# Part Three: Ending Our First Beta Playtest
Welcome back! We wanted to kick things off with a HUGE thank you to everyone who played, we really appreciate your time and we hope you had fun. We have learned so much from the last few weeks, and as always, we’ll be taking what we’ve learned and applying it to make Ember Sword better. Although we had high hopes for the test, the amount that everyone has played the first, very small slice of our game, has gone well beyond our expectations, and we couldn’t be more excited and grateful.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZ-m6Pioh_c?si=F_UDEUpu7sjTv64p" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


# Canavar Took A Helluva Beating
We launched our closed beta test in early July, with the goal of testing both the game and our infrastructure, and after a few days, we decided to open it up to more people because things looked very promising. Since then, it’s been a mind-blowing few weeks for Ember Sword with thousands and thousands of players, many different amazing quest partnerships, our creator program kicking off, and loads of $EMBER and land plots being given away, before finishing off with the grand finale of the "Canavar Must Die!" competition. 

# The Playtest in Numbers:
- More than 100 THOUSAND play sessions 
- Players played from all over the world and spent a combined 41 THOUSAND hours in the game! That’s equivalent to more than 1700 days or 57 months or nearly 5 YEARS! 
- 657 Canavar Heads! (nearly 90% of all possible drops!)+
- Discord grew to 80 THOUSAND members, and 151 thousand messages were sent during the playtest
- More than 800 THOUSAND impression on our social channels with 20 THOUSAND new followers gained

# Up Next
Now that the Canavar competition has come to an end, we are winding down the first beta playtest. We’ve kept the EU server up but are closing the other regions for now. Today, we’re launching the 5th and final update to the current build on the 14th August, which will bring with it the last round of fixes that we want to test publicly for now. Our plan is to reset the game and leave it open until Friday August 23rd. This will allow you to experience the updated game again from fresh and we will continue to  gather feedback and data, before taking Ember Sword offline for a while. But don’t worry, we’ll be back in a few weeks with a ton of changes, new features, and more content.

# Why are you taking Ember Sword offline for a while?
We have so much content, features, and changes planned and taking Ember Sword offline helps us implement them much faster. After we’ve made significant progress, our plan is to open to the public for another test later this year.

# What changes or improvements are you making?

The team is hard at work on expanding the playable world and adding many new features. Here are some examples, but please note that this list is not exhaustive (we’re working on more than is listed here) and not all of this will make it into the next update, some things might arrive later.

- Mantle Integration
- New Cosmetics
- Merging Cosmetics
- New Weapon
- Making Navigation Easier
- New areas added
- New Features: Caravans, Treasure Maps, Quests, Vending Machines, and Friends List
- New Resources
- New Creatures 
- New Bosses
- New Tier 3 Armor and Weapon Variations
- New Professions: Jewelry Creation, Cooking, and Fishing
- The Capital will become a safe zone again thanks to players’ getting rid of Canavar 
… And much more!

We’ll be releasing loads of amazing content, including a deeper dive Dev Stream in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to our socials for more info!

Thanks again for your passion and support, we can't wait for you to play what we have in store next.

The Ember Sword team.

Ember Sword Game Update, August 2024

# Ember Sword Makes the Move: Forming Strategic Alliance with Mantle, Promising to Enhance Blockchain Gaming Experience

![BSS_Mantle_EmberSword_X2.jpg](/cms/images/BSS_Mantle_Ember_Sword_X2_53282f30f6.jpg)

August 15, 2024 – We are excited to announce a strategic alliance with [Mantle](https://www.mantle.xyz/), a burgeoning on-chain ecosystem built around Ethereum layer 2 (L2) Mantle Network and Ether liquid staking protocol Mantle LSP. This collaboration aims to bring easy access to and player ownership of in-game experiences and assets to the gaming industry, while integrating blockchain elements for a more transparent and dynamic ecosystem between developers and players.

### Ember Sword: Setting New Standards in Gaming

Ember Sword strives for immersive gameplay, competitive combat, and innovative proprietary engine, which provides a highly accessible, unparalleled player experience. With the alliance, Ember Sword is poised to offer a more engaging and rewarding environment for its global player base, promising the top-tier experience of a high quality web3 game. 

Mark Laursen, Founder and CEO of Bright Star Studios, emphasized:
 
>"_Our alliance with Mantle is a significant milestone as we begin to release the game to users regionally. By integrating Mantle's advanced blockchain capabilities, we are enhancing how players control their in-game assets and delivering an unprecedented onboarding experience for all gamers who love MMORPGs, regardless if they are web3 natives or not. This collaboration represents a giant leap forward for both Ember Sword and the gaming industry._"

### Enhancing the Player Experience With Blockchain

Mantle's cutting-edge modular Ethereum rollup technology will be leveraged to ensure secure, scalable, and low-fee transactions within Ember Sword. This integration will facilitate a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience, allowing players to fully engage with the game's dynamic, player-driven economy.

Joris Huijbregts, Founder and Chief Development Officer of Bright Star Studios, added: 

>_"Partnering with Mantle allows us to create a more fruitful and engaging player economy. We are excited to integrate with the best tools and partners within Mantle Ecosystem to create a scalable and sustainable user journey for our players. This is the future of gaming, where player involvement and control of their items in-game are at the forefront."_

### Making Web3 Accessible

Mantle's expertise in web3 gaming will simplify the onboarding process for players choosing to interact with the blockchain economy. This ensures that even players new to blockchain can easily participate in and benefit from Ember Sword's innovative features.

Geezee, Head of Gaming at Mantle, shared: 

>_"We are thrilled to collaborate with Bright Star Studios on Ember Sword. Their vision to enable highly accessible, player-centric, blockchain-enabled games aligns perfectly with our mission to enable more gamers to enjoy experiences enhanced with blockchain technology. . Together, we are setting new standards for what is possible in the gaming industry."_

### A Bright Future for Gamers

This alliance promises to enhance the overall player experience in Ember Sword by combining high-quality gaming with the benefits of blockchain technology. Players can look forward to transparent transactions, true player control of in-game assets, and a vibrant, player-driven marketplace.

#### About Bright Star Studios
Bright Star Studios is a pioneering game development company focused on creating groundbreaking MMORPG experiences. The studio’s mission is to change the way games are developed, accessed and played. Their flagship title, Ember Sword is set to redefine the gaming landscape with its high quality gameplay and platform agnostic technology, and has celebrated significant traction of over 100k play sessions with an average of 1hr 21min per player in its most recent Beta Test release. 

For more information, please visit
[Website](http://www.Embersword.com) | [Whitepaper](https://embersword.com/whitepaper) | [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/embersword) | [X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/playembersword) | [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@playembersword) | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@EmberSword) 

### About Mantle

Mantle Ecosystem comprises an Ethereum layer 2 (L2) — Mantle Network, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) — Mantle Governance, one of the largest on-chain treasuries — Mantle Treasury, and an Ether (ETH) liquid staking protocol — Mantle LSP: all built on Ethereum. Mantle token ($MNT) is the unified product and governance token of the ecosystem. 
Mantle’s first core product is Mantle Network, an Ethereum L2. Mantle Network strives to be compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Mantle Network’s modular architecture separates transaction execution, data availability, and transaction finality into modules — which can be individually upgraded and adopt the latest innovations. Mantle Network is the first L2 to partner with ETH restaking protocol EigenLayer for the data availability module. By adopting a rollup architecture, Mantle Network is secured by Ethereum. As the world’s first DAO-spawned L2, Mantle Network is pioneering a vision for the mass adoption of token-governed technologies. The current mainnet version, Mantle Network Mainnet v2 Tectonic (Mantle v2 Tectonic), went live on March 15, 2024.

$MNT powers Mantle Network as its native gas token and ecosystem growth token, and serves as the governance token of Mantle Governance. All future Mantle products will likewise be initiated by the $MNT holder community through vote and powered by $MNT. 

Mantle’s second core product is Mantle LSP, a permissionless and non-custodial ETH liquid staking protocol deployed on Ethereum L1 and governed by Mantle. Mantle LSP combines simple and modern design with robust risk management, and leverages extensive existing Mantle Ecosystem resources to deliver a highly rewarding experience and supercharges Mantle’s status as a yield powerhouse. Mantle Staked Ether ($mETH) serves as the value-accumulating receipt token of Mantle LSP. 

To support the next-generation of innovators, builders, and developers, Mantle is growing its ecosystem via Mantle Grants Program and Mantle EcoFund, a catalyzed capital pool of $200M. Mantle’s Showcase Apps program lends additional support and publicity to ecosystem projects in categories such as real world assets (RWA). 

For more information, please visit
[Website](https://mantle.xyz/) | [X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/0xMantle) | [Devs X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/0xMantleDevs) | [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/0xMantle) | [Telegram](https://t.me/mantlenetwork) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@0xMantle?sub_confirmation=1) | [Blog](https://www.mantle.xyz/blog) | [GitHub](https://github.com/mantlenetworkio)

For press inquiries, please contact:
[publicity@brightstar.studios](publicity@brightstar.studios)


For Partnership Opportunities, please contact:
[partnerships@brightstar.studios](partnerships@brightstar.studios)

We are excited to announce a strategic alliance with Mantle, a burgeoning on-chain ecosystem built around Ethereum layer 2 (L2) Mantle Network and Ether liquid staking protocol Mantle LSP

Ember Sword x Mantle Partnership

Discover The On-Chain Economy In Ember Sword

Economy

## We're Open!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wLlbAfHWh_w" title="Ember Sword | Our Closed Beta Is Now Open To ALL" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

We've been absolutely thrilled and humbled by the incredible feedback and participation in Ember Sword's Closed Beta! We've seen way more engagement than we were expecting, and we're just warming up!

Due to this amazing response, we’re removing access restrictions from 18th July at 13:00 CET! 

Whilst we're blown away by the response we've had already, we wanted to emphasize that this is still a test. It is very early version of the game, and is not representative of where Ember Sword will be when it is fully released. This test is the first opportunity for people in our community to try various aspects of the game and give us their thoughts since Ultra Deep. The tests we ran last year were hugely valuable and much of that learning has already been applied to make Ember Sword better, so we can’t wait to get the feedback train rolling again! 

There’ll be things that are missing like quests, or onboarding and in general some things are going to be broken. The size of the playable map is also much smaller. 

We’re opening up now because the information and feedback we get from people playing now means we can make the game better, faster, before we release later on down the line. Our focus is going to be iterating the build - implementing new content and features, fixing bugs and tweaking things based on player feedback. As a result, we’ll be taking the game down from time-to-time so that we can make adjustments. 

We have a lot more content that we will be releasing in the coming months. 

### What to Do First

To receive cosmetic drops in the game (on the testnet at the moment), you will need to properly connect your wallet to your Ember Sword account, and the testnet. It is essential that you use the same wallet in all locations. We recommend you use MetaMask to do this, as this is what we have been able to test properly and confirm that everything works between MetaMask and IMX.

Once you’ve got your MetaMask wallet, do the following:
1. [Register for, or log into](http://embersword.com/account) your Ember Sword Account
2. Connect your wallet [in your account settings](http://embersword.com/account)
3. Connect your wallet to the testnet Sepolia In MetaMask, click “Show test networks” and choose “Sepolia”)
4. [Connect your wallet to the testnet on IMX](https://market.sandbox.immutable.com/): (click the connect wallet button in the top right corner of the page)

Okay, you’re now ready to play and receive cosmetic drops! Any cosmetics you get can be managed in-game through the Shop UI. Just open it up and choose the “MY COSMETICS” tab. From there you will be able to see and equip everything you have.

![mycos.png](/cms/images/mycos_a3e0cce652.png)

### Getting Started In-Game

You start off with basic armor and a wooden sword and shield, and no crafting tools. To begin upgrading you'll need to craft some basic tools like an axe and pickaxe. To do that, kill some nearby creatures, get their drops and use them at a crafting table.

Once you've made the tools, you'll need to go to your inventory (press the i key) and equip them.

That's it, you are properly ready to go.

### Air Drops

To celebrate Ember Sword going into Closed Beta, players who give Ember Sword a try over the next few weeks will be able to compete for many different rewards. We are giving away a staggering 5 MILLION $EMBER Tokens in total across a handful of exciting giveaways. This will give our loyal community and those new to Ember Sword more chances to get their hands on $EMBER and explore the on-chain elements of the game. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ztjUrLhUz4M" title="The 5 MILLION $EMBER Airdrop | Coming Soon" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


If you do not already have an Ember Sword account, [REGISTER NOW](https://embersword.com/#modal=create-account) and keep an eye on your inbox. You can also follow our socials for our most up-to-date announcements. For more information [please go here](https://embersword.com/blog/5million-ember-airdrop).


### Canavar Must Die!!!

![Canavar Must Die-small.png](/cms/images/Canavar_Must_Die_small_768aa64cf7.png)

Our leaderboard competition for Ultra Deep was a huge success, and so we’ve decided to do something similar for the Closed Beta. This time, we’re asking players to kill Canavar, who has escaped from the Ultra Deep, and is running amok in the Capital. Canavar has gotten some upgrades since the last time you saw him, so you’ll need some upgrades of your own before you can fight him. We recommend at least tier 2 gear for everyone in your party, and plenty of potions.
This competition won’t be a walk in the park, but the rewards will be there if you put in the time. Every player who has at least one “Canavar’s Head” NFT in their wallet by the end of the competition will be entered into the hat to win one of 50 regular Solarwood land plots, and the teams with the most heads will win their share of the combines overall prize of 1 MILLION $EMBER. 

