North American esports organisation Team Liquid has announced a partnership with game developer Illuvium for its latest auto battler title Illuvium: Arena.
The collaboration will see nine of Team Liquid’s streamers play Illuvium: Arena and showcase the game’s new competitive PvP mode. Some of the streamers include Drew ‘Midbeast’ Timbs, Balou ‘Snoodyboo’ Marrone and Mads ‘Broxah’ Brock-Pedersen.
According to the announcement, Illuvium: Arena’s aim is to change the perception of blockchain games among gamers, particularly when it comes to the game’s quality and lack of allure compared to AAA titles.
The game is currently in early access and has been in development for the past three years. In that time the developers have stated that this has been used to focus on aspects of the game such as production quality and gameplay.
Illuvium is a decentralised studio that looks to offer an interconnected gaming experience by blending three distinct genres — open-world exploration, city builder and autobattler — into a single game on the Ethereum blockchain. In a release, the developers aim to position the game as a contender against titles like Pokemon and TeamFight Tactics.
Team Liquid’s initial lineup of streamers will begin sharing Illuvium: Arena gameplay on November 30th, with the game now accessible for download.
As part of the collaboration, fans of the esports organisation will also be able to acquire limited-edition Team Liquid digital collectibles and ‘Illuvitars’ from December 12th. Illuvitars is a type of in game currency that can unlock unique in-game items and be used across the Illuvium universe. Illuvitars can also be traded for real-world currency.
Victor Goossens, Founder and Co-CEO of Team Liquid, commented: “We’ve been very impressed with the quality of Illuvium: Arena so far.
“Aside from the attention to detail that they’ve given to building their game world, their commitment to its competitive mode makes us confident that this will be a game that rewards skill and strategy. This is a unique project where both sides benefit from the other’s expertise, and we’re excited to start testing all that the game has to offer.”
Team Liquid isn’t the only esports organisation to team up with a game publisher this month. In fact, Gen.G recently secured a collaboration with game studio Super Storm for the launch of Strom Strikers in North America. Last year, Team Liquid, among many other esports organisations, announced a collaboration with upcoming blockchain game Guild of Guardians.