Star Atlas December 2024 Overview

Star Atlas is an ambitious sci-fi strategy MMO created by ATMTA, leveraging Unreal Engine 5 to deliver a next-level experience in virtual gaming. Known for its expertise in high-caliber gaming and blockchain integration, ATMTA draws on over a decade of experience with a team that includes economic strategists and blockchain specialists. Set in the year 2620, Star Atlas unfolds in a vast galaxy where three powerful factions—the Human MUD Territory, the Alien ONI Region, and the Robotic Ustur Sector—vie for resources, territory, and dominance. This interstellar conflict creates a dynamic environment of shifting alliances and relentless quests for control, adding depth and complexity to the gameplay.

Star Atlas seeks to break new ground as the first AAA play-to-earn title, merging the immersive qualities of high-end gaming with the financial potential of blockchain. The game’s cutting-edge visuals, made possible through Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite technology, render stunning alien worlds primed for exploration and conquest. More than just a game, Star Atlas aspires to create a sustainable digital economy where players can generate and capture value within an evolving cybernation. With a grand vision that spans gameplay innovation, decentralized governance, and immersive player engagement, Star Atlas is positioned as a pioneer in merging high-fidelity gaming with economic and social empowerment in the digital age.

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Blockchain Gaming’s 2024 Inflection Point?

Blockchain gaming is emerging as an integral sector within the broader crypto ecosystem in 2024, partially thanks to simple tap-to-earn games popularized on the Telegram blockchain but also due to top-notch AAA games like Off the Grid and Star Atlas. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global blockchain gaming market is expected to grow from ~$154 billion in 2023 to $615 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~22%.

In addition to native crypto projects, major Web2 companies are increasingly participating in the Web3 gaming ecosystem, including Sony announcing its Layer 2 blockchain, Soneium, in August 2024. These developments illustrate a growing alignment between traditional gaming companies and blockchain-based platforms, a trend that could further bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3 ecosystems. The technical advancements driving this shift include tools like Unity and Unreal Engine, which enable smaller teams to produce high-quality games at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in game development further reduces the resource gap between indie and AAA studios, allowing independent developers to compete on innovation and creativity.

While blockchain gaming investments are not at their 2022 peaks, user adoption has seen unprecedented growth in 2024. In September 2024, the number of on-chain daily active users (DAUs) reached an all-time high of 5.21 million—a 145% increase from the previous peak of 2.1 million in November 2021. A significant contributor to blockchain gaming’s adoption metrics has been the launch of Off The Grid, the first full-scale Web3 AAA game, which marks a turning point in overcoming this challenge. The game achieved simultaneous releases on PlayStation and Xbox and climbed to the top of the Epic Games Store’s free-to-play charts within its first week of Early Access. This shift in sentiment marks a critical milestone for Web3 gaming. Off The Grid has created a reference point that other Web3 projects, like Star Atlass, can leverage by breaking down the initial resistance to blockchain technology within the gaming community.

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Star Atlas: The Most Ambitious Onchain Game Ever?

Fully on-chain games (FOCGs), like Star Atlas, are emerging as a promising yet complex frontier in gaming. Despite limited history and uncertainties, FOCGs offer groundbreaking potential for novel game designs that could reshape the industry. While highly-anticipated games like Parallel Colony have yet to launch, Star Atlas is live now, albeit an unfinished product.

Star Atlas aims to redefine the gaming landscape with a seamless blend of blockchain technology, decentralized economies, and immersive gameplay. The game distinguishes itself not only through its use of Unreal Engine 5—delivering a visually stunning cinematic experience—but also through its ambition to bring a triple-A (AAA) product to blockchain gaming.

Unlike conventional Web2 games with closed economies controlled by developers, Star Atlas embraces an open economy linked to real-world markets. In traditional games, studios typically restrict the buying, selling, and trading of in-game items, limiting economic freedom. In contrast, Star Atlas encourages players to monetize their time and digital assets within its blockchain-based economy. Players earn the in-game currency ATLAS, which can be traded on global exchanges, giving participants the opportunity to convert virtual achievements into real-world value.