### Prizes

- 1st Place Team: 600,000 $EMBER per team
- 2nd Place Team: 250,000 $EMBER per team
- 3rd Place Team: 150,000 $EMBER per team
- Bonus Prize: 50 Regular Solarwood Land Plots awarded via random draw to participants with at least one Canavar’s Head Trophy. (Excluding $EMBER Token winners)

### How to Participate

- 1: Team Up: Create a team of at least 2 members (maximum of 5).
- 2: Sign Up: Each member must complete s[ign-up form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflFymAhUrXTxib07O2HQ6aY1Z-NnnvAHo_svMJxEIohYBvOw/viewform)
- 3: Play: Defeat Canavar as many times as possible. The player who inflicts the most damage while vanquishing Canavar will earn the exclusive Canavar's Head Trophy.


Remember, the teams with the most Canavar Heads will win a share of the combined overall prize of 1 MILLION $EMBER. All other players who have acquired at least one Canavar Head will then be entered into the prize draw where 50 players will win a regular Solarwood land plot each

Players can check the [leaderboard](https://embersword.com/canavar-leaderboard) to keep track of all the fearless warriors who acquire the most Canavar Heads. Don’t worry, we’re focussed on rewarding team gameplay, the leaderboard is just for bragging rights!

You can read the Canavar Must Die full Terms & Conditions [HERE](https://embersword.com/blog/close-beta-competition)


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c1zYUc7qtIU?si=i8Oyvhy9Qiyd5-Qr" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## Closed Beta FAQ


### When will the Closed Beta open to players?
The Closed Beta starts at 11:00 UTC on Friday July 12th 2024. 


### How long will the game be available?
Our plan is to initially have it available for four weeks, although that might change.

### What do I need to play?
One of these:
- Any Ember Sword Land OR
- Any $EMBER badges (if you have already burned your badges, please contact our support team) OR
- Have at least 5000 EMBER tokens (this is initial entry requirement and subject to change) OR
- Be accepted into our Creator Program (read more here)

And:
- A Windows PC with up-to-date versions of either Chrome or Edge (recommended)
- An Ember Sword account with a connected wallet, that is also connected to the IMX test net. Guide on how to do that is above.


### Can I play on other browsers?
Yes, but we can’t guarantee you’ll get the optimum experience in browsers other than the recommended ones.


### Can I play on Mac?
Yes, but you may experience some visual bugs not present on PC. If you are experiencing a lot of stutter on Mac, try going to chrome://flags/ and change the ANGLE setting to OpenGL.


### Do my assets need to be in a specific wallet?
Yes, the one connected to your Ember Sword account.


### Do I need to have migrated my land or badges to get access?
Yes.

### Do I need to have my $EMBER on layer 2?
No, if you have 5k EMBER but do not want to transfer to L2, then please contact support so we can verify and send you an access code.

### I meet the criteria, how do I play?
As soon as the Closed Beta is open, players who meet the criteria specified above will be able to access by going to embersword.com, logging into their account, and then hitting the play button. The queue will automatically detect any of the necessary requirements as long as they are present in the wallet connected to your Ember Sword account. 

If everything has worked you will see a play button on our website, from which you can select the server that you want and join the game! 

### What if I meet the requirements but I can not access the Closed Beta?
Please contact our [support team here](https://embersword.com/account/support).

### Why am I not getting any collectables when I play?
It’s likely your wallet is either not connected to both your Ember Sword Account and the IMX test net. Please follow the steps listed:

To receive cosmetic NFT drops in the game (on the testnet at the moment), you will need to properly connect your wallet to your Ember Sword account, and the testnet. It is essential that you use the same wallet in all locations. We recommend you use MetaMask to do this, as this is what we have been able to test properly and confirm that everything works between MetaMask and IMX.

Once you’ve got your MetaMask wallet, do the following:
1. [Register for, or log into](http://embersword.com/account) your Ember Sword Account
2. Connect your wallet [in your account settings](http://embersword.com/account)
3. Connect your wallet to the testnet Sepolia In MetaMask, click “Show test networks” and choose “Sepolia”)
4. [Connect your wallet to the testnet on IMX](https://market.sandbox.immutable.com/): (click the connect wallet button in the top right corner of the page)
5. Go into Ember Sword and open the shop by clicking the shop button in the top right corner. Click on any cosmetic and choose to buy it (don’t worry if you don’t have enough $EMBER). The shop will ask you to connect your wallet to proceed. Click the “CONNECT WALLET” button and follow the necessary steps.

![connectwallet.png](/cms/images/connectwallet_1354ee2a8e.png)

Okay, you’re now ready to play and receive cosmetic drops! Any cosmetics you get can be managed in-game through the Shop UI. Just open it up and choose the “MY COSMETICS” tab. From there you will be able to see and equip everything you have.

![mycos.png](/cms/images/mycos_a3e0cce652.png)

This process is definitely not as smooth as we’d like and is only in place for now as we focus on opening the playtest to people as soon as possible. We’re already working on streamlining the whole thing to make it a lot easier for everyone and will update it in the near future.

### Will you be resetting progress?
Yes, the game will be in a continuous state of evolution during beta testing, so expect character progression to get reset from time to time. 

### Which servers will be available?
Closed Beta will be hosted on Europe, North and South America and Southeast Asia servers, although this may change.


### Why are you opening up to players to test?
Ember Sword already feels amazing to play, and it will only get better over time, with the help of direct feedback from players. One of the best examples is the economy, which is such a huge part of Ember Sword. Because we're introducing innovative elements and implementing features that haven't been seen before, testing things exclusively behind closed doors or in smaller simulated versions of the game won’t give us all the information we need to properly test things like performance, security, and player behavior at scale. Building iteratively over time based on player feedback makes it more likely for us to build something that lasts for years to come.



Ember Sword Closed Beta

## OUR METEORIC $EMBER AIRDROP

This year, as we get ready to welcome players in our game, we're thrilled to announce an extraordinary airdrop event for our Ember Sword community.  

We are giving away a staggering **five million $EMBER Tokens** in total across a handful of exciting giveaways. This will give our loyal community and those new to Ember Sword more chances to get their hands on $EMBER and explore the on-chain elements of the game. If you do not already have an Ember Sword account, [REGISTER TODAY](https://embersword.com/#modal=create-account) and keep an eye on your inbox. You can also follow our socials for our most up-to-date announcements.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ztjUrLhUz4M" title="The 5 MILLION $EMBER Airdrop | Coming Soon" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


## FORGE $EMBER AIRDROP

We’re kicking things off with an exclusive **3 MILLION $EMBER AIRDROP** in collaboration with [FORGE](https://forge.gg/game/embersword) starting Thursday 11th July. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a handful of quests for points and climb the leaderboard. We’ll also add bonus quests to the giveaway throughout the campaign so you’ll have more chances to be one of our winners. To take part you must have an Ember Sword account with a connected wallet - this is so we have somewhere to reward your $EMBER tokens, should you be one of our lucky winners.


![3M $EMBER Airdrop](/cms/images/forge_updated_header_774eadbd4e.jpg)

Join the Forge x Ember Sword 3M $EMBER Airdrop [here](https://forge.gg/game/embersword)


**How The Airdrop Works**

The winners of the competition will be the top 6,065 players with the highest points from all registered Ember Sword accounts with connected wallets. Prizes will range from one hundred $EMBER tokens with the top five lucky participants winning a staggering 300,000 $EMBER Tokens each! 

- 5 Winners = 300,000 $EMBER Tokens each
- 60 Winners = 10,000 $EMBER Tokens each
- 1,000 Winners = 400 $EMBER Tokens each
- 5,000 Winners = 100 $EMBER Tokens each

**How The Airdrop Works**

- Connect your Wallet to your Ember Sword account
This secure connection is where your $EMBER tokens will be dropped, if you are one of our lucky winners.
- Visit our $EMBER Airdrop page on [Forge](https://forge.gg/game/embersword) and begin your quests
- Complete as many quests as possible
Each task completed increases your chance at winning a prize

Forge 3M $EMBER Airdrop [Terms & Conditions](https://embersword.com/faq)

Join the Forge x Ember Sword 3M $EMBER Airdrop [here](https://forge.gg/game/embersword)



## GAME 7 x MANTLE LOOTDROP CAMPAIGN

Game7 has released an exciting new platform called LootDrop. Exclusive to the Game 7 portal, LootDrop is an immersive gaming questing platform and reward distribution tool that encourages social engagement and collaborative gameplay. 

From Thursday 18th of July, Ember Sword will feature on the LootDrop portal for an exclusive quest campaign in collaboration with Mantle. The campaign will last for one week, starting 18th July, with [500,000 $EMBER tokens](https://app.game7.io/lootdrop/mantle/411807835690037086) in the prize pool! 

![GAME7.png](/cms/images/GAME_7_f8b523dd77.png)

**How The Airdrop Works**

From Thursday 18th, players will have the opportunity to answer a handful of Ember Sword trivia questions. Answer ALL of the questions correctly to be eligible for a share of the prize pool. The first 1,000 players to answer all questions correctly will win an equal share of the [500,000 $EMBER](https://app.game7.io/lootdrop/mantle/411807835690037086) prize pool!


## YGG $EMBER GIVEAWAY

Yield Guild Games is on a mission to create opportunities for people all over the world through web3 games. By providing equal opportunity, community, access, and training for Web3 Games, players around the world can achieve more - in games and in life. YGG are giving away 50,000 $EMBER to a handful of lucky Ember Sword players on 18th July.

![YGG (1).png](/cms/images/YGG_1_fe7c4c4b19.png)

**How The Raffle Works**
On Thursday 18th July, YGG will host a [Discord live](https://discord.com/invite/CefKq5qG?event=1261165097489793065) session. In the session, they’ll showcase the Beta so you’ll get to see the game in action. The Ember Sword will be on the call answering all those burning questions about the Ember Sword game. Plus, look out for exclusive information, game insights and maybe even a few exclusive leaks!

To take part you must be tuned into the live session and complete the [form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfd3mYl5LcpYE2QtCTRrXU9LkT_Hb5yp8ywuZjoSZux7eli7w/viewform). 10 lucky players will be chosen to each win a share of the 50,000 $EMBER prize pool!


## GAM3S .GG $EMBER AIRDROP

Gam3s.gg are industry leaders when it comes to delivering unbiased perspective & content for early access gameplay, exclusives & the state of web3 gaming overall. From Thursday 18th July, on their very own platform GAM3 Quests, gam3s.gg will host a 14-day [500,000 $EMBER Token Airdrop](https://gam3s.gg/quests/flaming-ember/). 

![embersword_exclusive reward_V4 (1).jpg](/cms/images/embersword_exclusive_reward_V4_1_eca970d549.jpg)

**How The Airdrop Works**

To qualify for a share of the [500,00 $EMBER prize pool](https://gam3s.gg/quests/flaming-ember/), players must complete all of the missions. We’ll drop fresh missions into the quest so make sure you’re checking in daily for the latest updates.


## GALXE $EMBER AIRDROP

Ember Sword are excited to host yet another great [$EMBER](https://embersword.com/blog/Economy-Overview) Airdrop campaign on the Galxe platform. Galxe Quest is the leading platform for building web3 communities and another great way for our Ember Sword community to grab a chance of winning $EMBER.

From 22nd July until 31st July, you could win a share of [500,000 $EMBER Tokens](https://app.galxe.com/quest/SbdSjsJVfDT6myFmGXDjup)!


![Galxe (1).png](/cms/images/Galxe_1_affbb389cf.png)


**How The Airdrop Works**

- 5 Winners = 25,000 $EMBER Tokens each
- 60 Winners = 2,000 $EMBER Tokens each
- 435 Winners = 500 $EMBER Tokens each


## KLAPAI (FORMALLY BITMETIS) $EMBER AIRDROP

KlapAI, aims to revolutionize gaming by allowing gamers to become creators. Through KlapAI, users can create, mint, validate, and earn from their unique gaming assets and contributions. KlapAI have partnered with Ember Sword to give our gaming communities the chance to win $EMBER

From 24th July until 1st August, you could win a share of 100,000 $EMBER Tokens!

![Bitmetis (1) (3).png](/cms/images/Bitmetis_1_3_a46d294e80.png)


**How The Airdrop Works**

From Wednesday 24th July, players can complete tasks hosted on the KlapAI [100,000 $EMBER tokens giveaway page](https://klapai.io/bounty-detail/q0owc0iu). 100 lucky players who have completed all actions will win a share of the prize pool each winning 1,000 $EMBER Tokens


## COMING SOON

And the remaining $EMBER Tokens? We'll announce our future $EMBER Airdrops on our socials, through our community emails and here, on our dedicated blog page.


OUR FIRST $EMBER AIRDROP

The competition is organized by:
Bright Star Studios ApS
Mindet 4B, 2. tv
8000 Aarhus C
Company registration No. 39822075
We can be contacted by email: hello@brightstar.studio
## DURATION OF THE COMPETITION
The competition runs from 11:00 UTC on Wednesday, July 24th until 23:00 UTC on Wednesday, August 7th.

## REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING
To participate in the competition you must:
- Reside outside the Geographical Restricted Territory (For the latest information on restricted countries, please check here: https://embersword.com/terms-and-conditions)
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Have an Ember Sword account with a connected wallet
- Be part of a team of at least 2 people (maximum of 5), all of whom have confirmed their membership and participation via the signup form by 23:00 UTC on Monday, August 5th 


Employees of Bright Star Studios ApS cannot participate in the competition. Contract partners working for Bright Star Studios ApS cannot participate in the competition.

