In Brief:
- Once Competitive Season 16 wraps up, Sky Mavis intends to place further development of Axie Classic in the hands of its community.
- Running August 12 through September 2, Season 16 puts 36,000 bAXS in rewards on the table, split between leading guilds and players.
- With the studio pulling back from hands-on development, the handoff could become a live experiment in decentralized game governance.
Sky Mavis transfers Axie Classic to community
After Competitive Season 16 draws to a close, Sky Mavis will pass development duties for Axie Classic over to the game’s community. The season kicked off on August 12 and runs through September 2, with more than 36,000 bAXS up for grabs across competitions — among them 14,500 bAXS earmarked for the top 30 guilds and 4,500 bAXS for the best Arena players.
When Season 16 and the Mini Tournaments tied to it are finished, the studio will put regular competitive seasons and Axie Classic development on hold. Classic quests are also being pulled from the Bounty Board as of September 10.
Shutting the game down isn’t the plan. Instead, Sky Mavis wants to help the community assume control of where Axie Classic goes next. “The details aren’t settled yet,” the company said — a sign that neither a governance structure nor a funding mechanism has been locked in for the handover.
The original card-battling incarnation of Axie Infinity, Axie Classic played a central role in the franchise’s early rise. Even as attention moved toward newer titles, Sky Mavis kept Classic alive with tournaments and seasonal events, something the studio noted in its latest announcement.
Season 16’s finale closes a chapter, with players fighting for the last available places in the Classic Champions Invitational. What the community-run era actually looks like will become clearer as details emerge, and it may prove a defining test of player ownership in blockchain gaming.