Blockchain game Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS officially launched

Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS-, a blockchain game based on the popular soccer manga Captain Tsubasa, was officially launched on January 12, allowing players to build on their NFTs and compete against each other.

The game is operated by VR game developer Thirdverse and BLOCKSMITH&Co., a subsidiary of KLab, a mobile online game planning and development company. The game was originally scheduled to launch in 2022.

Unlike conventional smartphone games, all characters, even if they are the same player, are programmed to consist of different pictures, parameters, etc. The game is created as the player’s own personal NFT, so they can create their own original NFT to compete with rivals. There are two game modes: “Rival Mode,” which is a complete recreation of the original game, and “PvP Mode,” where players and support characters can compete online. The game features 3D animations of special skills and generative BGM created by musician and DJ MONDO GROSSO.

To start the game, it requires an invitation code and at least one player NFT. Invitation codes can be obtained from existing players or through the #code-sharing channel on Discord, which requires authentication. The NFTs can be purchased from the in-game marketplace listed by other players.

The governor’s token “TSUBASAGT” and the utility token “TSUBASAUT” used for player building. To mark the launch, a campaign will be held to distribute TSUBASAGT tokens to early game players.

The project has partnerships with blockchain companies such as Polygon, OKX, and YGG. The game’s official ambassadors are FC Tokyo’s Yuto Nagatomo and Vissel Kobe’s Andres Iniesta, a former member of Spain’s national team.

In June 2022, “Captain Tsubasa Land” was released on “The Sandbox,” a popular NFT game owned by Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based blockchain company.

In May of the same year, the market saw NFTs using the Captain Tsubasa title without authorization from its copyright holder, prompting manga author Yoichi Takahashi to state that NFT rights related to Captain Tsubasa are exclusively managed by TSUBASA Corporation. He also called on fans not to buy the illegal NFTs.