In case of suspicion of fraud or similar behavior, Bright Star Studios ApS can exclude a participant from the competition without liability. The same goes for toxic, racist or  inappropriate usernames used to participate on the leaderboard. This might also exclude you from any similar future competitions if severe enough.
Withdrawing consent to receive Bright Star Studios‘ electronic newsletter does not affect the participation in the competition.

Submitted fan posts and other competition submissions, including usernames may be used by Bright Star Studios ApS for marketing purposes on publicly accessible channels.  Participants agree to this and grant all necessary consents and rights to use any rights associated with such use. Please find all information about fan posts in our general terms and conditions at: https://embersword.com/terms-and-conditions

## THE COMPETITION PRIZE
There are two ways to win via this competition:
Main Prize for having the most combined Canavar’s Head Trophies (NFTs) 
- 1st Placed Team: 600,000 $EMBER per team (estimated value $14k)

- 2nd Placed Team: 250,000 $EMBER per team (estimated value $6k)
- 3rd Placed Team: 150,000 $EMBER per team (estimated value $3.5k)


50 Regular Solarwood Land Plots
- All runners up who have at least one (1) Canavar’s Head Trophy (NFT) at the end of the competition will be entered into a random draw to receive a Regular Land Plot (estimated value $80)

The value of each prize is estimated based on either the full selling price, or the average market price over the last 30 days prior to the competition start date. These values may fluctuate and the actual value at the time of redemption may vary.

Bright Star Studios ApS arranges competitions to please our players and communities. Prizes in the competitions may differ in value depending on several factors. Bright Star Studios ApS does not give any guarantees for market values of the prizes and values may differ over time.

The team prizes will be distributed evenly between members of the winning teams, being delivered directly to their crypto wallet. 
The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. Winners are responsible for any taxes associated with the prize. We recommend consulting with a tax professional to understand any tax obligations.


## THE COMPETITION WINNER(S)
Entrants for team prizes (Main Prize) must complete the [sign up form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflFymAhUrXTxib07O2HQ6aY1Z-NnnvAHo_svMJxEIohYBvOw/viewform) using a valid Ember Sword email address and accept the Terms & Conditions to be entered into the competition. The sign up form must be completed by 23:00 UTC on Monday, August 5th.

Players can only enter the main competition once using the sign up form, in the case of multiple entries, the player will be disqualified and not eligible to receive any prizes, and may be restricted from entering future competitions run by Bright Star Studios.

Entrants can only win one prize in this competition. Team members winning an $EMBER Token prize will not be eligible to win land in the runners up prize draw for Solarwood land. The 50 random winners in the runners up prize draw cannot win multiple plots. 

The winners will be selected by Friday 16th August and contacted hereafter via the email associated with their Ember Sword account. It is not possible to witness the draw.
The winner's username, and earned prize(s) will be announced publicly via Ember Sword social media channels and our website.

Winners may be asked to give information or documentation to receive their prize, e.g. proof that they are over 18 years old at the time of registration for the competition and/or that they are not residing in a Geographical Restricted Territory. This also includes a KYC – Know Your Customer – check. The documentation and required information must be provided within 14 days after the winner is notified via email. If the winner fails to submit valid and appropriate information or documentation at Bright Star Studios ApS’ discretion, the prize will be forfeited and instead awarded to another winner.


## PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA
By participating in the competition, Bright Star Studios ApS processes personal information about the participants.

The processed information includes name, username, and contact information. The information is processed for the purpose of including the participants in the competition and contacting the winners.

The processing is based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Article 6(1)(f) (legitimate interest), as Bright Star Studios ApS has a legitimate interest in being able to fulfill the purpose of processing the information, namely the execution of the competition.

Bright Star Studios ApS is obligated to retain information about the winner of the competition for 5 years. For participants who are not drawn as winners, Bright Star Studios ApS will delete the information immediately after the winner has received the prize, and the competition has thus been completed.

As a registered person, participants in the competition have the right to request Bright Star Studios ApS (as the data controller) to access and correct or delete personal information about them or request restriction of the processing of information about them. All participants also have the right to object to the processing of information about them. Requests will be dealt with in accordance with the GDPR.

For questions, comments, or complaints about the competition or Bright star Studios ApS' processing of personal information, Bright Star Studios ApS can be contacted at hello@brightstar.studio / legal@brightstar.studio

Complaints about the competition, including marketing, can also be addressed to the Danish Consumer Ombudsman at https://www.forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/kontakt/spoergmaal-eller-klage

Complaints about the processing of your personal information can also be addressed to the Danish Data Protection Agency. See contact information at www.datatilsynet.dk.

For full Ember Sword terms and conditions, please go here: https://embersword.com/terms-and-conditions

Closed Beta Competition Terms & Conditions

The official Ember Sword Creator Program is HERE!

Are you interested in UGC rewards and unique opportunities?  Apply for the exclusive Creator Program today!

Today, we reach yet another exciting milestone! As you have already seen, we're getting closer and closer to opening our doors to players, and so now we are delighted to announce our Creator Program!

Designed to transparently and fairly reward creators who help contribute to Ember Sword’s success, our program will start small with a limited number of people to begin with, and will scale up over time.
## Rewards
![Creator Reward Tiers.png](/cms/images/Creator_Reward_Tiers_8cd80eb7e7.png)
_*Please note, the amount of $EMBER given out per tier might change over time_

Everyone who is accepted into the program gets a one-off welcome gift of 2500 $EMBER, plus a host of other goodies like access to a private creator Discord channel, the latest assets, access to playtests, invitations to exclusive events and much more! Every month we’ll also assess your content and award you a monthly bonus based on reach and engagement. As detailed in the above table*

## How to Apply

Simply fill out the form:

<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerWNLOS3tyAVCOA_YUC53BhFh3Gkv7r3lCDFZy6gy7XJODwA/viewform?embedded=true" width="640" height="2444" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading…</iframe>

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity! Apply to become part of the Ember Sword Creator Program today!


EMBER SWORD CREATOR PROGRAM

Ember Sword Game Update, July 2024

We are excited to announce that our longtime Badge Holders will now be able to redeem their token rewards! Redemption begins from June 13th, TGE starts June 14th.

First, we can not thank you all enough for believing in the vision and mission of Ember Sword from the beginning. Being a badge holder is not only a badge of honor, but also a true testament to your commitment to bringing brand new experiences to MMORPG fans globally.  Without your support early on, we would not have made it this far. So a HUGE thank you to you all.

![badge-overview.png](/cms/images/badge_overview_c8a1439548.png)

## Redemption Instructions

YOU CAN START REDEEMING YOUR REWARDS FROM JUNE 13TH, 2024

- **Step 1: Login at embersword.com**

![badge-burn-step-1.png](/cms/images/badge_burn_step_1_ee2e119385.png)

- **Step 2: Select assets from profile**

![badge-burn-step-2.png](/cms/images/badge_burn_step_2_0e499c41ca.png)

- **Step 3: Select your badge(s) and click "Redeem for tokens" from the dropdown menu**


![badge-redemption-step3nb.png](/cms/images/Screenshot_2024_06_11_at_16_30_31_1_9550b3fbe8.png)


- **Step 4: Accept the terms by ticking the boxes presented, then clicking REDEEM to proceed**

![badge-redemption-step4nb.png](/cms/images/Screenshot_2024_06_11_at_16_32_30_1_308dac7e67.png)

- **Step 5: Follow the steps in the Immutable X pop-up and click CONFIRM when completed**

![badge-burn-step-5.png](/cms/images/badge_burn_step_5_afbb6fce91.png)

- **Step 6:  Congratulations - the redemption process has been initiated. We'll contact you via e-mail with next steps**

![badge-redemption-step6nb.png](/cms/images/Screenshot_2024_06_11_at_16_33_51_1_d4de08c52a.png)

## Reminders

- As stated in the terms and conditions, we were not able to sell or redeem badges to users from restricted geographical areas. Please see [terms and conditions](/terms-and-conditions) for more info.
- Badge Holders may need to KYC
- You can only redeem your badges using one Ember Sword account and wallet address
- Once your wallet has been verified and connected to your account, it cannot be unlinked. If your badge is in a wallet other than the one linked, you will need to transfer it to the linked wallet.
- When you redeem a badge, the badge is Burned, and this starts the process of releasing your tokens. The tokens are gradually released weekly over a period of 10 months. This release schedule starts one month after the Token Generation Event (TGE). If you need to complete a KYC check, this may delay your token schedule.
- To receive your $EMBER tokens starting from one month after the TGE, you need to complete the badge redemption by June 30th. If you redeem your badge later, your tokens will start to be released the month following your redemption. For example, if you redeem your badge in September, your tokens will start to be released in October.
- Moving forward, Ember Sword will create monthly batches of players who have burned their badge up until the last day of each calendar month. These players will then be placed into token distribution schedule beginning 14th of the following month. If any player within this batch needs to complete a KYC process, they must do so by 10th of the month (following the month of their badge burning process) in order to be added to the token distribution that begins 14th. Players who have completed the KYC process will receive a confirmation email from Ember Sword 2-3 business days before allocation begins, following which you will see your deal details on Presail.
- Recommended Browser: Up to date Chrome / Firefox / Brave
- Security Risk: It is not recommended to share login information

We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you in Ember Sword later this year!

## Your $EMBER Distribution

We have partnered with Presail so you can easily access information for your token allocation. Here, you will be able to view your balance, see the status of the next token cycles, and how long you have left in your token vesting schedule.

Once you are able to view your token distribution in the Presail portal, we will contact you via the email address connected to your Ember Sword account. In order to access your account space/portal, please ensure you use the same wallet that was used to burn your badge.

Each time your tokens are transferred to your wallet, you will be notified by Presail  (noreply@presail.com)

## BADGEHOLDER FAQ

### How do I get my tokens?

When the badge redemption process is open:
YOU CAN START REDEEMING YOUR REWARDS FROM JUNE 13TH, 2024

1. Login at embersword.com. 
2. Select assets from profile.
3. Select your badge(s) and click "Redeem for tokens" from the dropdown menu (Connect the wallet that contains your badges, if you haven’t already done so).
4. Accept the terms by ticking the boxes presented, then clicking REDEEM to proceed.
5. Follow the steps in the Immutable X pop-up and click CONFIRM when completed.
6. Congratulations - the redemption process has been initiated. We'll contact you via e-mail with next steps
7. We’ll send you another email to let you know when you can view your token allocation.
8. Click ACCESS MY PORTAL and follow the instructions in the email to access your account on Presail and view your allocation schedule.


### How long will it take to get my tokens?

When you redeem a badge, the badge is Burned, and this starts the badge redemption process. The tokens are gradually released weekly over a period of 10 months. This release schedule starts one month after the Token Generation Event (TGE). If you need to complete a KYC check, this may delay your token schedule.

Moving forward, Ember Sword will create monthly batches of players who have burned their badge up until the last day of each calendar month. These players will then be placed into token distribution schedule beginning 14th of the following month. If any player within this batch needs to complete a KYC process, they must do so by 10th of the month (following the month of their badge burning process) in order to be added to the token distribution that begins 14th. Players who have completed the KYC process will receive a confirmation email from Ember Sword 2-3 business days before allocation begins, following which you will see your deal details on Presail.

### Where will I be able to see my token status?

We have partnered with Presail so you can easily access information for your token allocation. Here, you will be able to view your balance, see the status of the next token cycles, and how long you have left in your token vesting schedule.

### Do I need to redeem my tokens manually on a weekly/monthly basis?

No, it is automatically done through Presail once you have initiated the process.

### Can I use any wallet I want?

You will need to use the same Ember Sword email account and wallet address for the badge redemption/burning process to identify yourself on the Presail portal.

### There is a problem with my account or I cannot see my badge.

If you have read through the instructions and have migrated your badge from Polygon to IMX and are still having issues, please [contact our support team](/account/support) who can help.

### What browser should I use to redeem?

It is recommended that you use any modern browser which is fully up-to-date. We’ve tested with Chrome so if you have any issues, we recommend switching to that.

### What happens after I burn my badges?

We’ll contact you via email when you’ve kicked off the badge redemption process explaining next steps.

### Do I need to complete a KYC check when I redeem my badge?

Some Badge Holders will need to complete a KYC process when redeeming as part of compliance procedures. 

### Which geographical locations are restricted from the badge redemption process?

As stated in the Terms & Conditions, if you reside in any of the locations below you will be unable to redeem your badge for $EMBER tokens. 

Afghanistan, American Samoa, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Crimea of Ukraine, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, England and Wales, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar (Burma), Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China, Puerto Rico, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic (Syria), Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (U.S.), Yemen, and Zimbabwe - and other areas where local restriction do not allow tokens.


Please remember, you can start redeeming your rewards from June 13th, 2024
That about wraps it up! See you soon. 

Start Redeeming Your Rewards From June 13th

Badge Holder Information

Yet another milestone has been reached, and we are thrilled to share that the moment has come to define your gaming experience within the Ember Sword universe. Ember Sword is proud to introduce the launch of our in-game token - $EMBER.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mh7n93MLUZ8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>


## PHASED TOKEN RELEASE:
$EMBER will be rolled out in a phased approach, aligning with strategic milestones and our key partners. This phased release is your stepping stone to early access of the game in Q4 this year!