Star Atlas emphasizes that this open economy allows players to build viable business models through in-game activities such as resource harvesting, crafting, and trading. The revenue generated by players through these efforts translates to tangible financial benefits, creating an ecosystem where participation is rewarded beyond the virtual world. This player-centric economic design reflects the broader Web3 ethos of ownership, empowering users with control over their assets and income streams.

At the core of Star Atlas’s economy is the ownership of in-game assets represented as NFTs. Players can own, trade, and market ships, planets, equipment, and other in-game items, all tokenized on the Solana blockchain. These NFTs provide players with full ownership of their digital assets, enabling transactions both within the game and on external markets. By tokenizing assets, Star Atlas adds an additional layer of depth to its economic model, allowing players to capitalize on market opportunities and unlock new avenues for economic participation.

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Source: Flipside, Aephia

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The game also features a political layer through POLIS, the governance token that grants players voting power within factions. Those holding a significant amount of POLIS can influence decisions regarding the game’s economy and political landscape. This governance model offers players a strategic advantage, allowing them to shape the game's evolution over time.

The value creation within Star Atlas is grounded in real demand for in-game assets. Players are actively engaged in mining resources, such as fuel, and crafting high-value items like spaceships, creating a dynamic supply-and-demand economy. This model offers an investment opportunity for those looking to participate in a blockchain-based economy with tangible value. As the game expands its user base, the value of in-game assets is likely to grow, reflecting the natural economic dynamics of scarcity and demand.

Star Atlas offers a more sustainable take on the play-to-earn (P2E) model, avoiding the pitfalls seen in many blockchain projects that inflate token supplies and unsustainably reward players. Instead, the game’s economy mirrors real-world supply and demand principles, where player activity directly impacts asset value. Players generate value that sustains the in-game economy by participating in resource management, building infrastructure, and engaging in trade. As more participants join the ecosystem, the increasing demand for resources and goods creates upward pressure on asset prices, reinforcing the economic value of in-game activities.

Another key feature of Star Atlas is its use of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structure to govern its metaverse. This governance structure is crucial for ensuring that game development proceeds according to planned milestones, safeguarding Star Atlas's stability as it grows. In alignment with the long-term vision of decentralization, Star Atlas plans to gradually transition governing rights to its player community over time, fostering a participatory model where gamers, developers, and other stakeholders drive the metaverse’s ongoing evolution. This model is anticipated to cultivate a self-sustaining metaverse where community involvement ensures the platform's evolution and relevance.

Finally, much like the game’s central DAO, Star Atlas also differentiates itself from traditional AAA games with its DAK platform—a guild-based system powered by decentralized autonomous corporations (DACs). Since its launch, ~80 DACs have registered, collectively holding over $100 million in in-game assets. Additionally, in July 2024, the game launched its DAO governance model with initial proposals (PIPs) shaping a decentralized government. With council elections underway and a high voter participation rate, Star Atlas showcases a passionate community that values governance as much as gameplay—defying the typical apathy seen in many DAOs.

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Star Atlas’ Big Breakpoint Moments

At its core, Star Atlas is committed to offering immersive gameplay and a sustainable in-game economy. Built on Unreal Engine, the game delivers ultra-high-fidelity visuals and various modes, including time-trial hover racing, a dogfighting arena, a third-person shooter experience, and more.

Announced during this year’s Breakpoint Conference that the development team has prioritized accessibility. Star Atlas is now available on the Epic Games Store, with free access keys distributed through the community’s Discord. Upcoming updates will focus on expanding multiplayer features and ship customization, catering to casual and competitive players.

To attract new players, Star Atlas introduces wallet abstraction—a feature that allows gamers to dive in without the complexity of initially setting up crypto wallets. This lowers the entry barrier while still allowing players to own/custody of their in-game assets. The team also collaborates with pixel streaming and cloud gaming providers, ensuring the game is accessible even on low-end devices and mobile platforms.

New Additions to SAGE

Star Atlas has embedded economic incentives directly into its gameplay, aligning in-game activities with real-world economic principles. The integration of blockchain technology supports a player-driven economy through the browser-based SAGE module, which leverages real-time strategy (RTS) mechanics. This system enables participants to generate in-game currency by upgrading starbases, contributing to the platform's growing economic output.

