain Community Council!
Make sure you’ve joined the Ottó Discord to stay up-to-date with the latest proposals and initiatives driven by our newly formed council members.
Podcasts & Events
Shara on Coindesk
Last month our Futureverse Co-Founder Shara Senderoff joined “First Movers” on Coindesk to discuss the Readyverse, our open metaverse project inspired by the legendary novel and film. Make sure you check out her interview with Jennifer Sanasie here!
Readyverse Studios at SXSW
We’re thrilled to announce the Readyverse Studios Co-Founders Ernest Cline, Shara Senderoff, Aaron McDonald and Dan Farah will take the stage at SXSW next month to discuss how they’re bringing iconic IP to the open metaverse.
Don’t miss it: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/events/PP1145799
Spotlight - Avalon Andrews
What is your role at Futureverse?
Project Manager assigned to the Product Experiences Team
What do you enjoy most about about your role?
Because we build and work with really new cutting-edge products and experiences, there is a huge amount of trust and effort needed from not only those within your team but outside of your team as well. It can take quite an emotional toll on you consistently being in contact with people, consistently on your toes and looking for the next thing that could derail a release. But it is also the most amazing feeling getting something out and seeing the community reaction; to see your team's hard work come together and be appreciated and to take that moment before you dive back into building better 😂
What is your favourite FV collection?
Goblins - it was the first collection I got to work with and I am super proud to see the evolution of the Gods&Goblins brand over time.
What are some of your interests outside of work?
I have so many hobbies and so much I want to learn. I try to plan an afternoon each week to focus on that interest, it's a bit over the top I know but I like the structure. Some of the main ones are WoW, Reading, and Languages. I'm learning to paint as well it's great. On top of that every day my German Shepherd Ari and I go for a long walk - it keeps us both happy and grounded.
If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, on a project for Futureverse, who would it be and why?
I am a fan of Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere. I think she's a great Presenter/Host, and an awesome Businesswoman and I'd love to see what her ideas, creativity and expertise could bring to the metaverse with Futureverse.
Content Creator of the Month - Gerry’s Metaverse
In this month's Content Creator spotlight, we shine the spotlight on Gerry's Metaverse, our January Content Creator of the Month! Gerry isn't just a content creator; he's a pillar of the open metaverse, an educator of our ecosystem, and a beacon for both newcomers and seasoned members. His plethora of engaging content has not only provided valuable insights but has also been a roadmap for understanding the intricate layers of Futureverse. Gerry's passion, insights, and relentless dedication to spreading our message have rightfully earned him this month's well-deserved title. Join us in applauding Gerry's exceptional contributions, and for more of his enlightening content, follow him on YouTube and Twitter. Congratulations, Gerry! Your impact on our community is immeasurable. Bunnies up!