In a significant move to integrate gaming with the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the renowned gaming company Square Enix has unveiled SYMBIOGENESIS, its inaugural global digital art initiative. As of today, the company has initiated the Chapter 1 allowlist entry campaign, presenting fans with the unique opportunity to mint exclusive digital collectibles at no cost.

The campaign invites participants to join the official SYMBIOGENESIS Discord server, where they can take part in various activities to secure a spot on the allowlist before the campaign concludes on November 21, 2023. The campaign employs a point-based system to determine eligibility for minting one of the 500 Characters, which are not available for public minting. These characters are intricately designed with specific roles and story elements in mind.

Square Enix aims to deepen fan engagement through performance-based activities on Discord, allowing players to accumulate points for future allowlist opportunities, and treasure hunts that yield digital relics convertible into campaign points.

The minting process is divided into three phases:

1. The "Stakeholder" phase for those closely involved with SYMBIOGENESIS to have early access.
2. The "Priority for Top-Ranking Player" phase for top-scoring players and a random selection of participants to mint characters at no cost.
3. The final phase is open to all campaign entrants, with no character limit per wallet, broadening participation.

Set to debut in December 2023, SYMBIOGENESIS will support Ethereum and Polygon chains and be accessible via Google Chrome and MetaMask wallets, available in English and Japanese. This initiative is part of Square Enix's strategic pivot towards blockchain entertainment, as indicated by the company's president, Yosuke Matsuda, in early 2023.

The company's financial results have shown a positive reception to its NFT and digital asset ventures in 2022. With increasing net sales from mobile and PC games, Square Enix is reinforcing its digital entertainment offerings through blockchain and NFTs.

As part of its blockchain expansion, Square Enix plans to establish an overseas subsidiary for token issuance and management, and game publishing in crypto-forward countries. The company is also considering a Corporate Venture Capital division, NFT-exclusive products, a dedicated NFT brand, and new IPs based on blockchain technology.

These initiatives are part of Square Enix's medium-term business strategy, leveraging the success of digital initiatives like the mobile game “Shi‐San‐Sei Million Arthur” and its blockchain-integrated second season.