Our Review
Axie Infinity is a blockchain gaming ecosystem developed by Sky Mavis and built around creatures known as Axies.
Players can collect, battle, evolve and use Axies across multiple experiences within the wider ecosystem.
Rather than being a single game, Axie has gradually developed into a collection of interconnected products that currently includes experiences such as:
Axie Infinity: Origins
Axie Classic
App.Axie and the marketplace
Terrariums
Bounty systems
Axie progression and evolution
additional ecosystem experiences under development
The Ronin blockchain provides the underlying infrastructure for digital assets, wallet activity and many economic features.
Gameplay
The most accessible entry point for many new players is Axie Infinity: Origins.
Origins is a turn-based strategy game where players build teams of Axies and use cards, abilities, runes and charms to compete against opponents.
Team composition matters considerably. Different Axies and card combinations can create very different strategies, which gives the game more depth than its colorful art style initially suggests.
Players interested in the older battle system can also play Axie Classic, which uses different mechanics and a distinct competitive meta.
This separation is useful because Axie now caters both to players who prefer the modern Origins system and long-time community members who still enjoy the original style of gameplay.
Is Axie Infinity Free to Play?
Yes — significantly more than it was during the early play-to-earn era.
Axie Origins currently provides free non-NFT starter Axies, allowing new players to learn the game and participate without purchasing Axies first.
Axie Classic has also introduced a Starter Mode designed to let newcomers experience the game without NFT ownership.
This is one of the most important improvements Axie Infinity has made.
Historically, the requirement to purchase a team of Axies created a significant financial barrier for new players. The modern onboarding experience is considerably more accessible.
However, free access and full economic participation are not the same thing.
Players who want access to certain blockchain features, collectible assets, marketplace activities and some reward opportunities may still need a Ronin Wallet and NFT-based assets.
Rewards in 2026
Axie's reward economy has changed significantly.
One of the biggest changes came in January 2026, when SLP emissions from Origins were stopped.
The stated reason was economic integrity: the previous reward structure had created opportunities for automated farming, which could negatively affect the economy.
Origins has instead moved toward bAXS — Bonded AXS.
bAXS is backed 1:1 by AXS but is designed around active participation in the Axie ecosystem.
Unlike a standard transferable token, bAXS is bonded to the account that earns it.
Players can use it within Axie ecosystem features, and conversion to AXS is subject to the user's standing within the ecosystem.
This represents a major philosophical change from the older model.
Rather than continuously emitting immediately transferable reward tokens, Axie is attempting to keep more economic activity within the game ecosystem.
Competitive Rewards
Axie continues to offer meaningful competitive rewards.
For example, Origins Season 18 launched with an 80,000 bAXS prize pool.
Competitive players can therefore still earn ecosystem rewards through strong performance.
However, this should not be interpreted as guaranteed income.
Rewards depend on factors such as:
competition performance;
season structure;
eligibility;
owned assets;
event rules;
ranking;
ecosystem participation.
The experience is much closer to competitive gaming with an economic layer than a simple system where every player earns money continuously.
Ronin Wallet and Blockchain
Axie Infinity operates within the Ronin ecosystem.
For players who want to participate deeply in marketplace transactions, NFTs and on-chain features, a Ronin Wallet remains an important part of the experience.
This creates both benefits and additional responsibilities.
Blockchain ownership means players can control digital assets directly, but it also means they must understand wallet security.
If a private key or recovery phrase is compromised, blockchain transactions generally cannot simply be reversed.
Sky Mavis provides extensive security guidance around fake wallets, phishing websites, malicious contracts and recovery phrase theft.
New players unfamiliar with crypto wallets should therefore learn the basic security model before storing valuable assets.
Axie NFTs
Axies can exist as blockchain-based NFT assets.
Owning NFT Axies provides additional possibilities compared with using free starter characters.
Depending on the feature or game mode, NFT ownership can influence:
team-building options;
collectible value;
progression;
marketplace activity;
reward eligibility;
ecosystem participation.
However, the ability to start playing without buying NFTs is an important improvement.
Players can now decide whether they actually enjoy the game before making a financial commitment.
Terrariums and the Wider Ecosystem
Axie is increasingly becoming more than a battle game.
Terrariums introduces land and Axie management systems where players can develop digital environments and assign Axies to activities.
A Free Plot option allows users without land NFTs to explore part of the experience, although reward functionality differs from NFT land ownership.
This wider ecosystem gives Axie considerably more depth than projects built around a single game loop.
It also introduces additional complexity.
For newcomers, the number of assets, systems, tokens and game modes can initially feel overwhelming.
Accessibility
Axie Origins is available across multiple platforms, including:
Android
Windows PC
macOS
It is also distributed through Google Play and has iOS availability in supported regions.
Free starter Axies make onboarding considerably easier than during Axie's early years.
This combination of mobile availability and free entry is a major positive for adoption.
Economy
Axie's economy remains one of the most important areas to evaluate.
The project became famous during the original play-to-earn boom, when financial incentives played an unusually large role in player acquisition.
That model also demonstrated the risks of designing a game economy around continuous token emissions.
The transition from SLP emissions in Origins toward bAXS suggests that Sky Mavis is trying to build a more sustainable economic structure.
The new approach places greater emphasis on:
active participation;
ecosystem contribution;
competitive performance;
controlled reward distribution;
keeping value circulating within Axie.
Whether this model proves sustainable over many years remains something that should continue to be monitored.
Community and Longevity
Few blockchain games can match Axie Infinity's historical significance.
The project has existed through multiple crypto market cycles and remains under active development in 2026.
That longevity is important.
Many blockchain gaming projects disappear after a short period, whereas Axie has continued evolving its games, reward systems and ecosystem.
Axie also maintains a recognizable global community and developer ecosystem.
The fact that the project has moved beyond its original model rather than remaining frozen in the 2021 play-to-earn formula is a positive sign.
Security
Blockchain gaming introduces a different security model from traditional gaming.
Users need to protect:
wallet recovery phrases;
private keys;
account credentials;
smart-contract approvals;
valuable NFT assets.
Sky Mavis maintains dedicated security guidance warning users about phishing, fake wallets, fake giveaways, fraudulent support accounts and malicious smart contracts.
The ecosystem therefore provides meaningful security education, but ultimately wallet security also depends heavily on the individual user.
For players holding valuable assets, hardware-wallet protection may be appropriate