The Unfettered is set to redefine interactive entertainment, with its focus on cooperative gameplay, pioneering token economies, and unique NFT utilities. Join us as we explore the gaming ecosystem’s origins, collaboration with PlayStation, the game’s integral role within the Souls-Verse, and what the future holds for this ambitious project.

What is the origin story of The Unfettered? What inspired you to create this gaming ecosystem?

The Unfettered, the cornerstone of The Unfettered Ecosystem (Souls-Verse), traces its origins to a deep passion for immersive gaming experiences. We were inspired by the rich legacy of AA-quality soulslike role-playing games (RPGs), and we embarked on a journey to craft a game that would redefine the genre. Currently available as a single-player demo on Steam, the off-chain version of The Unfettered offers a solitary journey, focusing on a single-character experience.

However, we're now expanding its horizons, transforming The Unfettered into a four-player cooperative adventure. Scheduled for a captivating gameplay reveal late in the second quarter of 2024, The Unfettered promises to deliver pure chaotic gameplay, offering an experience where teamwork and strategy collide in Unreal Engine 5's stunning visual landscape.

Our ambition was to blend the intensity of soulslike gameplay with the thrill of cooperative multiplayer dynamics. Get ready to dive into a realm of unbridled action and camaraderie like never before. The stage is set, and the journey awaits.

Tell us about the Souls-Verse. What games are part of it, and how does the native token $SOULS play a role?

The Souls-Verse, or “The Unfettered Ecosystem”, is the umbrella for all the games we develop, and they are all interconnected through the $SOULS token. Our main game is The Unfettered, but we also have several mini-games within the ecosystem. Our first mini-game, Unfettered Awakening, is currently available.

By embedding the $SOULS token across our various titles, we enhance the utility of the $SOULS while introducing players to various gaming experiences within the ecosystem. $SOULS underpins our in-game economy, offering utility beyond traditional mechanisms.

We regulate token generation to prevent hyperinflation using a Reward Pool System where players can participate in PvP arenas by paying an entry fee in $SOULS tokens. These tokens are then pooled together, and rewards are distributed among the top-performing players based on their scores.

Additionally, $SOULS fuel in-game NFT purchases, promoting a deflationary economy within the game. This means that there will be a continuous burn mechanism within the game, contributing to the deflationary nature of the $SOULS token economy.

Our ultimate goal with the Souls-Verse is to provide an enjoyable and high-quality gaming experience to web3 players, while fostering a robust in-game economy with $SOULS. We aim to appeal to the web3 community with our mini-games and through our Awkay Solution infrastructure, which serves as the ultimate blockchain solution, offering web2 players a web3 experience with a familiar interface and UI/UX.

Thanks to Awkay Solution, players who make in-game purchases through traditional methods (such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, and credit cards) have their cash transfers routed to us. Through our infrastructure, we utilize this cash transfer to purchase $SOULS tokens on the DEX, and after the purchase, a portion of the acquired $SOULS tokens are burned. It's important to note that users do not receive $SOULS tokens directly; they only acquire and use the in-game assets they purchase. This mechanism effectively prevents sell pressure from users, as buyers cannot become sellers. This system plays a crucial role in integrating web2 players into the $SOULS ecosystem and more importantly, this entire process takes place automatically, opening the doors to a new GameFi economy model.

What role do NFTs play within The Unfettered? How do they enhance gameplay and provide genuine ownership?

NFTs play a crucial role within our ecosystem, offering players unique opportunities and genuine ownership of in-game assets. There are two main types of NFTs within The Unfettered: Pass NFTs and in-game NFTs.

The most valuable NFT within our ecosystem is the Founder's Pass NFT. This NFT grants holders exclusive perks and advantages across all games and technologies within The Unfettered Ecosystem. These perks include airdrops, access to the DAO, free entry to events and games, discounted NFTs, and more. Founder's Pass NFT holders are considered our early investors and are rewarded accordingly.

In-game NFTs are the ones players can acquire through gameplay or purchase to enhance their characters. These in-game NFTs include weapons, armor, and boosts, which provide players with advantages in PvP or co-op battles, enhancing gameplay dynamics and strategies.

There's also the Season Pass L NFT, which serves as a ticket to the Grand Tournament of Unfettered Awakening during the mini-game gala week event in Linea Park. This tournament offers great rewards for players who make it to the leaderboard, incentivizing competitive gameplay and skill improvement.

NFTs acquired through The Unfettered quests in Linea Park (Voyager's Odyssey and Hunter's Valor NFTs) not only make quests easier but also grant players significant privileges, such as extra energies, in The Grand Tournament. However, players still require the Season Pass L NFT to participate in the Tournament.

How did the collaboration with PlayStation come about? What does it mean for The Unfettered community?

Becoming an official partner with PlayStation marks a significant milestone for our company and The Unfettered community. As a recognized PlayStation partner, we now have the privilege to develop and release our games on the PlayStation platform.

Despite the current lack of web3 support on PlayStation, this partnership positions us to be front-runners in introducing The Unfettered to the platform once the infrastructure allows it, promising to broaden our game’s appeal and accessibility.

How did The Unfettered decide to collaborate with Linea? What advantages does this integration bring to the gaming ecosystem?

The decision to collaborate with Linea stemmed from their mission, particularly in embracing projects focusing on Account Abstraction. They are keen on integrating the web2 side, making them an ideal partner for us as we aim to introduce our mobile games to a web2 audience through our Awkay Solution. Partnering with Linea excites us because it aligns with our goal of introducing traditional mobile gamers to the world of crypto.

Furthermore, Linea's existing web3 community will support our main game, The Unfettered, enhancing its reach and reception within web3. Through this partnership, we can cater to both audiences with our products, bridging the gap between web2 and web3 gaming communities.

What excites you most about The Unfettered community? Any upcoming features or expansions we should look forward to?

There are several exciting developments on the horizon for The Unfettered Ecosystem's community. First, we're thrilled about the prospect of integrating the $SOULS token into the Linea ecosystem. This integration opens up new avenues for engagement and utility within our community.

In addition, the upcoming transition of our mini-game, Unfettered Awakening, to the Linea mainnet by the end of March is a significant milestone. This move not only signifies progress in our development roadmap but also provides players with a seamless and enhanced gaming experience, complete with the benefits of blockchain integration.

The full integration of $SOULS into our first mainnet game and the release of the co-op gameplay trailer for our main game, The Unfettered, are particularly anticipated milestones in Q2 2024. Our commitment remains to innovate, delivering exceptional and engaging experiences for our community by continuing to push the boundaries of gaming and blockchain integration.

You can explore The Unfettered ecosystem and many more exciting games by participating in Linea Park, Linea’s flagship ecosystem set to revolutionize web3 gaming and social decentralized applications in 2024.

Keep up with the latest on Linea and the DeFi Voyage on Mirror, Twitter, and Lens. Check out our developer portal and technical documentation to get started on the L2 network.