**Phase 1 - Entry On Gate StartUp, June 13th: 2,500,000 $EMBER Drops!**
- Gate Startup is your first chance to get some $EMBER token drops! 
- To participate check out details [here](https://www.gate.io/startup/1595) and check out the FAQ [here](https://www.gate.io/help/guide/faq/25687/startup-faq). 
- Gate.io Twitter/XAnnouncement can be seen [here](https://x.com/Gateio_Startup/status/1801192843635044485)  

**Phase 2 - TGE Exchange Launch June 14th 10am UTC**
- DEX Launch: Initial release on [Uniswap](https://app.uniswap.org/swap) (DEX).
- CEX Launch: Simultaneously available on [Gate.io](http://gate.io/) (CEX).

Dive in and be among the first to get $EMBER!

**Phase 3 - Expansion:**
- $EMBER will hit more exchanges. We’ll announce specifics on Discord and Telegram—stay tuned!
- Community Airdrops: Don’t miss out on our upcoming airdrops! Details on how to participate will be shared in the next few weeks, so make sure you are registered and follow our [Twitter/X](https://x.com/PlayEmberSword)

## EMBER SWORD'S LIVING, BREATHING SOCIAL ECONOMY

$EMBER is an ERC-20 token and is used for all on-chain activities in Ember Sword.

Pay-to-win can be alluring for some other games  in the short term, but we are building Ember Sword to last for years to come. 

![ONCHAIN_VS_OFFCHAIN.jpg](/cms/images/ONCHAIN_VS_OFFCHAIN_9ea4cf6d35.jpg)

So all of our on-chain items are cosmetic, allowing players to customize their characters, without buying power and upsetting game balance.

![$EMBER_KEYFEATURES.jpg](/cms/images/EMBER_KEYFEATURES_f0d46db78f.jpg)

Players can **buy** collectables from premium in-game shops, or directly from other Players. Every collectible in Ember Sword is a limited edition item, with a set quantity that will NEVER be restocked. New collectibles will be introduced into the cycle and then distributed through in-game objectives, events, leagues, and limited-time sales. 

When the supply runs out, they will only be attainable through trading with other players.

Players will be able to use $EMBER to **merge** multiple lower-tier cosmetics into a single higher-tiered item, this increases their scarcity, and allows for greater player individuality.

Land owners will be able to **earn** $EMBER through secondary market player trading, and/or through Premium Shop purchases in-game.

There will be a total volume of 2.5 billion $EMBER. The largest portion of which will be distributed via in-game activities like PvE and PvP events, leagues and seasonal encounters. This highlights our commitment to enhancing the player experience and giving something back to our incredible community.

## $EMBER Token Summary

- **Utility:** $EMBER will serve as the primary on-chain token within Ember Sword, allowing you to purchase in-game items, merge cosmetics, and access premium features.
- **Player Control:** Ember Sword offers players control of their own in-game assets secured by blockchain technology, giving you the power to do what you want with your virtual treasures.
- **Merging:** Merge lower tier cosmetics to receive higher tiered cosmetics using $EMBER tokens fostering a vibrant in-game economy.
- **Earning Rewards:** All players can receive cosmetics collectibles drops simply by playing the game. These can then be traded amongst each other via secondary marketplaces. Additionally, land owners are able to receive rewards based on their land plot type via Premium Shop Rewards, and Player Trading Rewards.
- **Integration:** $EMBER will be seamlessly integrated into the Ember Sword experience and interface, making transactions seamless, swift and secure.

$EMBER will be released starting from June 13th. 

## $EMBER Token Design

**$EMBER** is essential for purchasing and enhancing collectibles within Ember Sword, driving both the cosmetic and economic engagement of our community.

**Supply & Demand of $EMBER depends on the active trading player base.**

- $EMBER is needed to interact with collectible cosmetics both for purchasing and merging them together. The collectables are all limited in supply, and the number of items dropped or released into the game is based on a percentage of the user base on a daily or monthly basis.
 
- LAND PLOTS within each Nation are a limited supply. With only 40k land plots available in the first nation, Solarwood, only these players will be eligible for earning shared $EMBER rewards. Land owners will receive rewards for Premium Shops and Player Trading which is also based on a percentage of the user base. 

- $EMBER can be purchased and used to buy or merge cosmetics at any time. With a fixed supply of 2.5 billion $EMBER tokens, their distribution is linked to active gameplay through PvE and PvP events. Land owners in Ember Sword can earn additional $EMBER rewards by hosting Premium Shops and facilitating player trades, further enriching the community-driven economy.

![HOW $EMBER ECONOMY IS REGULATED.jpg](/cms/images/HOW_EMBER_ECONOMY_IS_REGULATED_9779296894.jpg)

The economic dynamic that blooms from these systems is that if the active trading base grows, the supply of $EMBER will always be 2.5B in total and will never change, however the number of total **collectibles in Ember Sword will keep growing as the player base grows**.

### $EMBER Supply, Allocation & Distribution

The tables below demonstrates the allocation, distribution and dynamic release model for $EMBER in-game. For more detailed tokenomics information, please refer to our [White Paper](https://embersword.com/whitepaper).

![$EMBER ALLOCATION & DISTRIBUTION.jpg](/cms/images/EMBER_ALLOCATION_and_DISTRIBUTION_42d2b55aa7.jpg)

### Are you a Content Creator? 
We have got you covered. Have a look through our [content creator kits](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1QPtx4P-wgqnysZBO5jrM1n0Pu_erG1hY) made specially for you to make it easy to share your creativity!

Thank you for being a vital part of the Ember Sword community. Together, we'll continue to shape the future of gaming!

### $EMBER FAQ

#### What is $EMBER?:
$EMBER is used by players to purchase and merge cosmetic items and other premium features within Ember Sword. 

#### Where/How do I get $EMBER?
Players can obtain $EMBER through exchanges, in-game premium shops, by trading or selling cosmetics and by earning rewards on their plots of land in the game.

#### Does buying $EMBER give you a power advantage in $EMBER SWORD?
No, all on-chain cosmetic items within the game, including the $EMBER token are NOT tied in any way to gameplay or player level progression. Similar to many other MMORPGs, Ember Sword also has an off-chain trading system by obtaining resources such as wood, ore and gold.  This can only be earned by playing the game. 

#### Will I be able to stake $EMBER?
Our intention is for $EMBER holders to be able to unlock rewards via a staking programme. This program is still in the planning stage and we will share the details on how to participate in this in the near future. 

#### Where can I find out more about the $EMBER token?
For more information please visit our [White Paper](https://embersword.com/whitepaper).

Thank you for being a vital part of the Ember Sword community. Together, we'll continue to shape the future of gaming!


Disclaimer:
General Notice: $EMBER tokens are in-game tokens created for use within the Ember Sword MMORPG. They are not and should not be considered as a form of currency, security, commodity, or any other kind of financial instrument.

For full user Terms and Conditions, please follow this link: [Terms & Conditions](/terms-and-conditions)


DRIVING THE ON-CHAIN ECOSYSTEM

$EMBER

Game Development Updates May'24

If you are anything like us, then you also cannot believe that we’re in December already, 2023 has absolutely flown by! 

To wrap everything up 🎁 we wanted to recap the incredible year we’ve had here at Ember Sword, and give you a little teaser for what you can expect from us in 2024.

More than anything though, we wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone in our amazing community! You are all such a vital part of this journey, and we are working incredibly hard to justify the faith you have shown in us.

We’ve made fantastic progress this year, opening up to more than 42,000 players across our playtests! Throughout this year our community has continued to grow and we have seen a lot of engagement across the world on our social channels. The feedback we have received from all of you has been amazing and we continue to work towards our goal of an early access build next year. 

On the web3 side, we have been monitoring the market closely, and as you all are aware, the right timing for releasing these elements of the game is key to success for everyone in the community. So while some of our planned web3 elements for the end-of-2023  have shifted to early 2024, the momentum behind key milestones like our token launch remains unwavering, and we are gearing up to DROP some major updates to our roadmap in the next few weeks. 

Stay tuned—big things are coming!
Wishing everyone a very good holiday season and see you in 2024!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LTSn0ws20Cc?si=ev9YesVKEw1PWcMR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

End of Year Blog Post 2023

# Embrace the Chaos

Following on from our hugely successful Alpha Playtest in April, we are so excited to invite all of you to our second open playtest of the year: [The Ultra Deep](https://embersword.com/ultra-deep)!

The servers will be open from 11:00 UTC on Friday October 27th until 22:00 UTC on Sunday October 29th.

The Playtest is open to anyone who is registered with an Ember Sword account. If you do not have an account, [please sign up now](https://embersword.com/) in order to receive access and communications regarding the tests.

# Going Deeper Underground

Lying deep underneath the engineering department of Burkhalter's Academy in Solarwood, lies a sprawling, expansive laboratory. The Ultra Deep is a network of roughly-chiseled rock caverns, with various tunnels and compartments along its path, steam-powered machinery running at every hour and large cauldrons of molten steel. Sometimes it resembles more of a mine than a place of science.

Over time, Ultra Deep has gradually fallen outside of Burkhalter's control, as rogue scientists conducted bizarre and unscrupulous experiments. A huge explosion, powerful enough to rock the ground above has now ended of all communication from within. You and your fellow adventures will need to descend through the depths and uncover the mysteries within.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nfkP8vo2CSI?si=tdzaj41TgXU4DFJA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>


# The Experience

Players will team up to take on the different challenges Ultra Deep offers. You will be able to choose from a range of different equipment at the beginning, allowing you to experiment with different playstyles and approaches. The playtest focuses on a shorter, more linear experience this time, as we are looking to test different areas versus the more open playtest earlier in the year.

We'll also be operating leaderboards to highlight the fastest groups to complete everything this time! The leaderboards will be separate per region, so we can see which part of the world is truly the best at playing Ember Sword.

# Different Regions?

Yep! One of the main things we heard last time was that both from a latency/ping and timezone perspective, many of you either didn't get the experience we'd like, or even get to play at all.

This time we're running regional servers as follows:

![1_7fUPNy_emZ1WVcM-RYAIUA.png](/cms/images/1_7f_UP_Ny_em_Z1_W_Vc_M_RYAIUA_e7ada889ff.png)

# Still in Alpha?

Yes, being in Alpha means that almost everything you see will be neither perfect or final, and things will likely change a lot throughout the course of development.

Our team is hard at work on our mission to revolutionize how great games are built, accessed and played, and are continuously testing with internal and external audiences. Now we are beyond excited to get as many players through the Ultra Deep experience as possible and hear your thoughts on what you like and what needs to be improved!

# Where Can I find out more?

Visit our website [here](https://embersword.com/ultra-deep), or follow us on our socials:

[Discord](https://discord.com/invite/embersword)

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/playembersword)

[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword)

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword)

[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword)

[Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios)

[Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword)

Welcome to the Dungeon

Calling all Lords of Solarwood! Following on from our hugely successful Alpha Playtest, we're excited to announce our Alpha Land Sale!

The level of interest we've seen from our community has been truly remarkable, making now the perfect time to secure your piece of the [stunning Solarwood landscape](https://embersword.com/nations/solarwood).

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2iMqELuKt_Q?si=k_bk3q5q1tME0nGl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

_Alpha Land Sale Announcement Video._

## Legends Forged Together

[Ember Sword](http://www.embersword.com/) is an open-world MMORPG, which seamlessly fuses the best elements from gaming classics with the latest technological advancements and mesmerising narrative design. Developed using our groundbreaking proprietary engine technology, Ember Sword delivers a frictionless gaming experience on nearly any device, inviting players to plunge into its captivating universe whenever and wherever they choose.

We are fusing MOBA-inspired, mechanically fun combat with a dynamic class system, to give players the opportunity to craft a play style which is uniquely their own; and every login feels fresh thanks to dynamic RNG dungeons akin to rogue-likes, and evolving landscapes shaped and built by the players themselves.

By modernising and prioritising social interactions, often neglected in modern massively multiplayer games, Ember Sword revitalises the core spirit of games that shaped an entire generation, assuring an unforgettable gaming journey for a new wave of MMO players.

## A Land of Forests, Mountains and Magic

Solarwood, the first part of our game world realised, is a verdant and vibrant realm governed by the Academic Federation and led by Headmaster Dalcor Kritana from the epicenter of academic prowess at Burkhalter's Academy. Balancing the demands of the academics with the needs of their general populace, as well as the requirements that come with loyalty to the Republic is no easy task and this fragile equilibrium stands on the brink of a stern test, as war drums echo with the impending campaign against Sevrend.

Solarwood is a rich blend of diverse landscapes, each distinct in industry and inhabited by a colourful spectrum of residents, unraveling a world ripe for exploration and rich in unfolding narratives, compelling quests, enthralling dungeons and adrenaline filled PvP arenas.

We're going to share our vision for the LAND of Solarwood and give you the details on how to get your hands on a piece of gaming history!

## Demand Far Beyond Expectations

Our previous Solarwood Land Sale sold out completely in a matter of hours, with the community pledging more than $200M for future sales --- **so we encourage those who are interested to be ready to act fast!**

Last time around we introduced an industry-first community application process. We chose this approach to ensure that those players who would become landowners were committed to creating the best experience possible for themselves and those players who interact with their plots.

Land ownership comes with many benefits, and our applicants are able to give us the feedback for how they would like to utilize the land and capitalize on their social features, making the landscape exciting for everyone who plays Ember Sword.

For this Alpha Land Sale, we will offer **two different approaches** to purchasing land, more on this to follow.

## Understanding Ember Sword Land Ownership

![1_xddT50GhHorahoJcUgFT0g.webp](/cms/images/1_xdd_T50_Gh_Horaho_Jc_Ug_FT_0g_b27dc93f79.webp)

_Example City Plot in Ember Sword._

Ember Sword Land is unique in that it is directly tied into the gameplay, with the distinct goal of making the game better for everyone . No matter which plot you choose, you will play a critical role in shaping the bustling landscape. Settlement owners and above will be able to place various buildings and provide a range of services which will enhance the experience for other players and help you attract them to your plots. Town and City plots come with a huge amount of exciting features. You have the opportunity to not only shape your unique corner of the world, but also be rewarded for your effort.

