Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), the NFT collection issued by Yuga Labs, has partnered with blockchain gaming company and investor Animoca Brands to develop and publish a new game built around BAYC NFTs. According to the report, the title will include play-to-earn mechanics and is expected to launch in Q2 2022.
BAYC Expands Beyond Collectibles
BAYC has been one of the most prominent NFT collections of 2021. The project originally launched with 10,000 NFTs, each minted at 0.08 ETH. As demand surged, individual apes went on to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in some cases for millions worth of ether at auction. Sotheby’s “Ape In!” sale, which featured a lot of 101 BAYC NFTs, brought in $24.4 million, underscoring the collection’s market power.
Data cited in the article shows BAYC has recorded 23,016 sales across 9,972 traders, with an overall market valuation of around $2.05 billion. Those figures help explain why BAYC is increasingly being treated not only as a collectible series, but also as a digital IP with broader use cases across gaming, entertainment, and brand partnerships.
Animoca Deepens Its NFT Gaming Push
Animoca Brands has been one of the most active players in blockchain gaming and NFT infrastructure. The article notes that the company raised $65 million in October 2021 from investors including Liberty City Ventures, Ubisoft Entertainment, Sequoia China, Dragonfly Capital, Com2uS, and Kingsway Capital.
In a statement, a Yuga Labs spokesperson said the partnership is aimed at growing the BAYC universe and expanding utility and benefits for all Bored Ape holders. Animoca Brands co-founder and executive chairman Yat Siu said NFTs are emerging as a “store of culture,” adding that BAYC stands out as one of the strongest symbols of the sector’s growth.
More Brand Deals Strengthen the BAYC Ecosystem
The Animoca collaboration follows a string of high-profile BAYC partnerships in 2021. The collection has worked with Rolling Stone, Arizona Iced Tea, Universal Music Group, music producer Timbaland, and sportswear giant Adidas. These deals show how BAYC’s influence has moved well beyond the NFT trading market into entertainment, consumer branding, and fashion.
By teaming up with Animoca Brands on a play-to-earn game, BAYC is taking another step toward becoming a broader Web3 ecosystem. If the launch proceeds as planned, the project could give holders additional ways to use their NFTs and deepen community engagement around the brand.