On Tuesday, Sky Mavis, creator of the popular fantasy monster-battle nonfungible token (NFT) game Axie Infinity, announced that it had accepted the first user-created projects in its Axie Infinity Builders Program. Out of 2,000 applications submitted, just 12 were selected for the Builders Program.

Among the many perks, chosen teams will receive a minimum $10,000 grant — denominated in Axie Infinity’s governance token, Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) — to fund project development. They will also receive permission to monetize their game using the Axie Infinity brand with a revenue-share model. Notable projects include Across Lunacia, a platforming adventure for Axie NFTs, and Mech Infinity, a battle royale game involving Axies and their unique abilities. Philip La, game product lead at Axie Infinity, commented:

“Community co-creation […] will be a fundamental driver of scaled-value generation over time. The Builders Program is the first step in a new world where the community can make significant and meaningful contributions directly toward games and projects they love and is one of many initiatives that will allow players to gain more enjoyment from the Axies they own.”

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Axie Infinity is known for its play-to-earn game mechanic, where players can earn digital tokens, such as Smooth Love Potion (SLP), by completing in-game tasks with their Axie NFTs. However, the combination of an inflated token supply, the ongoing crypto bear market and a crowded player base has led to SLP falling 96% in value over the past year. As a result, players began to slowly leave the game as their earnings took a plunge. 

According to ActivePlayer.io, Axie Infinity’s daily active players peaked at 2.37 million in January before witnessing four consecutive months of declines. The number stands now at 1.86 million.