The game that sparked the global web3 gaming explosion is about to face its ultimate decentralization test.
Axie Classic, the original card-battler that introduced millions of players to play-to-earn mechanics, is officially winding down its developer-backed competitive ecosystem. Once the upcoming Season 16 concludes on September 10, Sky Mavis will pause regular competitive seasons, halt active feature development, and remove Classic quests from the daily Bounty Board.
From that point onward, the future of the game will depend entirely on whether its player base is willing to step up and run it.
What Changes for Players After September 10
For active players and scholars, the most immediate impact will be felt in the wallet.
The removal of Classic quests from the official Bounty Board eliminates one of the primary built-in earning mechanics for casual competitors.
Sky Mavis plans to hand over the ongoing direction, tournament organization, and future development of Axie Classic to the community. While exact details on how governance, tooling, or reward structures will work are still being finalized, official support under the current structure ends with Season 16.
If the game is to survive long-term, players, guild leaders, and third-party organizers will need to fund their own prize pools, manage grassroots balance feedback, and host their own events.
One Final Official Season: Schedule and Rewards
Before the developer steps back, Axie Classic is holding one final competitive push. Season 16 serves as the last official leaderboard push under Sky Mavis leadership.
- Season Leaderboard: August 12 – September 2, 2026
- Mini Tournaments: August 13 – September 10, 2026
The final season offers two qualification slots for the upcoming Champions Invitational, where players will compete for a piece of a 5,000 bAXS prize pool.
Because Season 15 Champion Chan and Arena Leaderboard runner-up JL have already secured their tournament invites from prior achievements, the remaining Season 15 spot officially passed to runner-up Eshaz. That leaves two final invitations open for top performers in Season 16 before the official competitive era closes.
The Broader Shift in the Axie Ecosystem
While Classic reaches its conclusion, official development and prize allocations are actively funneling into other projects within the franchise:
- Axie Infinity: Origins is currently running Season 18 with an Elite 4 tournament format and a prize pool of roughly 80,000 bAXS.
- Terrariums, the land-based gameplay system, recently updated to version 1.1, allowing land owners to boost their “Atia’s Flame” metrics and earn bAXS rewards through item placements and collectible Axie setups.
- Atia’s Legacy, an upcoming action MMO featuring real-time PvP and boss battles, is moving toward its fourth playtest phase. (Read More: Sky Mavis Announces Axie Infinity: Atia’s Legacy, a New MMO Set in Lunacia)
This article is published on BitPinas: Axie Classic Is Ending Official Development. Can the Community Keep the Web3 Game Alive?
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