Meet The Generative Cyber Punk Metaverse Avatars: Chain Runners NFT

What do Gary Vaynerchuk, Josh Buckley, and Alex Pall have in common? For one, they’re all part of the Chain Runners community. A fairly new project on the NFT scene, this metaverse & NFT collection promises to take web3 experiences to another level.

Their debut NFTs titled Genesis have already surpassed 12.5k ETH in OpenSea trading volume. In fact, many collectors even compare the digital assets to the iconic BAYC and CryptoPunks!

Now, the founding team will take things to a new level with their 3D XR Runners drop. Before we dive into that, though, let’s answer the most important question:

What is Chain Runners?

In essence, Chain Runners is a community-led cyberpunk virtual universe. Its digital experience begins with a collection of 10,000 avatar NFTs titled Genesis. The colorful characters, called Runners, live on the Ethereum blockchain.

In terms of design, each NFT features pixelated traits including facial expressions, accessories, and clothing. The collectibles were created through a generative process: Alpha blending. To illustrate, the algorithm randomly combines 13 layers with 8 colors for each layer.

Both the avatar itself and its attribute metadata are completely decentralized and on-chain. Most collectors and investors consider this a major perk in the long run.

At this moment, the Chain Runners Genesis collection is sold out. At launch, the minting price was just 0.05 ETH. Nevertheless, collectors can mint their own NFT via OpenSea. The collection has already surpassed 12.5k ETH in trading volume – and for good reason.

These digital assets open the door to a fascinating, innovative metaverse: the Mega City.

An insight into the virtual Mega City

Mega City is the virtual universe of the Chain Runners. The city’s high towers host a futuristic society modeled after the 21st century’s greed and chaos. In this new world, only those who obey strict rules can live a good life.

Those who disobey will be banished and tranquilized. These are the orders of Somnus, the creator, and ruler of Mega City.

For most people, the system works. However, the rebellious ones rejected the new world’s manipulation. From hackers to dealers and vandals, these deserters share the same goal: to live a free life. Meanwhile, they’re hacking the Mega City’s networks, or simply trying to stay safe.

That’s when the game begins. You mint your Runner NFT, enter the metaverse and explore the depths of Mega City’s secret world.

This innovative idea instantly caught collectors’ attention. Soon enough, big investors such as Product Hunt’s Josh Buckley or Away CEO Jen Rubio invested in their own Runner NFTs. Meanwhile, the community kept wondering who is behind this brave project – so let’s find out.

Who is behind Chain Runners?

Chain Runners is created by a team of five members experienced in the tech and gaming sectors. Notably, the project founder, Evan Dennington, worked at Credit Karma, a leading finance consultancy.

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first project Chain Runners has been involved in. Previously, the same team launched Blitmap. Described as a sci-fi fantasy universe, this project consists of only 100 NFTs. Much like the Runner chweb3aracters, these collectibles share the same pixelated artwork style.

All in all, Chain Runners is definitely the team’s most successful endeavor to date – and this is just the beginning.

The Chain Runners roadmap revealed

Chain Runners has already come a long way since the collection drop. The founding team has developed a 3D version of each Runner NFT. Of course, the NFT holders receive the 3D models. Much like the pixelated artworks, collectors can use the PFP renders however they want. Accordingly, these digital assets will drop in the first week of May.

Nonetheless, the XR Genesis Runners act as a ticket to Runnerverse – the project’s dedicated metaverse. There, the community can socialize and explore Mega City.

A dedicated AR experience

The team is actively working on bringing the Runner characters IRL too. For example, holders will be able to showcase their NFTs on social media via augmented reality. Surprisingly, the admins already gave a sneak peek of the feature:

Exclusive digital wearables

Soon, NFT holders will be able to upgrade their Runners with new wearables. The digital clothing items will likely come as NFTs. Accordingly, these items will help Runners identify their personalities.

Generally, investing in digital wearables is a clever move. After all, the fashion NFT sector has been exploding in recent months.

Immersive 3D experiences

In the future, Chain Runners aims to further integrate the XR Runner characters into the metaverse. The team already joined forces with Nifty Island, a web3 social gaming platform. Nevertheless, project admins also promise to develop their own 3D experiences.

So far, the team didn’t reveal an exact drop date for the roadmap. Considering the project’s progress, though, we might expect to see many of these upgrades throughout 2022.

In summary, Chain Runners can be a leading example of decentralization among NFT projects. Thanks to its innovation, this community-driven project might open new doors in the ever-evolving web3 universe.