The beloved Japanese manga and anime series Captain Tsubasa has ventured into the digital frontier with the launch of its nonfungible token (NFT) soccer game on the Oasys blockchain, a platform dedicated to Web3 gaming. This innovative integration promises to offer fans a fresh and interactive way to engage with the iconic story.

On May 20, Oasys announced that Captain Tsubasa, the renowned manga and anime series created by Yōichi Takahashi in the 1980s, is now available as an NFT soccer game on its Web3 gaming blockchain. This game, a collaboration between Web3 development platforms Mint Town and Blocksmith, was initially unveiled in 2022 and officially launched on January 12, 2023. The project also introduced its governance token on June 4, 2023.

Players of the Captain Tsubasa NFT soccer game can collect NFTs representing characters from the original series. These characters can be developed, formed into teams, and used to compete in various game modes. The Rival mode allows players to relive the original storyline, while the player-versus-player (PvP) mode enables matches against other online players. Additionally, the Arena mode offers the chance to participate in 11 versus 11 soccer matches.

Hiroshi Kunimitsu, CEO of Mint Town, emphasized the enhanced experience that integrating with the Oasys blockchain provides. He stated, "Integrating into the Oasys blockchain lets fans experience the story in a new way," highlighting the potential of blockchain technology to elevate interactive entertainment and gaming experiences.

Captain Tsubasa's journey began in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1981 and transitioned to an anime series in 1983. The franchise has since expanded into numerous movies and television adaptations, with the most recent airing in 2018. By 2023, the series had sold 90 million copies worldwide, securing its status as one of the best-selling manga series ever.

To celebrate the game's launch on Oasys, Genesis NFTs will feature additional benefits, such as increasing players' energy points, adding an extra layer of excitement and strategy for gamers.

The release of the Captain Tsubasa NFT game coincides with a resurgence in the GameFi sector, as cryptocurrency prices begin to recover. Notably, on May 15, Web3 gaming studio Immutable released the Guild of Guardians game on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Additionally, on May 13, the Web3 game Pixels achieved over 1 million daily active players and generated $4.4 million in token revenue. After migrating to the Ronin blockchain on February 22, the game reached a valuation of $2.7 billion.

These developments underscore the growing momentum in the Web3 gaming industry, with the Captain Tsubasa NFT soccer game exemplifying how beloved franchises can seamlessly transition into the digital age, offering fans new and immersive ways to connect with their favorite stories.