Key Points

• Ragnarok: Monster World, an immersive strategy game based on the Ragnarok IP, is coming to Ronin in Q3. Combining tower defense and monster collecting elements, the game features collecting Ragmons, battling in PvP mode, and creating guilds.  
• ZERO X AND (0x&) is the game studio and Web3 development company building Ragnarok: Monster World. They’ve partnered with Gravity, the Ragnarok license holders, to bring the iconic IP to Web3 –  on Ronin.
• The Web3 gaming industry has faced many challenges with onboarding traditional gamers. Our strategic partnership with Ragnarok: Monster World broadens our industry’s reach among traditional gamers, and establishes a new portal into blockchain gaming.

Today is a glorious day. Today, Ragnarok: Monster World joined the Ronin movement! Ragnarok is more than a game: it’s one of the most iconic gaming universes in the world. It’s a billion-dollar transmedia IP that has amassed over 68 million players across its various titles. It’s a beloved franchise that captivated a generation of gamers around the world. Welcome to the family, Ragnarok!

Let’s give our new allies a hero’s welcome – share this announcement far and wide with friends and family who love Ragnarok — or might love it soon!

What is Ragnarok: Monster World?

Ragnarok: Monster World will be an immersive strategy game that combines tower defense and monster collecting elements based on the Ragnarok IP. The game is currently under development, scheduled for a major release in Q3 2024. Once the game is live, players will collect off-chain and on-chain Ragmons with varying stats, abilities, and appearances. Players can use their Ragmons to destroy an opponent’s tower in a story-based PvE mode, a one-on-one PvP battle mode, or a guild-based land occupation mode. 

What this Means for the Ronin Movement

The Web3 gaming industry has faced many challenges with onboarding traditional gamers. The wall between Web2 and Web3 stands tall despite many builders’ best efforts. However, Ronin’s union with Ragnarok: Monster World may carve a tunnel large enough to connect both player bases. Here’s why:

At its peak, Ragnarok Online (R.O.) counted 50 million players per day. The success of its launch over 20 years ago spawned an animated series, countless new games, a nostalgic fan base around the world, and much more. The sheer scale of Ragnarok’s success in Southeast Asia even made Ragnarok a household name throughout the region. It was only last year that Ragnarok Origin ranked #1 in the Apple App Store’s Free Downloads category across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines – all because gamers love Ragnarok.

Many Ronin community members are based in Southeast Asia, and we’re always looking for ways to deepen our connection to the region: Grab,GCash, and now Ragnarok! These strategic partnerships broaden our reach among the hundreds of millions of gamers who are at most a few degrees of separation from our movement. Ragnarok can help bring them home to Ronin.

Introducing Ragmons – the Heart of Ragnarok: Monster World

Ragmons are monsters with in-game and on-chain utility in Ragnarok: Monster World. Players will collect Ragmons and level them up by “Merging,” which is similar to Breeding in Axie games. If all goes according to plan, ZERO X AND (0x&) will launch Ragmons as NFTs on Ronin. Peco-Peco. Deviruchi. Spores… And yes, Porings will be one type of Ragmon!

Build a powerful Ragmon deck using monsters from the Ragnarok universe. Adopt familiar job classes like knights or magicians to receive unique benefits and skills. Cherish the nostalgia of Ragnarok while exploring new realms in Monster World. We are excited to see who climbs to the top of Monster World’s seasonal leaderboards.

We’re working behind the scenes with 0x& to get Ragmons into your hands as soon as possible. Once everything is live, players should be able to acquire Ragmons through Mavis Market or in-app purchases. Stay tuned for more Ragmon details over the next month or so. Will you become a Master Tamer?

Meet the ZERO X AND (0x&) Team 

ZERO X AND (0x&) is the game studio and Web3 development company building Ragnarok: Monster World. They’ve partnered with Gravity to bring the Ragnarok IP to Web3. Gravity has licensed the Ragnarok IP to expand Ragnarok’s reach while giving their global community a portal into blockchain gaming. 

The 0x& team is on a mission to become a pillar of NFT gaming. They’re supported by Google Cloud’s Startup Program, and even secured Pre-Series A funding during the depths of last year’s bear market. They also serve as validators to secure the XPLA chain, which is an EVM blockchain powered by the Cosmos SDK. 0x& brings the best of both worlds to Ronin: they’re Web3 builders – and gamers. 

Final Thoughts

We’re honored to welcome Ragnarok: Monster World to the Ronin movement. Fans may remember that Ragnarok Online was one of the first games with an earning mechanism. In the early 2000s, players had ZENY farmers and scholarship systems similar to Axie Infinity’s. This helped define the Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) genre in Southeast Asia. Our movements share many strands of DNA, and our union has only just begun. Let’s. Keep. Pushing.