Notably, Star Atlas reports a GDP of ~$16 million, with daily earnings for players comparable to the minimum wage in countries like India and Thailand. This focus on economic inclusion, offering the potential for meaningful income generation, is a fundamental driver behind Star Atlas’s game design and strategic evolution.

The Expansion of SAGE: Introducing “Starbased”

The next iteration of SAGE, called “Starbased,” builds upon the game’s real-economy model by adding new strategic and collaborative gameplay mechanics. This expansion aims to deepen player involvement through enhanced starbase management, a loyalty-based rewards system, and the introduction of new in-game resources.

Central to the Starbased update is the collaborative management of starbases, which serves as a core gameplay element. Players will work together by contributing resources required to maintain and advance these starbases. Unlocking higher levels provides access to additional recipes, in-game perks, and enhanced functionality.

Players in Sage Labs Starbase can manage assets entirely on-chain, such as fleets, inventory, and crafted resources. This structure means players have control over their in-game items, creating an authentic ownership model for Star Atlas assets that can be traded or liquidated in secondary markets.

Starting in Sage Labs Starbase requires a set of essential resources and assets. While free to play, players need specific assets in a Solana-based wallet to participate fully. These assets include:

1. Crew Members: Crew members can be acquired from the Star Atlas marketplace and are essential for piloting ships and handling crafting tasks. Various crew packs offer random crew cards, categorized by rarity (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) with unique attributes.
2. Ships: The primary tools for exploration, scanning, and mining, ships range in size and cargo capacity, impacting a player’s ability to succeed. Extra-small ships may be affordable, but players benefit from selecting larger ships to optimize mining efficiency.
3. R4 Resources: Known as ammunition, tool kits, food, and fuel, these resources support mining and operational activities. While tool kits focus on upgrading starbases, fuel, ammunition, and food are fundamental to gameplay. Players must manage these supplies to maintain fleet operations effectively.

A small sample of the various resources available for sale in the market. Source

Upon logging in, players enter a checkerboard-style galaxy map that reflects three factions: Mud (human), Oni (alien), and Ustur (android). Choosing a faction is a critical aspect of gameplay, shaping players' roles and interactions within the game world. Each faction has a home region with starbases linked to faction-specific star stations, where players mine resources, craft items, and upgrade bases. This faction-based structure introduces RPG elements, encouraging players to align with a particular group and engage in strategic battles for economic dominance.

The core gameplay revolves around space exploration, resource mining, and factional warfare, with a variety of zones offering different levels of risk and reward. For example, the game currently features one major open zone, but future updates will introduce additional zones:

• Safe zones: Protect player assets from loss.
• Medium zones: Allow combat with the possibility of asset recovery.
• Deep space: High-risk zones offering premium materials, but players risk permanent asset loss.

These varying zones encourage players to adopt long-term strategies and weigh the risks and rewards of exploration and combat. The design incentivizes resourceful gameplay, fostering a dynamic environment where success is determined by careful planning and strategic execution.

Each faction’s central space station acts as a hub for managing and exporting resources to external wallets. This allows players to liquidate assets or store them for future use. Starbases linked to these stations offer mining opportunities for various resources, each with distinct attributes and uses. For instance, players may mine essential raw materials, refine them, and use crafted components either to upgrade starbases or sell on the marketplace.

Beyond all this, the team has also updated the loyalty points system, which rewards players for actions that promote faction growth within the Galia Expanse. These points are crucial in determining the allocation of ATLAS token rewards, reinforcing faction loyalty, and incentivizing meaningful contributions to the game’s economy and expansion efforts. The system ensures that collective progress is rewarded by aligning individual player actions with faction objectives, fostering a dynamic interplay between personal strategy and group success.

Another significant aspect of the Starbase expansion is the addition of new raw materials and recipes, broadening the game's resource management dynamics. These new elements add complexity to the intergalactic supply chains that players must build and maintain, enhancing the strategic depth of the gameplay. The continuous introduction of new content encourages players to adapt their strategies and explore different pathways for economic and strategic growth.

