Legends of Elysium Open Beta represents a stage in the development of a fantasy blockchain game that combines collectible card game mechanics with tactical battles on a hexagonal board. The project follows a free-to-play model: players do not need to purchase cryptocurrency or mint cards as NFTs to access the core gameplay, build decks, or participate in PvP. Blockchain features operate as an additional economic layer, allowing selected in-game assets to be tokenized and enabling the use of the LOE token. This approach separates the core strategic mechanics from Web3 tools and lowers the entry barrier for players unfamiliar with cryptocurrencies.
Contents
- What Is Legends of Elysium Open Beta?
- Gameplay: Cards, Heroes, and the Tactical Board
- Game Modes, PvP, and Deck Development
- NFTs, Blockchain, and Digital Assets in Legends of Elysium
- LOE Token, Elytronite, and the In-Game Economy
1. What Is Legends of Elysium Open Beta?
Legends of Elysium is a strategic card and board game set in a fantasy universe. Its main distinguishing feature is the combination of traditional deck-building mechanics with unit movement across a tactical battlefield. As a result, the outcome of a match depends not only on the cards selected and the order in which they are drawn, but also on unit positioning, territory control, and the player's actions on the board.
The project was originally designed as a free-to-play game with optional blockchain functionality. Early documentation identified the browser version as the primary format, while the roadmap also outlined plans for desktop and mobile development. The game is also available through the Epic Games Store, where ranked PvP matches and gameplay without mandatory interaction with NFTs or cryptocurrencies are among its features.
Open Beta is particularly important as a transition from limited testing to broader player access. The team previously progressed through pre-alpha and closed beta stages, working on card balancing, matchmaking, quests, marketplace functionality, and smart contract integration. In the original roadmap, the open beta was scheduled to follow closed beta testing, game optimization, social login implementation, and testing of blockchain components.
However, the older roadmap should be viewed as a historical development plan rather than a current release schedule, as some deadlines and features may have changed during development. When assessing the current state of Legends of Elysium, it is therefore important to distinguish between functionality that is currently available and mechanics that were described as future components of the ecosystem.
2. Gameplay: Cards, Heroes, and the Tactical Board
The core mechanics of Legends of Elysium revolve around deck building and a battlefield made up of hexagonal tiles. The standard Genesis Board consists of 37 hexes, with opposing heroes positioned on opposite sides of the map. At the beginning of a battle, a significant portion of the board remains undeveloped, requiring players to gradually create terrain for deploying and moving their units.
Cards are divided into several main categories: units, spells, and items. Units are deployed directly onto the battlefield, spells provide different tactical effects, and items can be used to strengthen the hero. Playing certain cards requires more than having sufficient mana, as some cards also depend on specific terrain types being present on the board.
During a turn, players can transform available hexes into Farmland, Forest, or Mountain terrain. These land types are required to summon corresponding units and also create routes for their movement. Most creatures move between adjacent accessible tiles, although special abilities such as Flying can modify the standard movement rules.
Special tiles add another strategic layer. Controlling these areas can provide bonuses related to mana, health, attack, or the number of cards received. Players therefore need to consider several strategic factors simultaneously, including deck composition, card costs, terrain types, unit positioning, and control of important areas of the battlefield.
3. Game Modes, PvP, and Deck Development
Legends of Elysium includes both competitive and single-player activities. In PvP, users can participate in ranked matches against other players. Project documentation also describes leagues, tournaments, and other formats designed to expand the competitive side of the game.
Adventure is a separate single-player mode associated with new territories, races, classes, and opponents. The Adventure concept is intended not only to provide progression-based gameplay but also to introduce players to new cards and mechanics before they apply their experience in other game modes.
The main gameplay elements include:
- building a custom deck from available cards;
- participating in real-time ranked PvP battles;
- developing and leveling up a hero;
- completing daily and other in-game quests;
- obtaining cards through progression and card packs;
- using units, spells, and items;
- terraforming the hexagonal battlefield;
- controlling special tiles and tactical positions;
- participating in single-player Adventure activities.
