As an avid gamer and blockchain enthusiast, I‘ve been eagerly following Axie Infinity‘s incredible growth. This Pokémon-inspired universe built around collectible fantasy creatures called Axies has exploded into one of the biggest play-to-earn phenomena on the internet today.
Over 2.5 million people now play Axie Infinity daily. Top players are earning over 10 times the average salary in developing countries through grinding, breeding, and battling Axies. No wonder it‘s being called a dream job!
But I remember how complex it was to set everything up when I first started a few months ago. Between Ronin sidechains, MetaMask wallets, and NFT markets, there‘s a steep learning curve if you‘re new to blockchain gaming.
So I‘ve created this guide to help you get playing Axie Infinity faster, whether as an invested player or scholarship recipient. Let‘s catch em‘ all!
Axie Infinity‘s Meteoric Rise
First, let‘s understand why Axie has become so massively popular:
As you can see above, Axie enjoyed steady growth since its launch in 2018. But it absolutely exploded in mid 2021.
What happened?
Developer Sky Mavis raised over $150 million in funding. This enabled them to spread Axie scholarship initiatives and incentivize creators. Combined with lockdowns forcing people to look for livelihoods online, it kickstarted network effects and viral growth.
Central to this is Axie Infinity‘s play-to-earn model. Players are rewarded tokens and NFT assets with real monetary value for their effort – you can literally play games to put food on the table!
Let‘s get into how you can start your Axie adventure…
Step 1: Set Up Your Ronin Wallet
Ronin is an Ethereum sidechain built specially to support Axie Infinity by keeping transactions fast and cheap. You‘ll first need to install the Ronin browser extension wallet:
- Visit Ronin‘s Chrome Web Store page and click Add to Chrome.
- In Chrome‘s extensions menu, pin Ronin Wallet so it‘s easily accessible.
- Create a new wallet – make sure to note down your private key! This key gives you (or anyone holding it) access to your funds!
The Ronin wallet will be your portal into the Axie universe, allowing you to buy Axies or claim the tokens you earn.
Now let‘s move on to actually installing the game…
Step 2: Download Mavis Hub & Install
Mavis Hub is the official desktop launcher for playing Axie Infinity. You‘ll need to download it from Axie‘s website:
- Visit axieinfinity.com and click the pink Play Now button.
- This should automatically download the Mavis Hub installer file to your computer. If not or you‘re on mobile, you can manually download it.
- Once downloaded, open the file to install Mavis Hub.
Step 3: Link Your Ronin Wallet
Upon launching Mavis Hub, you‘ll be prompted to import your existing Ronin wallet (which we created earlier!) to link it.
- Click Create Account which will redirect you to the Axie Marketplace.
- Here choose Login with Ronin Wallet and accept the signature request.
- On the next page, add an email and password to lock in your account.
Once linked, your Ronin wallet will show in the top right of Mavis Hub.
Step 4: Install Axie Infinity
Time to finally install Axie Infinity! Inside Mavis Hub, hit the pink INSTALL button which will begin downloading the Axie game files.
This will take a few minutes even on fast internet. While waiting, take the chance to grab a drink or snack! I recommend preparing some coffee to pull an all-nighter grinding SLPs later on 😉
Once installed, the Launch button will appear. Click it to officially enter the world of Lunacia!
Step 5: Get Your Starter Axie Team
Now comes the hard part – to actually play Axie Infinity matches and earn tokens, you need a team of 3 Axies.
Think of Axies like Pokémon – they each have different stats, body parts, abilities and classes. You‘ll use them to battle other players or AI enemies.
But here‘s the catch…
Axies are NFTs owned on the blockchain. They aren‘t free to obtain or play. The cheapest Axies cost around $200 at time of writing. So putting together a starter team costs $600+! 😱
I‘ll be honest – when I first learned this, I almost gave up then and there. $600 was my monthly salary at the time!
Thankfully there is an alternative to laying down hundreds of dollars upfront…
The Easier Way: Apply for an Axie Scholarship
Unless you have deep pockets already, the best route by far is to apply for an Axie scholarship. These are offered by experienced players and guilds as a way to share Axies.
The scholar (you) gets to use someone else‘s Axies to earn tokens in game. In exchange you provide a cut of your earnings, usually 30-50%, to the manager.
It‘s a win-win arrangement allowing more people to enjoy Axie Infinity without the steep buy-in.
Over 200,000 people have already been sponsored scholarships at time of writing. To apply, search "Axie scholarship + your location" and complete the registration requirements.
With all that sorted, at last – let the grinding begin! 💪
Start Your Play-to-Earn Journey
Gather your Axies, grab an energy drink (you‘ll need it!) and launch into the rich PvE and PvP game modes in Axie Infinity. Each match you win will earn you tokens and NFT loot.
Check your total assets and SLP token balance increasing in real time through the Inventory page linked to your Ronin Wallet. Stake them to multiply your earnings. It‘s your gateway to play-to-earn!
Most of all though, remember to enjoy yourself! Axie Infinity began as a passion project by Vietnamese studio Sky Mavis. At its heart lies deep gameplay with friends and guildmates.
Have fun on your adventures, trainer. Catch ya on Lunacia soon! 👋