Land in Ember Sword is represented by unique, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the size of a plot of land is roughly equivalent to the size of a player's screen during gameplay.

## Types of Land Plots Available

### Regular Plots --- 1x1

![1_4VsZ-jT0kv5ka_deBgqaWQ.webp](/cms/images/1_4_Vs_Z_j_T0kv5ka_de_Bgqa_WQ_475579a002.webp)

_Example Regular Plot._

* Title: Sir or Lady
* 1x Per Plot Multiplier For Shared Ownership Rewards

Do you aspire to earn the title of a **_Sir or a Lady_**? If so, you can easily get your hands on any number of Regular Plots of land in Solarwood. This land is perfect for those players who want to share in the rewards, but want to put less time into land ownership. Not only does this land give you bragging rights, but it also comes with a **x1 Per Plot Multiplier** for shared ownership rewards in Ember Sword.

### Settlements --- 1x1

![1_4NWoRcJITMPIcTnfEWi2Dw.webp](/cms/images/1_4_N_Wo_Rc_JITMP_Ic_Tnf_E_Wi2_Dw_125650e07a.webp)

_Example Settlement Plot._

* Title: Baron or Baroness
* Build Tier 1 buildings
* Player quests
* 10x Per Plot Multiplier For Shared Ownership Rewards

Do you seek a **_Baron or Baroness_** title? Look at you climbing up the ladder! These Settlement Plot landowners know how to keep up appearances with the option to place Tier 1 buildings of their choice --- which players won't be able to resist visiting. You will also be able to give players quests. With all these attractions, you will be well rewarded with a **10x Per Plot Multiplier** for shared ownership rewards in Ember Sword.

### Town --- 2x2

![1_S4HSPnBnfQ3wTDvK5vIhLQ.webp](/cms/images/1_S4_HS_Pn_Bnf_Q3w_T_Dv_K5v_Ih_LQ_31aacf20d0.webp)

_Example Town Plot._

* Town --- 2x2
* Title Earl or Countess
* Premium Shop Rewards
* Spawn player quests
* Tier 2 buildings + Premium Shop
* 50x Per Plot Multiplier For Shared Ownership Rewards

For the players who know what they want and how to get it, you would be after the title of **_Earl or Countess_**. You have just acquired yourself an entire Town. Good for you! You love to attract attention to your land, and are able to do so with Tier 2 buildings, and the ability of creating quests. Your premium shop will offer the finest goods in the land plus you are also rewarded with a **50x Per Plot Multiplier** for shared ownership rewards in Ember Sword.

### City --- 4x4

![1_SSnfiH9lhqN1DXLlNvGKCQ.webp](/cms/images/1_S_Snfi_H9lhq_N1_DX_Ll_Nv_GKCQ_16584b5046.webp)

_Example City Plot._

For the avid entrepreneurs, by acquiring this land you will earn the right to the highly respected and coveted title of **_Duke or Duchess_**. Players will not be able to stay away from your mammoth, sprawling City Plots. Your bustling area will give you the ability to place Tier 3 buildings and issue player quests. City owners are granted a whopping **125x Per Plot Multiplier** for shared ownership rewards in Ember Sword PLUS your premium shops will offer the finest goods in the land giving you loads of opportunities to prosper!

Buildings on settlement plots, town plots and city plots are likely to include choices such as guild houses, armoury, taverns or crafting stations. Questing could include PVE, Harvesting and or crafting missions. Premium Shops which will offer things like name changes, player appearance changes etc. More on this to be announced soon!

To read more about Land Ownership please visit our [White Paper](https://embersword.com/whitepaper).

## Summary

![1_MXf2Td8SqagL4IEfw-kpSQ.webp](/cms/images/1_M_Xf2_Td8_Sqag_L4_I_Efw_kp_SQ_ea039122c7.webp)

_Land Ownership Overview._
> 
> Note: All multipliers are per plot. Vendors and buildings are in development and are subject to change.

## How Player Interactions Get Distributed To Land Owners

For example: A player walks into a nearby plot of land and sees there's a building with a collectible for sale that they own. They sell it for roughly $100 worth of EMBER tokens.

![1_FngKUmR3r8XwDBw-hzuRfw.webp](/cms/images/1_Fng_K_Um_R3r8_Xw_D_Bw_hzu_Rfw_6f20bfa31f.webp)

_Ember Sword --- Land Distribution Model_

Fees are roughly broken down with 93% to the player, and the remaining 7% broken down as follows:

* Landowners receive a distribution of 3.5%, 1% of which goes into a global reward (for all land owners) and 2.5% is given to landowners in the local area of the transaction pool.
* 3.5% Goes to Bright Star Studios to help further fund the gameplay experience.

When it comes to distributing rewards, different plot types have different token reward multipliers as shown in the table below:

![1_42uxoFwhIX0tUFZdZyj2Ug.webp](/cms/images/1_42uxo_Fwh_IX_0t_UF_Zd_Zyj2_Ug_30dd9c989e.webp)

_Ember Sword Land Type Multipliers._

## What are the costs for each wave of the Land Sale?

![1_KkFX43NgocOrfwYHqjDEtg.webp](/cms/images/1_Kk_FX_43_Ngoc_Orfw_Y_Hqj_D_Etg_8efcac3761.webp)

## How to participate in the Alpha Land Sale

There will be **TWO** opportunities to participate in the Alpha Land Sale. In total, we will be offering a limited amount of plots for Solarwood.

![1_uXNUo3Bd8MgJtVCwkrownA.webp](/cms/images/1_u_XN_Uo3_Bd8_Mg_Jt_V_Cwkrown_A_cb33055ed2.webp)

_Land Sale --- Opportunities To Purchase._

**Wave 1** is by application ONLY and will give you the opportunity to tell us why you want the land, how you intend to use it, and most importantly, ensure that you are interested in making Solarwood's landscape a bustling world with lots of activity! We will select those applications which most closely align with our core values for the game and, of course, **prioritize those loyal community members who have been with us since the start --- our Badge holders**. You also get the best available 25% discount!

You will be notified if your application is successful via email, and will be able to select the plot of land of your choice from the interactive map on our website. Make sure you don't delay as **you will have 7 days to complete your purchase!**

## WAVE 1--25% Discount
> 
> 10th July --- Applications Submissions open at 1pm CEST
> 
> 13th July --- Applications close at 1pm CEST
> 
> 21st July Applicants Notified
> 
> 24th-30th July Purchase Window \*please note --- if you do not claim your land within this timeframe, your land will be released to the next wave for open sale\*

Wave 2 is first come first serve and will come with a 15% discount for those who are participating. You will be able to freely choose the amount of land you want and the location of the land which is still available.

## WAVE 2 (15% Discount)
> 
> Open from the 31st July
> 
> Open Sale --- No application required
> 
> Open land sale for remaining available land plots with purchase price discounted at 15% of full price

## Step by step guide on how to participate:

Wave 1:

* Step 1 --- Register for your account
* Step 2 --- Click on the Land Sale application image on the website
* Step 3 --- Fill out your application
* Step 4 --- Hit 'submit' button

That's it! We will review your application and let you know if you have been successful and next steps to take within x working days from the time you submitted your application.

Wave 2:

* Step 1 --- Ensure you have an IMX-enabled wallet and that it has sufficient funds
* Step 2 --- Register for your account
* Step 3 --- Click on the Land Sale image on the website (insert picture of the website journey)
* Step 4 --- Select the amount of plots you would like to acquire and the type of plot you want.
* Step 5 --- Connect your wallet and checkout

For step by step videos on how to purchase you land, please visit our [FAQ](https://embersword.com/#alpha-land-sale-faq).

## Technical Details

The LAND is a non-fungible and highly scarce ERC721 asset that resides on [ImmutableX](https://www.immutable.com/play/ember-sword) (L2) on Ethereum, and can be sold or traded to anyone. It can be acquired at any point during official Ember Sword land sales on our website or on whitelisted secondary marketplaces.

The Ember Sword on-chain ERC20 utility token is called EMBER, which is also used to trade the ERC721 collectibles, and can also be used to make in-game purchases. EMBER is not yet launched --- stay up to date with our socials for further announcements.

ERC721 Digital Collectibles, which are not related in any way to player progression, are represented as cosmetic items, emotes and similar in-game.

If you have any further questions, please refer to our [FAQ](https://embersword.com/#alpha-land-sale-faq) which will help you along the way!

## Get on the insider list to be informed first!

That's all for now! Be sure you are [registered](https://embersword.com/#modal=create-account) with us to get the latest updates via our newsletter. We will inform you with further details around the sales, and of course, follow us on our socials to get insider knowledge of the game updates and further opportunities we have coming this year. We have more big time announcements coming soon!
> 
> White Paper --- [https://embersword.com/whitepaper](https://embersword.com/whitepaper)
> 
> Discord --- [https://discord.com/invite/embersword](https://discord.com/invite/embersword)
> 
> Twitter --- [https://twitter.com/playembersword](https://twitter.com/playembersword)
> 
> Instagram --- [https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword](https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword)
> 
> Reddit --- [https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword](https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword)
> 
> Facebook --- [https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword](https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword)
> 
> Linkedin --- [https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios](https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios)
> 
> Twitch --- [https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword](https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword)

## DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Disclaimer: Bright Star never provides advice on anything (OTHER than pure in-game topics); Statements made --- on any platform or media --- from our community team, or anyone else outside of our community are never to be used as advice and in particular legal or financial advice. Please find our [full disclaimer](https://embersword.com/terms-and-conditions) in our terms and conditions for the Land sale.

A Chance to Own Your Piece of the Solarwood Landscape

Ember Sword’s Alpha Land Sale:

**That's right, you heard correctly, Ember Sword is officially in Alpha!**

The team has been working hard to develop our features, improve our backend technology and create amazing experiences for our community.

As we mentioned in the last post, we are going to be holding public Playtests this year --- one in April and one in August.

We are excited to be at a stage in our development journey where we can begin to open our doors to our future players, partners and our wider community.

At [Bright Star Studios](https://brightstar.studio/), our vision is to revolutionize how great games are played and accessed for players around the world. It's time to reimagine the game.

As we welcome in more and more players this year, we believe that through these Playtests the community will be able to see the progress we have made in our game development and to be able to experience some of the features we love. Of course, our amazing proprietary engine, which will allow for the game to run on any device, anywhere in the world down to a 3G+ connection within seconds. No downloads, no patches, no waiting!

## WHAT DOES ALPHA MEAN?

Alpha, for us, means that we are still tinkering! We are testing our core features, our infrastructure and stability. We are also still polishing the art style, NPCs and creatures --- you will see this progress really evolving from the April test all the way through to the playtest we have coming up in August. In short, we are not finished just yet.

DEFINITION OF GAME PHASE: ALPHA
> 
> Core Feature Testing & Greenlight In-Progress
> 
> On-Going Technical Tests for Infrastructure & Stability
> 
> Expect Some Instability While Testing
> 
> Expect Some Minor Latency Delays
> 
> Unbalanced Game, Art Is Subject To Further Changes

## WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE?

Our upcoming Playtests are open to anyone who is registered with an Ember Sword account. If you do not have an account, please [sign up now](https://embersword.com/) in order to receive further communications regarding the tests.

The upcoming Playtest will operate on a first come first serve basis. This means that not everyone will be able to participate as we have a limited window over a few days. However, fear not! If you cannot participate in this test due to high volumes of demand, we will be sharing dates for the next Playtest scheduled for August soon.

## WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

For those who have not participated in a Playtest test before, let us help you to understand what to expect, shall we?

It is very important to note that the Alpha Playtest is not in any way a finished version of the game. Like many other Alpha stage demos, its purpose is to examine various systems (such as online connectivity), test features, gameplay and questlines.

There will not be a limited area for you to play in Solarwood, but you do have a limited time that you are able to play (up to 30 minutes) as we want to be sure we can let as many people experience the Playtest as possible.

During the Playtest, players will be able to experience five main quests that will take them through a range of gameplay mechanics. The quests will involve PvE combat, resource collection, crafting, and will culminate in the player arriving at the capitol where they will meet Rashi, our loveable Solarwood town crier.

In addition to the 5 main questlines, if you still have time remaining, feel free to explore the vast open world of Ember Sword, which is filled with hidden treasures, secret locations, and challenging enemies to defeat.

PLAYERS WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN 5 MAIN QUESTLINES:

* "The Capital" --- This questline will take players through PvE combat, resource collection, and crafting, culminating in their arrival at the capital city of Esthar where they will meet the NPC Rashi.
* "A Crafting Expedition" --- This questline will involve more crafting and resource collection, taking players on a journey through the game's wilderness.
* "The Bandit Threat" --- This questline will focus on PvE combat, challenging players to take on a group of bandits and complete other objectives.
* "The Treasure Hunt" --- This questline will involve exploration and puzzle-solving as players search for valuable treasures hidden throughout the game world.
* "The Arena" --- This questline will focus on PvP combat, allowing players to compete against each other in an arena-style setting.

Each questline is designed to offer a unique experience, giving players a chance to engage with different gameplay mechanics and explore different parts of the game world.

Once you have finished playing, you will be encouraged to particpate in a feedback survey --- and we would love to hear what you think!

