Ethereum Shooter ‘Planet-X’ Launching on Xai With Real Prizes—Like a Tesla Cybertruck

Planet-X, a free-to-play extraction shooter game, is set to join the Xai ecosystem on Ethereum, offering players the chance to win real-world prizes through in-game treasure hunts—including a Tesla Cybertruck.

The mobile shooter game, which ties in tangible rewards with the sci-fi shooter gameplay, will be available for download in open beta on iOS and Android devices via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Planet-X had previously launched NFTs via the Ethereum mainnet, but announced Thursday that it will be building on Ethereum layer-3 scaling network Xai going forward. Xai is built using Arbitrum scaling tech. According to a Twitter thread, in-game items in Planet-X can be minted as NFTs on Xai, plus the team is launching a token called Gallax (GLX).

"We're excited to welcome Planet-X to the Xai ecosystem," said pseudonymous Xai core contributor Soby, in a release. "Planet-X's innovative approach to gaming, combining real-world prizes with blockchain technology, aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of Web3 gaming."

Players compete to find two types of treasure chests: common yellow chests containing X-Tokens, the in-game currency, and rare red chests with both X-Tokens and instant prize wins. X-Tokens can be redeemed for prizes in the X-Vault.

Screenshots shared with Decrypt’s GG showcase Xai-branded chests in the game, along with the ability to claim prizes like a new Apple iPhone or MacBook.

As part of the Xai announcement, the developers said that they will also offer up a Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicle as a prize via a forthcoming “hunt” in-game event. The team said that it has already awarded $50,000 worth of prizes during its closed beta testing phase.

"Our team has been working hard on the game for four years to create a unique gaming experience which is not only fun, but offers substantial real world prizes as its core game loop," said Planet-X founder and CEO James Ashton, in a release.

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Key contributors to Xai, the Ethereum-based layer-3 gaming network, say they aim to build the next Valve, developing their ecosystem in a similar way to the video game titan behind the Steam marketplace and some of the best-loved games of all time. Tobias Batton, co-founder and CEO of Ex Populus—a game studio that works closely with the Xai Foundation as a “labs company” of sorts, he previously told Decrypt’s GG—explained that the Valve model is how they envision the future of the gaming network...

Planet-X is a free-to-play game with optional in-game purchases. Playing for real prizes requires a free “hunt pass,” which the developers say will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.