decrypt.co
The makers of Ethereum action game Moonray have announced a mobile auto-battler set to release early next year to complement its flagship battle arena game. The spinoff game will be set in the same “post-human” world as the original, using the same assets, and will let Moonray token holders unlock special content and rewards.
An auto-battler, also referred to as an “auto chess” game, is a strategy subgenre where gamers place characters on a board that then automatically fight the opposition. Riot’s Teamfight Tactics is the most popular example, but Moonray’s entry into the genre claims to have “more in-depth resource management and counter play,” as well as Web3 integration.
This new title will exist in the broader Moonray “post-human” universe, currently led by its sci-fi combat arena game and graphic novels. The early access version of the original PC game launched on the Epic Games Store in July, offering a play-to-airdrop campaign with rewards for players.
Moonray was originally being built on Bitcoin layer-2 network Stacks as it leaned into role-playing elements with fighting at its core. It has since pivoted to a competitive multiplayer combat arena game, moving to Ethereum due to “infrastructure needs.” Now it is looking to expand its gaming offerings with the launch of a mobile auto-battler in Q1 2025.
Still without an official name, the new auto-battler will incentivize competitive gameplay through rewards. This will come in the form of Moonray’s soon-to-launch MNRY token, which is being handed to tournament winners and will also be used to unlock “special content.”
This is the Moonray IP’s first expansion within the gaming world, but it’s unlikely to be the last. While plans are “only on paper” for now, Moonray co-founder Hans Andersson told Decrypt that the team “plans to expand into different genres.”
Moonray has already ventured into artforms outside of gaming, with last year’s release of “Mother’s Skin,” a graphic novel that develops the lore of the Moonray universe, with a second graphic novel called “Echoes of Ascension” releasing this July. But the team isn't stopping there.
“In addition to continuing our comic book production, we're now expanding the Moonray IP by collaborating with the renowned animation studio ReelFX on animation tests,” Andersson told Decrypt. “Our ultimate goal is to bring the Moonray universe to life through an animated series.”
With the release of a mobile auto-battler ahead, the team hopes the Moonray IP will become more broadly accessible. Currently, Moonray’s combat arena title is only available to play on PC, restricting its audience—but soon, anyone with a compatible smartphone will be able to experience its “post-human” world.
Edited by Andrew Hayward