Map of Alpha Playtest Area

![0_ZIyv9xs0ClkTrxSg.jpg](/cms/images/0_Z_Iyv9xs0_Clk_Trx_Sg_3b4c204ed2.jpg)

## WHAT DO I NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEST?

1. You will need a verified Ember Sword account (verified meaning activated via email after [signing up](https://embersword.com/)).
2. Once you have these credentials, you will be able to receive the communications necessary to enter the game.

If you do not have an Ember Sword account, you can register one on our [website](https://embersword.com/). We do recommend signing up now, so you are ready to go once the PlayTest starts.

## HOW CAN I GIVE EMBER SWORD MY FEEDBACK?

We would LOVE to hear from you! Once you complete the test, we will send you to a feedback location for you to tell us about your experience. Please be honest. We value our community feedback and the more you share with us, the more we can improve upon player experiences.

As an added perk, we will be randomly selecting a small group of people who participate in feedback to win an official Ember Sword merch pack!

## WHEN DOES THE PLAYTEST START?

Players will get two opportunities to participate in the Playtest. They will be placed in a queue on a first come, first serve basis. We chose that approach to ensure the stability of the test, and to ensure those who are in-game have the best experience possible.

The planned testing windows are:

PlayTest 1 --- April 18th, 2023--10:00 CEST --- 23:59 CEST

PlayTest 2 --- April 19th, 2023--10:00 CEST --- 23:59 CEST

We will be conducting a live stream the day before the playtest. You will want to tune into this one, because our Senior Community Manager Thor Østenkær and Ember Sword Game Director Max Zimnukhov will sit down for a Q&A Ember Sword stream while showcasing the current Alpha gameplay state. The streams will take place on April 17th over at our [Twitch channel](https://www.twitch.tv/embersword) and later uploaded as full VoD on our [Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngbnaUTzIFwTS8wGFYZt8Q). See you there!

## WILL I BE ABLE TO PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME?

Not all of it. As mentioned, this is an Alpha Playtest and things are very much still a work in progress. While you will not be restricted to an area within Solarwood, you will have a limited window to complete the questlines.

## WILL THE GRAPHICS BE FINAL?

Not just yet, but we are getting closer! Typically at this Alpha stage in testing and development, graphics and artwork will not be their final, polished version, owing to the nature and purpose of the test.

## ARE THERE ANY TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS?

Our game runs on almost anything, however for this particular Playtest, to have the optimal experience, you may want to have these minimal requirements:

* 3G+ connection
* Mid tier computer with the minimum version of Chrome 108 (11--29--2022), Edge 108 (12--05--2022)

I am so excited to share these Playtests with you all. We really appreciate everybody's continued interest in the development of Ember Sword, and we are super grateful to those among you who are going to help us test the game in these earlier stages.

Thank you for being a part of our mission to change the way people experience and play games. As passionate gamers ourselves, we strive everyday to bring you the experiences you deserve!

As always, to stay up-to-date on all things Ember Sword, make sure to follow us on our socials:

Discord --- [https://discord.com/invite/embersword](https://discord.com/invite/embersword)

Twitter --- [https://twitter.com/playembersword](https://twitter.com/playembersword)

Instagram --- [https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword](https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword)

Reddit --- [https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword](https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword)

Facebook --- [https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword](https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword)

Linkedin --- [https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios](https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios)

Twitch --- [https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword](https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword)

EMBER SWORD’S ALPHA PLAYTEST — HOW TO PARTICIPATE

2022 was a year of change and evolution for the gaming and technology industries. The gaming sector continues to show tremendous growth, and the tech industry seems to be evolving on a day to day basis with the explosion of AI. The rapidly evolving blockchain and digital currency industry... well... it can be difficult to navigate. While there has been a lot of white noise swirling around us, we remained laser-focused on our core values and mission: to create better experiences for players, developers, and partners. It was a good year for our development, a lot has been achieved, and we are running full speed into 2023 with great positivity and eagerness.

I want to take the time to talk about what we have been doing at Bright Star Studios, where we are going and why it is important to forge better experiences for players, developers, partners and more. Of course, also Ember Sword --- why it will be fun, why our team and systems are focused solely around fun gameplay. And lastly, I wanted to reveal a little secret of ours we have been keeping under wraps...

## For the uninitiated, let's start from the beginning...

In 2018, we embarked on an ambitious journey to create an MMORPG that would revolutionize the way people experience games online. As devout players ourselves, we recognized that accessibility, long downloads, tedious installs, patching and the black market were major pain points for both developers and players --- and knew that we could do better.

We initially started working with a well-known engine company, who promised us they would have the technology ready for us to execute our vision for accessibility and high performance anywhere within 2 years tops. Unfortunately, when it came down to it, they realized they could not actually do what they promised. They would need to completely start from scratch --- something they were not willing to do. So... just like that, we were on our own. Were we frustrated? Sure. But we did not question for a second that our vision to improve experiences for everyone, no matter where they lived or what technology they have access to, was the right one.

Project SERIUS engine was born. It wasn't our first engine, as a team we have developed and worked on 5 engines in total, but none of them could do what this one can do. It solves a TON of issues with the current stagnant model, it is faster, it is stronger, and it is going to create a massive impact in the market.

As we developed Project SERIUS for Ember Sword, we discovered that its capabilities extended far beyond gaming. It has the potential to transform multiple industries and create a more seamless and enjoyable experience for users everywhere.

We are incredibly excited about the possibilities Project SERIUS brings and can't wait to share it with the world. More on this to come, but now I want to talk about our flagship game in development, Ember Sword.

![1_ezSMAyIlx2XYpqBJ1hwIzw.webp](/cms/images/1_ez_SM_Ay_Ilx2_X_Ypq_BJ_1hw_Izw_221fbf9733.webp)

## What is Ember Sword?

![1_Dx59_XJqSzYWdc5rzT_bew.webp](/cms/images/1_Dx59_X_Jq_Sz_Y_Wdc5rz_T_bew_6c77ef398a.webp)

As we embark on this journey to revolutionize the world of online gaming, we're thrilled to share more on our latest title: Ember Sword, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) that is truly pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Ember Sword provides an immersive, fast-paced experience that can be instantly accessed from any device. With stunning graphics, a wide range of customisation options, and intense real-time combat, this game offers a truly unique gaming experience. Players can explore a vast world full of adventure, mystery, and danger, while joining forces with friends and allies to achieve victory.

This is a gaming experience which is, no joke, playable on any device across the globe, within 10 seconds, down to a 3G+ connection. It's a mix of the fast-paced combat of aRPGs, combined with the isometric view and skill-based abilities of MOBAs, set in a persistent MMORPG fantasy universe. It was created, like most great ideas, out of a lot of frustration. We were sick of lengthy downloads and patches. We were tired of gaming for thousands of hours and seeing the big corporations, the behemoths, reap all the value that we, the community, created, or worse, seeing it stolen by shady characters on the black market. And finally, we were annoyed with the fact that although games have great peak experiences, much of the gameplay loops are still an unengaging grind.

* What if we could create a fun and highly social game with all the features we love and make it accessible to anyone in the world, no matter where they are from?
* What if we could make our own engine --- one that actually makes developing the game and the entire player experience easy?
* What if we could help to eliminate the black market and bring things to the surface with complete transparency, giving players complete control over their own digital assets?

So, we started building in 2018 with the vision of "fun gameplay first" over everything else. We created a world that is ever changing --- where players can opt in to control parts of the game, such as capitals, cities, towns and villages. Games these days are formulaic, a bit stale, and the game world never changes. You could be playing any popular MMO and the capital cities where everyone congregates would stay the same for a decade, sometimes multiple decades with little to almost zero change.

Having player-owned land makes the game always feel fresh and vibrant, and we split profits with those who help keep the game alive, as it should be. We also use AI to generate events on the fly, sort of like an AI-GameMaster, which always is trying to make sure you are challenged. It uses machine learning to, well, learn from the players within the game, studying their behavior in order to try and deliver them an epic experience, or simply a relaxed one if that is more the style a player would be seeking.

**A FOCUS ON "FUN GAMEPLAY FIRST"**

Ember Sword features multiple continents in one big shared world. It is highly social, with plenty of community based and guild-friendly features. Such as for example, if you are a streamer, we use integrated streaming methods which saves you bandwidth because we will be streaming the game directly to your choice of platform, like Twitch or YouTube, rather than you having to stream both the game and your own feed at the same time. You are going to be exploring various types of biomes, in a fantasy world where nothing is off limits, so you will have to keep your wits about you.

It is classless, meaning that you don't need to adhere to any sort of special build or abilities in order to have fun or join a guild etc. How you play, and your playstyle is completely up to you and what matters is how you apply yourself. This is a playstyle we know is very hard to achieve, as having a class based system makes game development and balancing a whole lot easier to create, and hence why it is the preferred choice of developers --- but we believe that this also limits people's creativity. It limits how they can participate in events, and not to mention, limits their fun, because who wants to be shoehorned into playing a specific role, or having only specific abilities. It also means that you cannot buy your way to the top. You have to have a lot of skill and talent to get there.

There is going to be a wealth of PvE and PvP experiences to enjoy. From the open world featuring a plethora of challenging quests, creature encounters, crafting and forging, to the cavernous dungeons for groups and raids which require cooperative play in order to be completed. We want our players to get social, which we will achieve through competitive content throughout the vast world --- which is going to be big, 16x16km² to be exact.

Of course all of this will be done in the browser --- but make no mistake --- this is not just another browser game. This is a fully functioning highly competitive MMORPG. Having a game accessible via the browser is made possible by our own proprietary engine, Project SERIUS which allows for much higher accessibility, allowing hundreds of millions of users to enjoy it as opposed to a few million.

## The importance of a transparent and self sustaining in-game economy

As gamers ourselves, we have taken all the best features from all the games we love, and put them into Ember Sword. The combat, questing, raids and in-game economy is going to be epic. The whole economy is designed around not giving, excuse my language, a rat's ass about the state of the world economy, about crypto, nor about the markets. We have from the get-go designed Ember Sword to have its own self-sustaining ecosystem. We care first about fun.

**THERE IS NO BUY IN --- AND YOU CANNOT PAY TO ADVANCE OR WIN IN THE GAME.**

Focused on a positive player experience with the economy, we will release a set amount of digital collectibles into the game every month --- based on the amount of active players (which will be minted on-chain) and then spread out through gameplay encounters and other achievements. This allows for maximum scarcity, and previously mentioned transparency, because everyone can see what is being minted, how many, and even be able to see the individual minting number of collectibles. For example, a player can have the first hat \#1 of out of perhaps \#1000 hats.

This means that we, as developers, do not need to waste any time worrying about what sells, nor what will be profitable for the future. We only need to ensure this is a fun experience for everyone.

We also considered harmful bots, and bot farming when we initially came up with the strategy and concept for the game --- because if you have easily achievable collectibles, or items, like in most MMORPGs, you will attract a horde of botters, and player farms to exploit these methods to gain a profit. However, by making items less of a chore, focusing more on gameplay and personal gameplay style, we severely hinder the use and need for bots --- because no one is going to buy these items on black markets when there is no need for it. And collectibles? Well, bots aren't going to be able to farm them, as they will require you to actively participate in the gameplay. To sprinkle on top of all of that, we also use AI to monitor the game to make sure we keep botting to an absolute minimum.

## Blockchain. Is it really needed? What does it add to your game?

Ember Sword is a Free To Play game which utilizes blockchain technology to ensure transparency and rightful ownership of digital collectables. It's not a game made because of blockchain, nor do you need any experience using the technology. You will not need to know how to operate a digital wallet, nor will you be asked to buy anything upfront at all.

We use blockchain because it gives us the advantages of an open ledger, where we and our users can track everything, transparently and openly, creating much more trust between us and the end user. We cannot cheat our community by recreating old collectibles and rereleasing them, because players would be able to see them minted. And furthermore, the economy of the game is contained within a token, where again, everything is transparent. There isn't really much difference from any other MMORPG with its own in-game premium currency, and an auction house or marketplace for items. The only difference here is that we allow players to trade if they so wish, easier tracking, a trusted system where everyone feels more like a true member of the community.

Furthermore, we use the chain to record your item's unique history in-game. This means that when you attach one of your collectibles to your character, they will begin to generate a history of what has been achieved with them. From epic moments where you defeat monsters, bosses and encounters, to special occasions. Say goodbye to boring old memories, say hello to sharing those epic moments forever!

![0_R4axtcyPoZ5sY5ya.png](/cms/images/0_R4axtcy_Po_Z5s_Y5ya_49afc6ac88.png)

## Now. Let's get onto Project SERIUS. Why is this engine a 'game changer'?

The technology behind Ember Sword, our homemade proprietary engine, Project SERIUS, is a next generation piece of technology which allows for major improvements across a number of different sectors --- not least for gaming. What sets this game engine apart from others on the market is its speed and scalability. Our engine can process large volumes of data quickly and efficiently, allowing developers to create complex and immersive gaming experiences with a fraction of the time and cost required by other engines.

It allows for easier, more cost effective development which is completely accessible on any browser app or device. This means that any player in any region, down to a 3G+ connection, can now play a AAA game without delay, and without having to wait several days for a download and install to go through. This allows Project SERIUS to penetrate markets previously untapped due to a lack of bandwidth or more technical limitations. Game changer.

Today there is still a lot of stigma surrounding games delivered through a browser, as in the past, these games used to be made with for example flash, and were usually, very simple, especially in terms of graphics. In today's world however, the browser is perfectly capable of delivering high end experiences --- the only limitations here are the technology available through the browser, which in turn is what needs to keep evolving. And it absolutely has evolved, with the emergence and optimization of wonderful applications such as WebGPU, WebAssembly etc, which allows for better performance and development on the web.

