The multiplayer arena combat game Moonray, which recently launched its open beta, aims to reshape industry expectations by bringing a new focus to 4-on-4 arena combat combined with a rich storyline developed in conjunction with renowned comic book writers and illustrators.
This journey began in 2019 when CEO and co-founder Rodrigo Etcheto decided to combine his love of science fiction with gaming. After working in launch marketing for several startups in the dot-com era of the early 2000s, Etcheto went back to tech after 15 years in the family food processing business, which led him to explore new game prototypes and ultimately paved the way for Moonray.
Moonray's unusual origin story
From the outset, the Moonray team was determined to create a game unlike anything seen before.
“I’m kind of tired of all the games out there,” Etcheto recently shared in an interview with OpenSea. “There’s nothing wrong with the games themselves, but all of them are either medieval-themed and kind of dark and depressing, or they’re sci-fi, and if they’re sci-fi, they’re near-future dystopias that are essentially a remake of [Blade Runner], and especially sci-fi, it could go much further than it has.”
Eager to adopt a different kind of narrative context for his game, Etcheto envisions a world where advanced technology blurs the line between the organic and the synthetic, where consciousness itself can be manipulated, drawing inspiration from UFO lore and the latest Prophet comic book series from writer Brandon Graham and artist Simon Roy (Prophet was originally created by Rob Liefeld in the 1990s).
Eventually, Etcheto began to conceive of a universe in which elements with embedded consciousness could be manipulated by society to create life and technology, and with this novel idea in mind, Etcheto taught himself to use Unreal Engine and began prototyping 2019’s Moonray.
“When I started to understand the capabilities of Unreal Engine, it became clear that its graphics capabilities were very powerful and its ability to create prototypes was very powerful,” he says. “I had found what I needed.”
As for his inspirations, the (Prophet) comic book series was Etcheto’s main source of inspiration for the game’s narrative and art: “I loved it so much,” he says. “I had never seen anything like it, and I knew I needed someone with a crazy idea, so one day I contacted writer Brandon Graham and told him what I was working on, and asked him to help me develop story ideas for this game, and he agreed to come on board!”
With Graham on board as a creative partner, Etcheto developed an interest in sci-fi and UFOs and began asking himself what a truly technologically advanced future would look like and what kind of world he could create with this futuristic technology.
“I knew I had to come up with something that didn’t look like technology to us,” Etcheto says. “I ended up blurring those lines by fusing organic and technological elements with an embedded consciousness, and the story would involve a society that manipulates this element to create new things, even entirely new life.”
Fight in Moonlight Arena
After securing a solid concept for the backstory, Etcheto began building out Moonray’s story and the game itself, working with Graham to begin developing the narrative world in a four-book comic book series, which serves as the foundation for the game’s worldbuilding and is available online and in thousands of bookstores across the United States.
Unlike most video games, Moonray flips the script, with the comic book narrative driving the plot. "This comic series is more than just backstory," Etcheto said. "It's an integral part of Moonray's development process, and we use the comics to communicate what we're building in the game."
The first edition of the manga (Mother's Skin) launches in October 2023, and the second volume (Echoes of the Ascension) will be available on the Epic Games Store in July 2024, alongside the game itself.
Moonray's story is set in a post-human world tens of thousands of years later. Etcheto wants to break the traditional sci-fi tropes and continue to merge with comics. The game draws inspiration from books and focuses on combat, drawing inspiration from masterpieces such as (Assassin's Creed) and (Devil May Cry). All scenes are set in an arena environment based on (Thor's Hammer).
"We originally wanted to make a shooter, but there were so many shooters out there and the genre was too crowded," Etcheto said. "Everyone was making a shooter, partly because it's technically easier to make than other genres, so our idea for Moonray's gameplay was based primarily on melee combat with swords, hammers, and spears, with limited use of ranged weapons. We didn't want ranged combat to dominate."
The game’s protagonist is taken directly from the comic book series, allowing players to deeply connect to the storyline, and Etcheto believes that what sets Moonray apart is its art direction, led by the team’s creative director Xurxo Penalta, who brings a fresh perspective to game design.
“The best part is he doesn’t play games,” Etcheto said of Penalta. “We like that because he doesn’t focus on other games, which creates a fresher, more original art.”
Rather than taking inspiration from contemporary games, Penalta looked to sci-fi art and films from the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in a unique visual style that Etcheto hopes will help Moonray stand out from its competitors.
Moonray's on-chain economy
During the game’s development, Etcheto observed the convergence of gaming and NFTs starting in 2021 and saw an opportunity to leverage blockchain to ultimately power players for Moonray.
“Our idea of the use case for web3 in AAA multiplayer games is that it should be very, very simple,” Etcheto said. “It has to enhance the gaming experience for those players who want it, and we’re not going to force any player to do it. You don’t need to buy NFTs or connect a wallet to play the game.”
The core concept is “Fortnite with tradable skins” where in-game items have real-world value through blockchain technology, Moonray has partnered with the Miium Foundation to integrate in-game NFTs on the Base blockchain and the MNRY ERC-20 token on Ethereum and Base, which enables the exchange of in-game cosmetic items and possible token-based betting in competitive modes.
“But to me, web3 is just infrastructure,” Etcheto said. “It’s not a feature, but it powers our features, and Moonray is worth a try in its own right, and that’s what our focus is.”
Rare items will eventually be unlocked directly in-game or through Drops on the Marketplace.
“Ultimately, our goal is to allow our players to find ways to earn cool rewards through curiosity and creativity,” said Etcheto.
What's next for Moonray?
The game is currently available on the Epic Games Store, with plans to launch on Steam in mid-2025 and on consoles in late 2025.
Etcheto envisions Moonray operating and monetizing much like most live service games, selling battle passes, skins, and the like, and the team has already started working on new character classes to be introduced later, and while the business model may be familiar, the game’s art and design will continue to set it apart.
"If you're going to compete as a small studio, you can't compete directly with the big studios," Etcheto said. "You have to do something that really stands out creatively. Our combat is based on combos, parries, and blocking, all in a 4v4 arena. You have to build, maintain, and continue to improve on a fun gameplay, otherwise they're going to play (Call of Duty)."
Details about the upcoming casting
Next, the Moonray team will be working on a Free Headshot (PFP) series, which is expected to be launched in mid-October. Click here for full details of Moonray's advance casting:
premint.xyz/moonraygame
Subsequently, the team recently announced that it will release an Autobattler mobile game in early 2025.
NOTE: Mention of MNRY token is for informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or investment advice.
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