To develop an individual strategy, players build decks containing 24 cards. New users have access to basic pre-built decks, allowing them to start playing without purchasing NFTs. Additional cards can be obtained through gameplay progression, quests, Adventure activities, crafting, and opening card packs. Project documentation describes Standard, Enchanted, and Divine Packs, which differ in their card acquisition characteristics.
The hero system adds another layer to the card mechanics. The original model introduced Human, Orc, and Dark Elf races, with each race associated with a specific terrain type and its own passive ability. The choice of hero therefore influences deck construction and match strategy rather than serving a purely visual purpose.
4. NFTs, Blockchain, and Digital Assets in Legends of Elysium
The Web3 component of Legends of Elysium is structured so that blockchain interaction is not required to start playing. Users can play matches, build decks, participate in PvP, and receive in-game rewards without minting NFTs. Selected assets can be tokenized when needed, enabling players to interact with them through blockchain infrastructure.
According to the game's description in the Epic Games Store, blockchain assets are optional and an external cryptocurrency wallet is not required for basic gameplay, as an integrated game wallet is available. Polygon, a Proof-of-Stake network compatible with the Ethereum ecosystem, is identified as the blockchain network used by the project.
| Element | Function in the Game | Web3 Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | Used to build decks and participate in battles | Selected cards can be issued as NFTs |
| Heroes and Avatars | Represent players and provide gameplay functionality | Can be represented as blockchain-based assets |
| Game Boards | Provide battlefields for matches | Documentation includes NFT versions of selected boards |
| LOE | Premium currency within the ecosystem | ERC-20 token on the Polygon network |
| Elytronite | In-game soft currency | Not designed for unrestricted trading outside the game |
The documentation also describes additional operations involving tokenized cards. NFT cards can be used in decks, transferred through the marketplace, utilized in selected ecosystem mechanics, or burned to obtain resources required for creating new cards. NFTs therefore function as an extension of the card system rather than as a mandatory replacement for conventional in-game items.
This separation is important for the project's economic structure. Traditional players can primarily interact with the gameplay layer, while owners of Web3 assets gain additional options for managing digital property. At the same time, the use of NFTs and tokens introduces risks common to blockchain games: asset prices can fluctuate, while the ability to sell them depends on market demand and available liquidity.
5. LOE Token, Elytronite, and the In-Game Economy
The Legends of Elysium economic model uses two different units: LOE and Elytronite. Elytronite functions as the game's soft currency. According to project documentation, it can be earned through activities such as daily logins, quests, and achievements. The resource is used for various in-game operations, including obtaining selected assets, developing heroes, and accessing additional features.
LOE represents the blockchain layer of the economy. It is an ERC-20 token deployed on Polygon. Its functions include transactions within the ecosystem, selected operations involving game assets, staking, and participation in governance mechanisms. Early project materials also specify a maximum supply of 500 million LOE tokens.
The Play-And-Earn concept provides for the distribution of some tokens through gameplay activities. The whitepaper lists daily and weekly quests, achievements, high ranking positions, tournaments, NFT mechanics, and ownership of selected game boards among potential sources of rewards. At the same time, part of the LOE spent within the ecosystem is designed to return to the treasury, supporting the circulation of tokens within the game's economy.
Some economic functions described in the whitepaper relate to the project's original design and roadmap, so their availability should be verified against the current version of the game. This applies particularly to DAO governance, certain staking mechanisms, Board Validators, and future competitive modes. The inclusion of a feature in project documentation does not necessarily mean that it has already been fully implemented.
Overall, Legends of Elysium Open Beta demonstrates a blockchain gaming model in which Web3 functionality does not replace the core gameplay. Deck building, hero management, PvP battles, and tactical use of the hexagonal battlefield remain the central elements, while NFTs and LOE expand the economic layer. This structure positions the project primarily as a strategic card and board game with additional blockchain functionality rather than an application built exclusively around tokens.