If you imagine your browser as a terminal, you can start to imagine that with an internet connection, and if everyone had decent bandwidth with somewhat decent computers, you could deliver practically anything through this 'terminal'. I personally envision that in the future we won't even need an operating system, (like Windows) and instead we will only have terminals (literally browsers) where everything we need is delivered through. From apps for Photo Editing, Music Editing Software, to Video Editing, practically anything you can think of could be directly, smoothly, and safely delivered right to you through your little terminal window. This limits the need for all of us to have huge harddrives, or even massive computer towers. We truly believe this is the future, and that we, as Project SERIUS developers, are absolutely working towards.

Right now, Project SERIUS is focused on developing and delivering experiences for games, starting with Ember Sword. But we are already getting it ready for multiple other industries where it can do wonders. From enabling much better video streaming (think faster/better way of loading and playing videos on streaming platforms) delivering users specific experiences for retail applications, augmented and virtual reality, to automobile solutions and home improvement. All of these sectors can make good use of instantly delivered experiences that are platform agnostic --- available to reach more people around the world. Game changer.

**WHAT'S COMING IN 2023 FOR EMBER SWORD?**

This year, we are going to be showing off a lot more of the game. From game quest loops, more of the open world, a full dungeon experience all with groups enabled, world bosses, fun encounters and puzzles for you to solve and defeat. It is going.. to be.. Glorious!

![0_9iEDoBRwh8v4nnns.png](/cms/images/0_9i_E_Do_B_Rwh8v4nnns_c47934621d.png)

What we have in the pipeline, is at first, the good basics of what every great MMORPG needs. We will release a small section of the current game world where you will get to experience how quests work, the various biomes you will come across within the first nation called Solarwood. You will get to see how pieces of player-owned land can look, learn how our fun and intricate crafting system works, and experience some PVE. There will be a variety of monsters to hunt and defeat, and finally you will have to team up with others to take down a world boss, which is a monster type which spawns out in the open world, and requires multiple people to take down. This also includes having fun in the Arenas, which will be the PVP experience, where you can do anything from 1vs1 to 2vs2, 3vs3 and so on.

![0_gY3stDBtNBz4pVQy.png](/cms/images/0_g_Y3st_D_Bt_N_Bz4p_V_Qy_423db3a436.png)

Which leads me to the final part, combat, where we hope that you will enjoy the various types of skills and abilities introduced to begin with, from dual wielding cool "pistols", to the more traditional sword and board warrior, to cool magicians throwing spells. There'll be a bit of everything for everyone.

The goal is to have something in your hands around April --- don't kill me if the timeline changes a bit, it is game development after all --- and then again after the summer where we plan on having a really fun dungeon experience ready for you to try out.

![0_qaUPftJreHXmxi4l.png](/cms/images/0_qa_U_Pft_Jre_H_Xmxi4l_7598815149.png)

Personally I cannot wait to finally show all of you what we have in store. It has been a few years of development, both for Ember Sword and Project SERIUS Engine. We continue to make great strides further in this ever changing world, and despite the current turbulent market. 2023 is going to be THE year for Bright Star Studios as we edge closer and closer towards the first release of Ember Sword. I know you all are going to love it.

We will continue to communicate more details as to what exactly you are going to experience in the upcoming features tests and demos. We are also going to talk more about Project SERIUS, and why exactly it is a piece of marvellous technology, both for game developers, and gamers alike.

Thank you for your on-going support and we appreciate each and every one of you.

Always remember, even in the darkest of nights, the stars shine the brightest.

**Mark Laursen --- Founder and CEO**

**Bright Star Studios**

Bright Star Studios: Forging Better Experiences in Gaming and Technology in 2023 & Beyond

The time is upon us once again! That's right, Thanabus Cup 3 is happening --- bigger, better, wilder, with more prizes and live events than ever before. In this post, we will be going over a brief introduction to what Thanabus Cup is, the story of the premiere Ember Sword event so far, and giving you a little teaser for this third iteration, which is kicking off at the end of the month. Let's get into it!

## Thanabus Cup Overview

For those that might not be familiar with it, the Thanabus Cup is an event hosted on the [Ember Sword Discord server](http://discord.gg/embersword), and it pits all four nations against each other in a fierce, if at times unconventional, competition. The Cup is designed to strike a healthy balance between events which let an individual's talent shine through and those that require every member of a nation to band together and work towards achieving that week's goal. Those goals can range from meme creation to a streamed [marble racing event](https://youtu.be/HhHOVlNLaJw), involving multiple hundreds of participants at once. You never quite know what you'll get with the Thanabus Cup, and we're very much intending to keep that tradition going with the threequel.

Of course, an event as epic as the Thanabus Cup requires some equally exciting prizes. Historically, a community member received a reward, either because they won an individual challenge or because they were selected by a random draw to be that week's winner. Furthermore, they received the unique "Competition Winner 🏆" Discord role and, more importantly, the glory and admiration that comes with it! The winning nation also got their name engraved on the actual, physical Thanabus Cup, which is proudly displayed in our head office in Aarhus, Denmark. This time around, however, things will be a bit different, but more on that later.

The first Thanabus Cup was a wild time for us here at Bright Star Studios. The idea was novel and hadn't really been done before, especially not on a platform such as Discord. It featured some fan favorite competitions --- create an in-game item, meme and art competitions, etc. and was ultimately won by Solarwood after 10 weeks of fierce competition.

The second Cup was bigger, better and crazier, implementing live streamed events, such as a building competition and marble races. The leader was constantly changing right up to the last competition, where Ediseau narrowly secured victory from Solarwood.

If all of that sounds intense, just wait until you see what we have in store next.

![1_2MX4Hj_g8ljWy2aHu2OJCg.webp](/cms/images/1_2_MX_4_Hj_g8lj_Wy2a_Hu2_OJ_Cg_1d8a547695.webp)

## Thanabus Cup 3

We are going all out with this third installment, having learned a lot from the first two iterations of the event.

### So, what's different this time around?

The most obvious change is the number of competitions, as this time around we've elected to host 7 of them, as opposed to the so far traditional 10\. We wanted this cup to feel more dynamic and action-packed, so we adopted this quality over quantity approach.

If we had to sum up TC3 in one word it would be: streams.  
Or if you want to get fancy with it and use double the words then it would be: more streams. Almost half of the competitions this time around will be live streamed, and we've racked our brains as hard as we could to create the wackiest, most unconventional streamed competitions to ever occur this side of Thanabus.

And last, but definitely not least, there's the prizes.  
The rewards are always an exciting part of the Thanabus Cup and, without giving too much away, we can say that like everything else about TC3 --- the prizes are bigger, better and more exciting!

Thanabus Cup 3 kicks off on November 29 with a very special first competition. To make sure you're prepared, [join our Discord server](http://discord.gg/embersword) and pick a nation, so that you're ready to go when the first competition starts!

We have high expectations for this cup, and we hope that you enjoy participating just as much as we enjoyed putting this together for you over the past months.

We'll see you on the field!

Thanabus Cup 3 Announcement

## A Word From Our Founders

As we rapidly head towards the end of the year, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on what has been a tremendous 12 months for us here at Bright Star Studios. We continue to be humbled by the passion and dedication of our community. You are what drives us to do better, to make the best decisions possible, and to ensure a long-lasting and thrilling experience for everyone. So once again...we appreciate each and every one of you!

### Upgrading Our Technology

It has been an incredible year of growth for the development of Ember Sword. We have taken major steps with our backend technology, scaling our infrastructure, improving security and officially moving development over to our own proprietary engine, which allows us to do so much more than before.

### Improving Blockchain Experiences

We have also launched our exchange migration to Immutable X, which will have massive speed and responsiveness for transactions, increased accessibility, improved security, the ability to pay with a credit card, and more. Additionally, upon migration, users will benefit from changing their ERC-1155 to non-fungible ERC-721, making each of them fully unique. All in all, this is another step towards making Ember Sword secure and, more importantly, accessible to as many people as possible.

While these steps in technology are not always visible, they require a great deal of work internally, and they are absolutely essential to securing the foundation of our game.

### Expanding Our Team & Community

As you have seen, we have added some incredible talent to the team. Hailing from brands such as Blizzard, Riot Games, King, Digital Arrow, Discovery, CD Projekt Red and Disney, the newly appointed leadership team brings a wealth of experience and passion to the studio. If you didn't see our announcement on this, please find it [here](https://medium.com/embersword/bright-star-studios-appoints-leadership-team-as-it-prepares-the-studio-for-next-stage-of-global-96e773cb1a38).

With this amazing group of people on board, this means that we are officially at the scale up stage, and we have been working very hard behind the scenes to build the very best foundation for the player experience for our community.

### Game Design

Our imaginative artists, engineers and game designers have been working hard to move to the next stages of the game's art development. As you know, Solarwood will be the first nation we will be releasing, and before the end of this year, we will be announcing a first look reveal of some of Solarwood's characters! This includes one of the more important figures we'll be meeting in Solarwood, the Town Crier, as well as a notorious Bandit and a seasoned Smith. We will also be sharing a bit more about Solarwood's culture, politics and some of the creatures you might come across during your adventures.

## Ember Sword In Progress!

As part of our WIP Wednesdays, we are so pleased to reveal a further demo video for you all here today. This is just a sliver of what is to come!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPcbovVosmY?si=BSuya4lpZDybuYLs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanabus Cup
We will also be holding our 3rd edition of the highly competitive Thanabus Cup! Once again, our four nations of Thanabus will compete against each other in a multi-week challenge for their chance to win prizes and carve their name on the Thanabus Cup itself. The competition draws in thousands of community members and this time around there are some special surprises in store, with news coming very soon, so stay tuned!

The Year Ahead
Towards the beginning next year we will be releasing a features testing schedule with our community! It is hugely important for us to develop our game alongside you all, and we are thrilled to be able to receive and implement your valuable feedback for the best features of our game. Once community features testing is well underway, we will be in a great position to move to the Alpha stage of development.

DEFINITION OF GAME PHASE: ALPHA
Core Feature Testing & Greenlight In-Progress
On-Going Technical Tests for Infrastructure & Stability
Expected Instability While Testing
Unpolished Game And Subject To Further Changes Development
Of course, after Alpha comes Beta, right? Well, during the Beta stage, we aim to release a first edition of our White Paper with the community. Here you’ll be able to find more information about gameplay features, the in-game economy, our in-game tokenomics (off-chain and on-chain systems), as well as other important information about what will be possible throughout your experiences playing the game.

After the White Paper and during the Beta stage, we will also aim to release our in-game token, Ember. This custom-built ERC-20 token is designed to allow players to trade rare collectables and cosmetics within the game, including land, cosmetics, pets and mounts. More to come on this when we release the White Paper. During this time, all of our current badge holders will be able to claim their badges and begin to release their tokens. *subject to regional legislation

Of course, we will also be releasing our first gameplay trailer during the next year as well. We can’t wait to share it with you all, as it’s going to be a really special one.

And finally, we always want to add that none of this would be possible without your continued support. Thank you for being a part of our mission to change the industry for the better. As passionate gamers ourselves, we strive everyday to bring you the experiences you deserve and dream of!

Thank you, and enjoy the upcoming holiday season!

Sincerely,

Bright Star Studios and The Ember Sword Community Team

Community Year End Wrap Up

Developing a groundbreaking MMORPG is no small feat, especially when it comes to Ember Sword. Our mission of _Reimagining The Game_ is an ambitious one and it requires a lot of moving parts to work in harmony --- from the development of our game and engine to engagement with our dedicated community. Naturally, managing this process with passion and integrity is of the utmost importance to making Ember Sword as good as we know it can be. After all, that is no less than what you, our incredible community, deserve. Thankfully, we have some very good hands steering the ship and we want to officially introduce you to them!

We are excited to announce several new additions to our leadership team, slated to accelerate company growth and community momentum. We see the growth of our leadership team as the next step in our promise to build the best gaming experiences we can, as well as take the commitment from our partners and the trust from our growing community very seriously.

Co-Founder Joris Huijbregts is now Chief Development Officer.New additions include Mo Fadl as Chief Publishing Officer, Amber Sutera as VP of Marketing, Sinisa Vuckovic as in-game Art Director, Max Zimnukhov as Game Director, Christophe Celard as VP of Operations, and Thomas Hector as VP of Infrastructure, amongst other leadership roles across Community and Player Experience and Business Development.

Hailing from brands such as Blizzard, Riot Games, King, Digital Arrow, Discovery, CD Projekt Red and Disney, the newly appointed leadership team brings a wealth of experience and passion to our studio. The team plans to focus on our dedicated community and support the creation of next-generation original MMO game franchise experiences utilizing Bright Star's own proprietary engine.

We leave off with a few words from our leadership team, which exemplify the passion they bring to the growth of Bright Star Studios.

_"It's time for MMOs to evolve. We see the growth of our leadership team as the next step in our promise to build the best gaming experiences we can. We take the commitment from our partners and the trust from our growing community very seriously. With top tier talent on board, we are in a great position to deliver incredible next gen MMO franchises, starting with [Ember Sword](https://embersword.com/),"_ says **Mark Laursen, CEO of Bright Star Studios**.

_"Our products and tools solve three major issues for MMORPGs today: high-friction gameplay, closed markets and low engagement. Whereas traditional publisher-led MMOs make it cumbersome and time-consuming to download a game, our technology allows players to access their game directly and start playing in a matter of seconds --- whether from a browser, desktop or mobile device."_ says **Joris Huijbregts, Chief Development Officer**.