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Highly-Anticipated Upcoming Features

Public Release 2.2: Combat Racing, Third-Person Combat, and Customization

The first major public release, titled Release 2.2, introduces several new game modes and features designed to diversify gameplay. Key additions include a third-person shooter mode and Combat Racing, enhancing the variety of game mechanics available to players. With the public release, the development team also marks a significant milestone as in-game spaceships reach full functionality. Players will gain access to progression systems, allowing for skill development and long-term investment in their characters and assets. Additionally, the game will offer expanded customization options, enabling players to tailor their spaceships and gameplay experiences more closely to their preferences.

Season Zero: Introducing Story-Driven Campaigns and Economic Mechanics

The narrative dimension of Star Atlas will take center stage with the launch of Season Zero, a beta campaign set on the homeworld of Iokyi. This installment introduces several new mechanics, including space station hubs, team-based competitions, and economic loops. The hubs will act as social and operational centers for players, fostering collaboration and resource exchange. Team competitions are expected to encourage cooperative gameplay, while economic loops will simulate real-world market dynamics, adding depth to the in-game economy. The story of Season Zero will also feature a cinematic trilogy focused on the characters Joanie and Mendoza, further immersing players in the game’s evolving narrative.

Enhanced Multiplayer Experience

The latest content updates will broaden the scope of Star Atlas by focusing heavily on faction-based gameplay and competitive multiplayer activities. Among the key additions are faction-based shooters, deep-space exploration mechanics, and structured multiplayer racing. Star Atlas will introduce a steady rotation of multiplayer events to cater to different audiences, including casual players and esports enthusiasts. This regular cadence is expected to drive ongoing player engagement while creating an environment that encourages both friendly competition and professional-level gaming.

Fleet Command: Merging Real-Time Strategy with First-Person Combat

One of the most innovative features to emerge from the updates is Fleet Command, which integrates real-time strategy (RTS) elements with immersive first-person gameplay. This design offers players a dual perspective, seamlessly shifting between large-scale fleet management and cockpit-level combat. Players can issue fleet commands from an RTS view and instantly switch to a first-person mode to participate directly in the battle, creating fluid transitions that enhance both tactical oversight and action-oriented gameplay.

Project Galia: Expanding PvP and PvE Gameplay

Project Galia offers a preview of Star Atlas's direction with space exploration. The update will provide new Player versus Player (PvP) and Player versus Environment (PvE) experiences, expanding the game’s core content. This expansion reflects the developers' focus on creating a multifaceted gaming environment where exploration, combat, and cooperation coexist. With Project Galia, players will have the opportunity to explore the depths of space, confront environmental challenges, and engage with other players in a competitive environment, further diversifying gameplay.

Star Atlas’ Superior Technology

Impacts of Unreal Engine 5

Star Atlas differentiates itself from most blockchain-based games by utilizing Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and its Nanite rendering technology. By doing so, Star Atlas aims to offer cinematic-quality graphics and immersive gameplay, diverging sharply from the simpler 2D or card-based mechanics typical of many Web3 games.

Unreal Engine 5 is a robust game development tool recognized for its widespread application across various high-profile AAA titles. By leveraging UE5, Star Atlas gains access to pre-built libraries and modules, reducing the need for developers to construct core elements like physics engines or graphic systems from scratch. This allows the development team to focus on refining the unique elements of the Star Atlas universe, enhancing its immersion and depth without the limitations typically encountered in blockchain gaming.

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A standout feature of UE5 is Nanite, a micro-polygon rendering technology that optimizes the visual quality of objects within a game world. Nanite employs a series of procedural steps that allow it to manage high object counts and deliver near-photorealistic detail. By dividing complex 3D models into clusters of smaller polygons, Nanite calculates the appropriate level of complexity for each segment based on the camera’s distance, pre-computing these details and storing them for fast access using Direct Memory Access (DMA). The result is smoother rendering and higher fidelity, qualities that are likely to appeal to discerning gamers accustomed to rich, detailed environments.

Beyond UE5, another technical differentiator is the eventual release of application programming interfaces (APIs) and software developer kits (SDKs), which are expected to invite third-party developers to create content and applications within the Star Atlas metaverse. This strategy resembles the internet’s own progression, where independent creators' open access to development tools enables continuous growth and innovation (Interview with CEO, 2023). By democratizing content creation, Star Atlas aims to transform its metaverse into a dynamic, user-driven ecosystem that evolves through its community contributions.

