What are BIGTIME tokens: Big Time's preseason game update

From polished projects like Illuvium to the highly anticipated launch of Ember Sword, many top GameFi projects have been silently working away at improving their games behind the scenes. This includes the likes of Big Time — a free-to-play Web3 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that's set to reignite the GameFi scene with its low barrier to entry and fun gameplay that might stand out from the competition.

Curious about what lies in store for aspiring Big Time players? From navigating through time and space to experiencing the fun real-time combat mechanics, here's everything you need to know about Big Time and why users are getting excited about its preseason launch.

What is Big Time?

Big Time is a PC MMORPG that melds an action-packed combat system with an open-game economy where players have an active role in the generation and exchange of game items. With six unique classes to choose from, huge open levels to explore, and a unique time-bending narrative, Big Time looks like the next big action RPG to blur the lines between GameFi titles and mainstream video games.

Why are players excited for Big Time?

After years of development, Big Time Studios has finally announced that the game is ready for its preseason launch. Coming with this update is the launch of Big Time's anticipated player-owned economy and BIGTIME tokens ($BIGTIME), the game's native cryptocurrency that'll be driving Big Time's economy.

With more than 300,000 Discord members and accolades like Web3 Game of the Year, it's safe to say players are excited about Big Time's next big update. Besides the major preseason update, here are some other reasons Big Time has reached a million email signups and counting.

Play-to-earn, not pay-to-win

A problem players might face in regular MMORPGs is whales and their tendency to splash the cash in order to gain a unique gameplay advantage. That won't be the case in Big Time, since the team intends to create a "cosmetic based economy" — one that's similar to the economies seen in today's biggest video game titles like Fortnite and Valorant.

Instead of doing more damage or giving characters more health points, these non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are purely cosmetic and act like skins that give your character more flair and room for expression. This meritocratic design philosophy makes sure that players who put their time and effort into Big Time are duly rewarded, as players are unable to simply buy their way to success.

Experienced development team

As one of the early pioneers of the GameFi movement, Big Time Studios' founders Thor Alexander and Ari Meilich first conceptualized the game in 2020. If you're familiar with the crypto industry, you might recognize the name Ari Meilich. That's because he was the project lead for the Decentraland Metaverse. This leads to our first point on why players are hyped for Big Time.

With a star-studded team filled with both gaming industry veterans and blockchain industry pioneers, Big Time Studios is packed to the brim with talented individuals that once had a hand in shaping today's biggest mainstream games. From Riot Games to Electronic Arts, the development team seems to be a melting pot of experienced game developers and artists who know their way around launching a video game. This could be a welcome breath of fresh air for many gamers, who are wary of the predatory practices of some of today's top GameFi projects.

Lowering the barrier to entry for non-blockchain gamers

For anyone remotely interested in Big Time with limited blockchain game experience, it might seem off-putting when being told about the complexity of NFTs and wallet set-ups. That's where Big Time's proprietary Infinity Vault system comes in. Despite being built on the Ethereum blockchain, Big Time circumvents the sometimes lackluster user experience many associate with typical blockchain NFT games. With Big Time's Vault, players can say goodbye to paying costly Ethereum gas fees and the need to manage personal wallets as players trade NFTs and equipment all within the game's open economy.

Big Time roadmap — what's on the cards

With the preseason launch comes Patch 0.28. Here are a few things that have us excited about Big Time in the coming update.

Earn BIGTIME tokens with Hourglasses

Wondering how you can earn BIGTIME tokens? They're largely generated via Hourglasses, which are collectible items crafted by the Time Warden. These collectibles come in ten rarity tiers, ranging from common to unique. The rarity of an Hourglass determines the amount of BIGTIME tokens a player can acquire. For example, a 'common' Hourglass has a 0% bonus multiplier, while a 'unique' one may offer up to a 2,000% bonus of BIGTIME. With the ability to equip up to five Hourglasses, it'll come down to a player's efficiency when maximizing their BIGTIME yield.

Prestige portals

Prestige portals are Big Time's newest feature and are introduced to place an increased importance on making sure your character has the right collectibles. To access these exclusive portals, players must meet cosmetic collectible requirements that can range from having the right color to fitting the correct theme. Once these requirements are met, players then pay an entry fee, either in BIGTIME tokens or Time Crystals (Big Time's other premium currency), to access the portal. Once inside, players can embark on adventures to defeat bosses and enjoy higher drop rates for desirable items like bonus BIGTIME, Time Crystals, and rare NFTs.

New craftable NFTs and utility NFTs

With the help of workshop NFTs like Forges, Armories, and Time Wardens, players can now craft unique weapon and armor cosmetic NFTs. This will allow Big Time players to get creative when crafting visually distinct cosmetics for armor pieces and weapons. With each upgrade towards the next rarity tier, utility NFTs will require more BIGTIME tokens, so players will need to carefully plan ahead to make sure they have enough resources.

Rentable workshop NFTs

As a bonus, guilds and players can rent out their workshop NFTs via Open Loot. This grants forge, armory, and time warden access to newer players who don't want to bear the upfront cost but are keen on crafting new collectibles, participating in the game, and selling their creations on Open Loot.

Quality of life social features

As more players secure access to Big Time, the game will likely see a huge influx of new players keen on traversing the realms of space and time. That's where the social features and auto-queue party system come in. Rather than undergo battles alone, Big Time now supports a guild system that allows players to party up and fight enemies together. The auto-queue party system also goes a long way towards making it easier to play together with friends and encourages users to work as a unit.

BIGTIME tokenomics

Interested in learning about the tokenomics of Big Time's newest token that's driving the open economy? Here are some helpful statistics:

• BIGTIME will have an opening price of $0.0145

• Of the available BIGTIME tokens, Big Time Studios has allocated the following — 60% player rewards, 20% community referrals, and 20% ecosystem and treasury needs

• To combat token inflation, BIGTIME won't be sold to players directly and has no ICOs, seed investor token offerings, or team allocation

What can players use BIGTIME tokens for?

As mentioned above, BIGTIME tokens will have the following uses in-game:

• Refining, crafting, and upgrading at the forge and armory

• Speeding up crafting timers at a forge or armory

• Used to pay for access to prestige portals

The final word

From crafting unique cosmetic NFTs to understanding the nuance of Big Time's economy, we hope our article has been informative in helping you learn more about the latest GameFi title from Big Time Studios. While originally known as the MMORPG with NFTs, many believe that Big Time has evolved into an entirely different beast thanks to the time and effort invested by the team towards developing the game's various mechanics and systems.

This may go a long way towards long-term adoption as Big Time stands out from the crowd of GameFi projects that are less ambitious in scale or more slower-paced and turn-based in nature.

Keen to try Big Time for yourself? Check out the Big Time discord for more information on how to snag a Ruby Pass for yourself.

Looking to trade GameFi Tokens similar to BIGTIME? Explore our array of GameFi tokens on OKX.