Freya the Starfall is stepping into closed beta later this month, positioning itself as a strategic PvP autobattler set in a myth-heavy fantasy world. It’s launching on Immutable and layering play-to-earn mechanics on top of a combat system built around automated squad tactics.
The closed beta opens May 24 and includes a prize pool that tops out at $100,000, split across ranked ladders and seasonal tournaments. It’s not the first game to go this route, but it’s part of a growing push to blend competitive formats with tokenized assets.
Squad-based gameplay with passive strategy
At its core, Freya the Starfall is a team-based autobattler. Players assemble squads of characters, each with unique stats and abilities, and place them in formations before watching battles play out automatically. The focus is on pre-match planning, not twitch reactions.
This kind of design leans heavily into meta shifts. Players will need to understand which characters counter others, how positioning changes outcomes, and when to upgrade units. It’s similar to games like Teamfight Tactics or Auto Chess, but wrapped in a Norse-inspired aesthetic with lighter animations.
While direct player control is limited, matches still reward adaptation and long-term planning. There’s also an emphasis on seasonal structure, which ties into both progression and prize distribution.
Blockchain integration is central, not cosmetic
Freya runs natively on Immutable’s zkEVM, meaning assets like heroes, cosmetics, and seasonal rewards are minted and traded as NFTs. Match outcomes, rewards, and rankings are all tied to on-chain mechanics, giving digital ownership more than just cosmetic value.
This integration plays into the game’s seasonal economy. Characters can be upgraded or resold, and seasonal prizes are distributed via on-chain smart contracts. That also allows for transparency in reward pools and limits the kind of backend manipulation that can affect competitive games.
Whether or not this system balances well in the long term will depend on how the team handles rarity, matchmaking, and power creep across seasons.
$100K tournament pool sets the competitive tone
The headline for the closed beta is a $100,000 prize pool, split between top ladder rankings and special tournament events. The format isn’t fully public yet, but early signs suggest a mixture of performance-based rewards and bracketed finals.
This approach mirrors recent Web3 launches that use prize pools to attract early users. It’s an effective way to seed a competitive scene, though it remains to be seen if the incentive holds up once the novelty wears off. Still, for a game in beta, that prize structure suggests confidence in the underlying systems.
A test case for Web3 competitive design
Freya the Starfall is less about genre innovation and more about proving a framework. It combines established autobattler mechanics with Web3 infrastructure and backs it up with competitive incentives. The result is a game that could help define what midcore, blockchain-enabled PvP can look like.
There are open questions about scalability, retention, and meta depth, but the closed beta will give the first real signals. For now, Freya is another marker in the shift toward games that don’t just include Web3 features, but build around them.
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