APIs and SDKs will allow developers to design user-generated content and unique functionalities, fostering a sense of ownership and creative involvement among players. This user-centric approach can deepen engagement, as players not only experience the virtual world but also help shape it through their contributions. In this way, the Star Atlas metaverse can mature alongside its player base, adapting to new trends and interests while preserving the continuity of its virtual society.

MetaGravity

Early in its existence, Star Atlas cultivated a robust community of over 175,000 users, yet its early infrastructure faced limitations, notably capping user concurrency at just <100 players per instance. This restriction dampened the potential for expansive space encounters and reduced opportunities for collective engagement within its metaverse. By integrating MetaGravity’s HyperScale Engine, Star Atlas addresses these scaling challenges, opening up a universe of new possibilities for large-scale, high-fidelity gameplay.

The HyperScale Engine, a solution tailored by MetaGravity for the unique demands of large-scale multiplayer environments, enables Star Atlas to scale while preserving visual fidelity, object density, and interaction complexity. Unlike traditional game engines that focus predominantly on increasing player counts, HyperScale considers a balance between high-definition visuals and large, interactive environments, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.

Key advancements facilitated by HyperScale include:

• Enhanced Player Capacity and Detailed Environments: HyperScale enables Star Atlas to support up to 30,000 concurrent users in a single instance, a remarkable leap from its initial 80-player limitation. This breakthrough allows for far richer, large-scale space encounters, where players can experience a universe filled with detailed visuals and interactive elements without sacrificing gameplay quality.
• Seamless Replication of Avatars and Gameplay Mechanics: Maintaining consistency in a massive multiplayer setting is critical, particularly for avatars and real-time interactions like combat. HyperScale replicates avatars, objects, and combat mechanics with high fidelity, ensuring that the experience remains immersive and uninterrupted across a substantial player base. This capability allows players to engage in coordinated battles, explorative missions, and complex tasks without facing the traditional lag or visual downgrades often associated with high user loads.
• Support for Complex Physics and Diverse Gameplay Modes: HyperScale’s architecture extends beyond simple replication to include intricate physics simulations and support for varied gameplay types. By handling complex computations and facilitating large-scale events, the engine allows Star Atlas to offer diverse gameplay modes and activities, enhancing user interactions' scope and richness.

Conclusion

Star Atlas represents a bold and pioneering step in the evolution of blockchain gaming, merging immersive sci-fi gameplay with a decentralized, player-driven economy that blurs the lines between digital assets and real-world value. By utilizing cutting-edge technologies like Unreal Engine 5 and the MetaGravity HyperScale Engine, the game creates a visually stunning and scalable environment that supports complex, large-scale interactions. Through features such as the DAK platform and DAO governance, Star Atlas fosters a community-centric approach, allowing players to shape both gameplay and economic dynamics within its expansive metaverse.

As blockchain gaming continues to mature, Star Atlas stands out as a testament to the possibilities of integrating high-quality game design with the principles of decentralization and open economies. The blockchain-based game is poised for a transformative 2025, with major updates enhancing SAGE's RTS mechanics and Surge's racing dynamics while fostering a thriving community-driven marketplace. Its ambitious model enhances player engagement and introduces a sustainable approach to play-to-earn dynamics, encouraging long-term economic participation. With continuous updates and a commitment to user-driven evolution, Star Atlas is well-positioned to redefine the boundaries of Web3 gaming, offering a glimpse into a future where digital ownership, immersive gameplay, and financial empowerment converge.

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Disclaimer: This report was commissioned by Star Atlas. This research report is exactly that — a research report. It is not intended to serve as financial advice, nor should you blindly assume that any of the information is accurate without confirming through your own research. Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and other digital assets are incredibly risky and nothing in this report should be considered an endorsement to buy or sell any asset. Never invest more than you are willing to lose and understand the risk that you are taking. Do your own research. All information in this report is for educational purposes only and should not be the basis for any investment decisions that you make.