November 18, 2022

Iconic ‘Captain Tsubasa’ Manga IP Is Coming to Polygon as a Web3 Game

“Captain Tsubasa,” one of Japan’s best-selling comic book series, is making its Web3 debut as a blockchain-based game on Polygon.

“Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS-” will let players immerse themselves in the fictional world when the game is released on the Polygon network later this year. Gamers will be able to play through the original coming-of-age football story and make their own heroic journey by competing with other users.

Japanese game developers Thirdverse Group and BLOCKSMITH&Co. are partnering with Polygon Studios in this pioneering effort to bring Japanese popular culture IP to Web3. Since the series launched over 40 years ago, “Captain Tsubasa” comics have sold more than 70 million copies in Japan and inspired several generations of football fans through video games, anime adoptions and novels. The books also have an international following having been translated into more than 20 languages.

“Having a compelling narrative that brings together game play and sports fandom is a powerful multiplier for adoption of Web3 technologies,” said Yoriko Beal, business development manager for Polygon Studios in Japan. “This also marks the first of many milestones toward unlocking the treasure trove of intellectual property that is Japanese video games, anime and manga.”

In “Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS-,” players will be able to train characters from the original manga to battle rivals and earn rewards in what is called the “RIVAL Mode”. In “PvP Mode,” gamers will be able to form teams and test their skills against each other online.

The game is centered on “Player" NFT character cards with properties that include rarity, level, position and special attacks. The game experience is enhanced by a set of in-game 3D animations and generative background music tied to the players' NFTs. Users will also be able to use $TSUBASAUT utility tokens to enhance their players.

Launching on Polygon, “Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS-” will be joining some of the biggest blockchain gaming projects and publishers, including Ubisoft, Atari, Animoca, Decentraland, Somnium Space, and The Sandbox. The network is home to tens of thousands of decentralized apps and over 174.9 million unique user addresses.

Find out more about “Captain Tsubasa -RIVALS-” in their whitepaper, follow the project on Twitter and tune in to the Polygon Blog for the latest ecosystem updates.

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