Zentry will bring its massively multiplayer online role-playing game Ragnarok Landverse to Sky Mavis‘ Ronin Web3 network.
The partnership will combine Zentry’s work in Web3 gaming with Ronin’s distribution for blockchain titles.
Ragnarok Landverse continues the legacy of the classic MMORPG that has drawn in over 100 million players globally since its inception and generated more than $2 billion in lifetime revenue over the past two decades.
Zentry said it is staying true to its immersive gameplay while offering new opportunities for players to earn and own. And it said the arrival of Ragnarok on-chain will pave the way for millions of gamers to enter the Web3 ecosystem, bridging classic gameplay with digital ownership and community engagement.
Zentry is building a “game-of-games ecosystem for a unified Play Economy.” Its flagship game technology studio, Maxion, has an official partnership with Gravity, the publisher of Ragnarok. Ragnarok Landverse is the Web3 version of the beloved classic, renowned for its immersive gameplay that invites players to embark on epic quests, face powerful monsters, and connect with a vibrant online community.
“Our partnership with Sky Mavis goes beyond launching Ragnarok Landverse on Ronin,” said Jarindr Thitadilaka, CEO of Zentry, in a statement. “Together, we’re paving the way for future Biggest gaming IPs to transition into Web3. By focusing on engaging gameplay, global accessibility, and blockchain-powered asset ownership—without relying on incentives like tokens—Ragnarok Landverse demonstrates that Web3 gaming success is possible through quality alone. We are fully committed to making our vision of onboarding 50 million global users to Web3 gaming a reality.”
Ragnarok origins
Ragnarok Online was launched in 2002 by South Korean developer Gravity and has become one of the most successful MMORPGs in gaming history. Inspired by the Korean manhwa series Ragnarök by Lee Myung-jin, the game’s unique blend of Norse mythology, fantasy elements, and vibrant 2D characters set against rich 3D environments captivated players around the globe.
From its debut, Ragnarok became a cultural phenomenon, especially in Southeast Asia, where it remains one of the most beloved gaming IPs of all time. Its success helped usher in the MMORPG boom of the early 2000s, alongside titles like World of Warcraft and Runescape. Over the past two decades, Ragnarok Online has amassed over 100 million players worldwide and generated more than $2 billion in lifetime revenue.
What set Ragnarok apart was its ability to foster a deep sense of community. Players formed tight-knit social groups through guild systems, cooperative dungeon raids, and competitive PvP modes such as the War of Emperium. Its innovative job class system offered a wide array of character roles (like Knights, Priests, and Assassins) each with unique skills and progression paths, allowing for highly personalized gameplay experiences.
Beyond gameplay, Ragnarok pioneered the concept of player-driven economies. Vibrant secondary markets emerged where players traded in-game items, zeny (in-game currency), and rare equipment. However, these markets operated informally, relying on third-party platforms or face-to-face trades, highlighting a need for better infrastructure to support these thriving economies.
Over the years, Ragnarok expanded its reach with spin-offs like Ragnarok DS, Ragnarok M: Eternal Love, and Ragnarok Origin, bringing the franchise to new platforms and audiences. Even today, active servers and fan-hosted private servers keep the game’s legacy alive.
Now, with the launch of Ragnarok Landverse on Ronin, the game is entering a new chapter. By integrating blockchain technology, Ragnarok solves one of its longstanding challenges: formalizing and empowering the secondary markets that have always been a part of its DNA. Players can now securely own and trade in-game assets while preserving the immersive gameplay, storylines, and vibrant community that have defined Ragnarok for two decades.
New growth
With its soft launch having drawn 400,000 players and generated $15 million in revenue from in-game item and NFT sales within a year, the game is positioned to unite its global fanbase while inviting a new generation of players into its universe, Zentry said.
Ronin’s track record as the fastest-growing gaming blockchain, combined with its ecosystem of iconic Web3 titles like Axie Infinity and Pixels, makes it the perfect home for Ragnarok Landverse to reach an engaged community, Zentry said.
With over 4.7 million monthly active users and three million daily transactions, Ronin ensures seamless integration of gameplay and blockchain features to support Zentry’s vision of onboarding millions of players globally, Zentry said.
“Having been a Ragnarok player myself, I understand the deep nostalgia and connection this game evokes in its global community,” said Trung Nguyen, Sky Mavis CEO, in a statement. “Zentry’s Ragnarok Landverse—with its massive player base and $15 million in NFT sales—proves that Web3 gaming is about creating experiences that players truly love, enabling players to earn and collect. With Ronin’s proven track record of powering Web3 hits and our mission to bring economic freedom to everyone, starting with gamers, we’re thrilled to help expand Ragnarok Landverse to an even larger, more engaged audience,.”
The partnership between Zentry and Ronin extends beyond Ragnarok Landverse, including Zentry being a node validator on the Ronin network. Additionally, Zentry recently exclusively onboarded Ronin onto Nexus Season 1, Zentry’s player portal for humans and AI agents to help supercharge gaming communities.
Players can pre-register for Ragnarok Landverse access starting today and join the adventure in Q1 2025.
Ronin is an EVM-based blockchain purpose-built for gaming. Developed by Sky Mavis, the creator of Axie Infinity, Web3’s breakout game with over $1.3B in revenue, Ronin is a blockchain proven to scale a single game to millions of daily active users, processing over $4 billion in NFT volumes to date. Zentry has 70 employees, and it has raised $150 million to date.
In an email to GamesBeat, Thitadilaka at Zentry said about the inspiration for the game, “Ragnarok is one of the most iconic gaming IPs in Southeast Asia and remains deeply nostalgic for millions of players who grew up with it. It’s the same sense of scale and impact as bringing something like Runescape or World of Warcraft on-chain. What makes Ragnarok so unique isn’t just the immersive gameplay but also the player-driven secondary markets that grew around it.”
Thitadilaka added, “Players built entire in-game economies, even though the infrastructure to truly support ownership didn’t exist at the time. By bringing Ragnarok on-chain, we saw an opportunity to solve these challenges through Web3 technology—empowering players to own and trade assets seamlessly while preserving the original gameplay experience that made the game so beloved. This is about honoring its legacy while expanding it for the next generation of gamers.”
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