After three years of development, Yuga Labs is finally launching its Bored Ape Yacht Club-themed metaverse called Otherside on November 12th. The company announced the news at ApeFest in Las Vegas, marking a major bet on virtual worlds after raising $450 million in 2022 to build what it calls one of the most ambitious projects in the crypto space.
Yuga Labs is making its biggest play yet to revive the NFT craze through virtual worlds. The company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club announced that its long-awaited metaverse platform Otherside will officially launch November 12th, finally delivering on promises made after its massive $450 million funding round in 2022.
"It's basically one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in the space, and it's finally starting to take shape," Yuga Labs chief product officer Michael Figge told The Verge at the company's ApeFest event in Las Vegas.
The platform positions itself as a crypto-powered alternative to mainstream virtual worlds like Roblox and Fortnite. Players can use NFTs as 3D avatars to explore both official Yuga Labs worlds and user-generated content. But unlike traditional gaming platforms, Otherside lets you own, trade, and move digital assets between different experiences - a key selling point for the Web3 crowd.
Yuga is taking a surprisingly accessible approach for a crypto-native platform. While you can connect with a crypto wallet, anyone can join through a browser using just their email address. "We think that there should be a very low barrier to entry for somebody to try out Otherside, because once they do try it, it's a really great way to get exposed to what it's like to actually own digital assets," Figge explained.
The launch lineup includes The Swamp, a BAYC-themed social world, plus the Nexus hub world and several community games. These range from "Bathroom Blitz," described as a shooter with "action so explosive, you'll be clenching cheeks the whole time," to "Otherside Outbreak," a zombie survival experience. Players can also create "Bubbles" - social audio rooms similar to Clubhouse or X Spaces.
Yuga's monetization strategy revolves around avatar sales through its new "Voyager" system. The company has lined up partnerships with digital artist Daniel Arsham for a 300-piece collection and, surprisingly, Amazon for co-branded "Boximus" avatars made from Amazon box imagery. These digital skins will be sold directly on Amazon's website, marking a rare mainstream retail partnership for NFT assets.
"Think of these voyagers like a 'skin' from the traditional gaming world," Figge said, though pricing remains undisclosed. The blockchain foundation means players can resell avatars they own - something impossible in traditional games.