Novel Labs, the community developer of the Mutant Cartel formed by owners of the Mutant Apes NFTs, and Faraway, the creators of the popular Solana-based game Mini Royale: Nations, announced the release of Serum City, a game that will bring Mutant Ape characters into the spotlight. The game is set to launch in Q3 of this year, and will utilise ApeCoin as the main in-game currency. The game will be broken down into seasons and the goal is to tell stories in those seasons.

Serum City centers on the Mutant Apes as the main characters in the game. Holders of Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), Bored Ape, Genesis Oath, and Mutant Hound NFTs will have access to the game. Initially, owning one of these NFTs is required to play the game. However, access will gradually open up with each new in-game season of content.

Serum City takes place in a dystopian world where Bored Apes are the ruling class, and Mutant Apes are the underdogs who have consumed the Serum. The storyline delves into the Mutant Cartel Expanded Universe and features characters such as Blaksoot and Darkfang.

With an illustrated or comic book-inspired aesthetic, Serum City aims to provide a more immersive and engaging gameplay experience compared to other early NFT-based games. The game is built on Ethereum, despite the higher gas fees associated with the platform, and is set to feature cross-game and cross-universe events. Items that are won or crafted in the game will have utility not only in Serum City but also in other external games and universes. This collaboration is a significant step towards delivering on the ethos of web3 interoperability and persistent utility to collectors across the Yugaverse.

It is important to note that Yuga Labs does not participate in the development of the game, but instead allows NFT holders to use and commercialise their owned artwork. This open policy towards its intellectual property has enabled countless Ape holders to build brands around everything from restaurants to games.

Novel Labs aims to surpass the basic Web3 games that have been developed so far by adding sophisticated depth, storytelling, and making Serum City more fun to play. Another interesting feature is the ApeCoin-powered ecosystem in Serum City. Many speculate that additional ApeCoin sinks will create long-term benefits for the price of $APE. Could Serum City, a product not officially affiliated with Yuga Labs, ultimately benefit Yuga’s ecosystem token? We will continue to observe.