MapleStory universe goes Web3 on Avalanche’s Henesys L1

The renowned MapleStory franchise is stepping into the future as Nexon’s blockchain division, Nexpace, is officially launching MapleStory N on May 15th. 

As the flagship title under the MapleStory Universe (MSU), this Web2-to-Web3 transition is powered by Avalanche’s custom gasless subnet and Henesys L1.

As part of the crossover, MapleStory N introduces ‘true’ digital ownership, decentralised economy mechanics and creator-first incentives in a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG shell.

MapleStory N incorporates various Web3-native systems, including Chainlink VRF integration for fair gameplay, anti-cheat protection backed by AvaCloud, and Reward Experience 2.0 (a player-driven model where items can be minted, traded, and governed on-chain). 

This approach is also underpinned by NXPC and NESO tokens, which are claimed to be designed to avoid pump-and-dump schemes and maintain economic balance through capped supply, community allocation, and in-game earning mechanisms.

MapleStory N retains the charm of the original with its pixelated chibi characters, class-based gameplay and social features like guilds and dungeon raids, but introduces a real-deal economic layer. 

Players can now create and trade their own in-game assets due to the integration of NFT crafting, Synergy Apps and community governance tools. 

Notably, over 31.5m on-chain transactions were recorded across nearly a million registered wallets during the testing phase.

Regarding tokenomics, through Nexpace, Nexon has claimed it intentionally excluded VCs and adopted a community-first tokenomics model. 

Eighty percent of NPXC, MSU’s main utility token, is allocated to community rewards, with just 0.4–2% reserved for the team and advisors. 

However, access remains limited for now. Due to regulatory concerns, MapleStory N won’t launch in the US, much of Europe, South Korea or Japan, which is a significant blow considering these are among the world’s top gaming markets.

MapleStory Universe is sold as a creator economy built around Nexon IP. Alongside MapleStory N, Nexpace plans to roll out MapleStory N Mobile, a cross-platform version; Project ModN, a sandbox world-builder; and SDKs for third-party developers. 

The approach makes players co-builders of the world, earning NXPC and NESO for contributions. The ecosystem claims to offer sustainable, scalable, and creator-powered growth, but whether it could attain this remains to be seen.

While the regional restrictions cloud an otherwise groundbreaking launch, some people have criticized the crypto element and claim the game might suffer a fate similar to that of games that have tried the same in the past, like Flappy Bird.