_"Gaming is one of the few hobbies, or rather a lifestyle, which allows you the opportunity to dive into a world where you can be anyone or anything --- no matter who you are, where you live, or what your social standing is. You can become a friend, a foe, a hero, a legend and you can accomplish anything together. We want to build experiences which will last a lifetime."_ says **Mo Fadl, Chief Publishing Officer**.

With close to 3 billion people now playing games globally, one thing is very clear: the industry is just getting started and Bright Star Studios is poised to make waves.

## About Bright Star Studios

Bright Star Studios is a global independent game development studio crafting next generation original MMO franchise experiences utilizing its own proprietary engine.

We are led by a diverse team of award-winning venture founders, former world champion pro-players and entertainment professionals who come with decades of game industry experience. We are innovators who are carving a new path forward for MMORPGs across PC, Browser, and Mobile. The studio's mission is to rewrite the games industry with a new model that favors the community through diverse gameplay, instant playability and a leading platform which supports the player economy.

The studio is currently developing their flagship MMORPG title, Ember Sword, a modern rewrite of the games industry business model which brings a player-owned economy and the community together in a unique and engaging cooperative role playing universe.

## About Ember Sword

Ember Sword is a social sandbox MMORPG taking place in a player-driven universe where the adventure finds you. Built by a team of imaginative artists, engineers and game designers, Ember Sword offers a unique community-led frictionless PvP and PVE player experience, and allows the community to have true ownership of their digital assets.

\#\#\#

Website: [https://embersword.com/](https://embersword.com/)

Media Kit: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-dEHwiKgR0fkp6g1cq-pbVvMCfBAD5Fj](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-dEHwiKgR0fkp6g1cq-pbVvMCfBAD5Fj)

Medium: [https://medium.com/embersword](https://medium.com/embersword)

Discord: [https://discord.gg/EmberSwor](https://discord.gg/EmberSword)d

Bright Star Studios Appoints Leadership Team as It Prepares The Studio for Next Stage of Global Growth

That's right, it's time! As you may be aware, we previously published a [blog](https://medium.com/embersword/immutable-x-partnership-378ea4192419) announcing our partnership with Immutable X to ensure we are laying the best possible foundations for Ember Sword and our community.

We have many great reasons for this partnership --- massive speed and responsiveness for transactions, increased accessibility, improved security, the ability to pay with a credit card, and more. Additionally, upon migration, badge holders will benefit from changing their ERC-1155 to non-fungible ERC-721, making each of them fully unique. All in all, this is another step towards making Ember Sword secure and, more importantly, accessible to as many people as possible.

On May 31st 2022, we announced that we would be switching platforms from Polygon to Immutable X. Users who hold Digital Assets with us are fully responsible to migrate their Digital Assets from Polygon's platform to IMX within 18 months of the original announcement, i.e. by December 1st 2023\. Digital Assets which have not been migrated will from December 1st 2023 no longer be supported. For more information on this, please contact our support team.

One of the main points of the previous announcement was that our current land and/or badge holders would need to migrate their NFTs from Polygon to Immutable X. After a lot of optimizing and setting up processes, as you can probably guess by the title, it's time for you to learn how to do just that!

**The migration process goes live on the first Monday of every month and runs for a week.** Head over to [https://embersword.com/imx-migration](https://embersword.com/imx-migration) to migrate your assets during that window.

## Reward Program Details

We here at Ember Sword, alongside Immutable X, have created a rewards program as a way to give you a little _token_ of our appreciation.

Here's how this is going to work --- we have set aside a pool of 20,000 IMX tokens. Users will be rewarded with 1 IMX token per asset transferred. These tokens will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Simple, right?

This method was chosen due to how uncomplicated it is, while also making sure that a broad range of people can benefit from it. To do that, we have put in place a cap of 150 IMX tokens per person in order to ensure as many people as possible get a chance to partake in the reward program.

Do be aware that we would never ask for your password or keys, nor would we ever communicate with asset holders outside of our official channels. Exercise due diligence in all matters related to your Ember Sword assets. To stay up-to-date on any security concerns, consider joining our [Discord](https://discord.gg/embersword), where we frequently update our community on things to watch out for.

With all that said, let's see exactly how the migration process works.

## The Migration Process

Before we start, we should note that the migration process is easiest on a personal computer. However, you can also initiate the process on mobile by following these steps:

1: Go to [https://market.immutable.com/](https://market.immutable.com/) and connect your wallet --- IMX has made a guide on how to do that here: [https://support.immutable.com/hc/en-us/articles/4750968898447-Purchasing-NFTs-with-a-Mobile-Wallet](https://support.immutable.com/hc/en-us/articles/4750968898447-Purchasing-NFTs-with-a-Mobile-Wallet)

2: Go to the MetaMask App, open the browser window and enter [https://embersword.com/imx-migration](https://embersword.com/imx-migration)

3: You can now start the migration process!

Onto the guide. To make migrating from Polygon to Immutable X as easy as we could, we have made it possible to complete migration on PC without ever having to leave our website. We have also created a handy video tutorial (alongside the text one below), which you can watch [at this link](https://youtu.be/0VkVgq0LEec). Please also note that having any adblocker software installed might affect the transfer process. As such, if you experience problems, try disabling your adblock and restarting the process.

**Step 1** --- log into your Ember Sword account. If you do not have an account yet (say you've bought your land/badge on the secondary market), you can register [here](https://embersword.com/?modal=create-account).

![1_770fdu6XNlpRJDrlUkrd-g.webp](/cms/images/1_770fdu6_X_Nlp_RJ_Drl_Ukrd_g_788e525e4f.webp)

Once you've successfully logged in, you will be taken to **Step 2** --- Connecting your digital wallet.

![0_ZIkzFu9ferupItEA.png](/cms/images/0_Z_Ikz_Fu9ferup_It_EA_0c69cd72e5.png)

We are using MetaMask here as an example, however please note that most Web3 compatible wallets should work. We have run tests with multiple ones to make sure of that, including the likes of Coinbase hot wallet and Nano Ledger.

**Step 3** --- Connect Immutable X to your Web3 wallet.

A pop-up will appear, asking you if you want to switch networks. Click on "Switch network":

![0_S1Jbhgg4RCz2zkOn.png](/cms/images/0_S1_Jbhgg4_R_Cz2zk_On_4b5d7c4d1d.png)

This will lead to another pop-up, asking you to connect Immutable X to your wallet:

![0_q66F5xtQ0SVh1KeJ.png](/cms/images/0_q66_F5xt_Q0_S_Vh1_Ke_J_418a37a1ce.png)

You will be taken to a menu with all your available wallets. Select the one you want to connect (the one containing your Ember Sword assets) and click "Next" and then "Connect":

![1_P4j42X4_6sBXxZ2JSzZzYg.webp](/cms/images/1_P4j42_X4_6s_B_Xx_Z2_J_Sz_Zz_Yg_735b4509e4.webp)

![1_Ldj8eJO0A-B3ZgvZ_EMXyQ.webp](/cms/images/1_Ldj8e_JO_0_A_B3_Zgv_Z_EM_Xy_Q_c12ba7a843.webp)

Next, click "Connect" on the Immutable X pop-up. That will send a signature request to your wallet:

![0_VIzm6CXVgiUorPv8.png](/cms/images/0_V_Izm6_CX_Vgi_Uor_Pv8_bae9eb712a.png)

![1_tg6CrtNequU2PAqf35YQaA.webp](/cms/images/1_tg6_Crt_Nequ_U2_P_Aqf35_Y_Qa_A_e3d9f3ad8f.webp)

This will lead into **Step 4** --- Transferring your Polygon assets to Immutable X.

The process will confirm which assets you have in your wallet. You will again have a MetaMask pop-up, prompting you to allow the addition of a network to your MetaMask account (with the same example parameters as above). Click "Approve" and then "Switch network".

![0_DGrM4tyfGZNQsVyy.png](/cms/images/0_D_Gr_M4tyf_GZN_Qs_Vyy_1c459e0cb8.png)

The transfer will incur some gas fees (in MATIC), which will be shown in the next pop-up. The gas fees are part of the transfer, as you're migrating networks.

![0_fJMbl6E_Y74SWT6i.png](/cms/images/0_f_J_Mbl6_E_Y74_SWT_6i_f84531374e.png)

Upon confirmation, the migration will begin.

Your transfer is now in progress and you can safely exit the browser window. Upon its completion (which can take up to 14 days), you will be notified via email if the transfer has been successful.

![0_AK7dKo08deZ2BMK5.png](/cms/images/0_AK_7d_Ko08de_Z2_BMK_5_8dc7d7f9fc.png)

And that's it! You have successfully migrated your Ember Sword NFTs to Immutable X.

Once again, the process goes live on the **8th of June**. To stay up-to-date on all things Ember Sword, make sure to follow us on our socials and join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/embersword).

Ember Sword — Immutable X Migration

Ember Sword’s June 2022 Competition

As you might have seen on our [Discord](https://discord.com/channels/451264105165225995/475654034812829706/948897857795145738) channel , we are planning on doing a series of technical tests with select members of our community starting in early April. Let's get into it!

## Who is eligible to participate?

Invites have been sent to our community members who currently own in-game land and/or are badge holders. If you have purchased land or badges on secondary marketplaces, please make sure you have signed up for an Ember Sword account in order to receive communications regarding the test. Basically, if you own a badge and/or land at the time of testing, you have a chance to feature test Ember Sword! Those eligible will be able to participate in three rounds of testing, which will run over the course of the month of April.

And just so you know how much we appreciate all of you --- community members who are not selected for this technical test will still get a chance to participate in testing the game at a later stage. More on this, as always, will be posted to our socials in due time.

## What exactly is a technical test?

For those who have not participated in a technical test before, let us help you to understand what to expect, shall we?

It is very important to note that the technical test is not in any way a finished version of the game. Like many other similar tests, its purpose is to examine various systems (such as online connectivity), see if there are any large scale bugs, gauge the need for further optimization, etc. There will be a limited play area and selected gameplay loops for testers to tinker around with.

In other words, the test will be a small sample of what is to come over the next several stages of development for our game.

### What do I need to do to participate in the test?

1. You will need a verified Ember Sword account (verified meaning activated via email after signing up).
2. You will need to connect your digital wallet, done through the account page on our website.
3. You need to have a badge or land plot in your wallet at the time of logging into the test.
4. Once you have these credentials, you will be able to receive the communications necessary to enter the game. Those will take the form of a notification on our website, visible once you've logged into your account and are able to participate in the test. Said notification will go live close to the tech test itself.

_Please be aware of scams and fake accounts when purchasing land or badges. Only marketplaces with the verified marks should be trusted. Do your own research._

If you do not have an Ember Sword account, you can register one on our [website](https://embersword.com/). We do recommend connecting your digital wallet to your Ember Sword account as well, so you are ready to go once the test starts.

### How will we gather feedback?

As mentioned above, we will be predominantly testing systems and game foundations in this technical test. What that means is the feedback we will be collecting will mostly be derived from data generated by players during the testing sessions. However, we understand that the testers will most likely spot things that we haven't. That's why we will have a dedicated feedback channel on our Discord, launching close to the tests.

### When do the technical tests start?

Testers will get three opportunities to participate in the testing. They will be placed in a queue on a first come, first serve basis. We chose that approach to ensure the stability of the test, as well as to make gathering data possible in a controlled environment. The planned testing windows are:

Test 1 --- April 4th-8th

Test 2 --- April 19--20th

We will be conducting live streams during each round of testing. Those will be hosted by our very own team of Thor and Svetlin. The first stream will take place on April 4th at 13:00 CET over at our [Twitch channel](https://www.twitch.tv/embersword). The streams to follow will be announced on our socials.

_Update 22.04.22 --- The testing sessions went so well and we gathered so much valuable feedback that we wanted to start working on improving the game as soon as possible. Thus, we have focused our manpower on building on what the testing sessions taught us and we will not be conducting a third tech test session. Rest assured, more tests will follow at a later stage. For now, we're putting our noses to the grindstone and moving forward with making Ember Sword the best it can be!_

### Will I be able to play the entire game?

No. Technical tests are restricted to certain areas of the game and will only include a series of gameplay loops to tinker around with the ultimate goal being to gather data on the various systems underpinning Ember Sword.

### Will the graphics in the game be finalized?

No. Typically at this pre-alpha stage in testing and development, graphics and artwork will not be their final, polished version, owing to the nature and purpose of the test.

And that about wraps it up! We really appreciate everybody's continued interest in the development of Ember Sword and we are super grateful to those among you who are going to help us test the game in these early stages.

As always, to stay up-to-date on all things Ember Sword, make sure to follow us on our socials:

Twitter --- [https://twitter.com/playembersword](https://twitter.com/playembersword)

Instagram --- [https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword](https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword)

Facebook --- [https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword](https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword)

Reddit --- [https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword](https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword)

About Ember Sword

Ember Sword is a Free-to-Play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) taking place in a player-driven dystopian sci-fantasy universe with a classless and fast-paced combat system.

You will be able to create a character, pick a home nation, and venture into the mysterious world with your weapon of choice to prove your worth in the action-packed classless combat system by defeating monsters, bosses, and other players, or explore the world as a peaceful forager of goods and rares, making a name for yourself as a talented refiner and craftsman.

About Bright Star Studios

Bright Star Studios is a passionate team of Award-Winning Venture Founders. Born from former pro-players, world champions, game industry veterans and MMO fanatics, Bright Star Studios is carving a new path for MMORPGs through a modern rewrite of the games industry economy, designed in favor of its empowered player community.

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