During the April 30, 2025 AMA, the Pixels team introduced its upcoming staking system, which is expected to go live by the end of the week. Unlike traditional staking models, which have often been implemented as basic mechanisms for token utility, Pixels is taking a different approach by integrating staking into a decentralized publishing model. Through this system, users who stake $PIXEL will be able to influence which games within the ecosystem receive token emissions. This process acts as a form of governance, allowing the community to determine resource distribution across the platform.

Pixels AMA Recap Reveals Major Ecosystem Updates

Pixels AMA Recap

The Pixels team provided a live demonstration of the system and outlined its technical foundations, including a walkthrough of the whitepaper. The staking model is designed to encourage active participation and careful decision-making by the community. Stakers will earn rewards based on the proportion of $PIXEL they allocate to specific games in relation to the emissions those games provide. For example, if a game offers one million $PIXEL in monthly rewards and one million $PIXEL is staked to it, the return is one-to-one. If only one thousand $PIXEL is staked, the return per staker increases significantly. This dynamic reward system is intended to create competition among games to attract more staking support.

Pixels AMA Recap Reveals Major Ecosystem Updates

RORS Metric and Game-Level Incentives

A central concept discussed during the AMA was RORS, which measures the revenue-to-reward ratio of each game. This metric will influence staking decisions as users evaluate which games offer the best return. Currently, the main Pixels game has a RORS of 0.8, while Pixel Dungeons, another game within the ecosystem, performs better. If Pixel Dungeons receives two million $PIXEL in emissions and has a RORS of 1.2, it has greater capacity to redistribute rewards back to its players. As staking pools become more dynamic, the RORS metric may become a key factor in how users choose to allocate their tokens.

While games initially joining the Pixels ecosystem will be semi-curated, the long-term goal is to open the platform to all developers. Games will need to be competitive in both gameplay and monetization if they hope to attract staking support. The system is designed to reward games that provide consistent value to players, rather than those that rely solely on token incentives.

Pixels AMA Recap Reveals Major Ecosystem Updates

In-Game Staking and Boost Mechanics

The team also introduced in-game staking features that will complement the on-chain model. Players must have a minimum of 100 $PIXEL and must have logged in within the last 30 days to participate. Those who own farm land NFTs will receive a staking boost, but this is contingent upon having $PIXEL in the game. The maximum power boost is capped at the equivalent of 100,000 $PIXEL per land.

For example, a user holding one million $PIXEL with one land NFT would receive a 10 percent bonus, resulting in an effective stake of 1.1 million $PIXEL. This mechanism is limited to the Core Pixels game. Other games in the ecosystem may introduce their own systems and NFTs that influence staking rewards. These distinctions are designed to encourage diversification and specialized gameplay across the ecosystem.

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Introduction of $vPIXEL and Farmer Fee Model

A new token, $vPIXEL, is scheduled for release around June 1, 2025. It will exist as an ERC-20 token outside the game and serve as a spend-or-stake-only asset. The core gameplay and use of in-game $PIXEL will remain unchanged, but $vPIXEL introduces an additional layer of on-chain functionality. As part of the staking rollout, Pixels is also implementing a farmer fee model, which adjusts withdrawal fees based on a player’s reputation. Higher-reputation users will pay lower fees, while others may choose to keep their $PIXEL in-game to avoid these charges altogether.

The fees collected will be redistributed to stakers, reinforcing the ecosystem’s long-term value-sharing structure. The team noted that the farmer fee system is not intended to penalize users who withdraw tokens, but rather to encourage behavior aligned with the platform’s sustainability goals. A grace period feature is also being considered, which would allow recently deposited $PIXEL to be withdrawn without a fee, though this has not yet been finalized.

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Game Development and Ecosystem Expansion

Pixels is restructuring its development teams to focus separately on core gameplay and live service support. The AMA highlighted the need to move beyond short-term fixes and begin delivering more substantial features for long-term engagement. This includes the development of Chapter 3, which will aim to introduce meaningful end-game experiences and address limitations in current systems like the task board.

The team acknowledged that fun and competitive games are foundational to the ecosystem’s success, especially when measured against web2 gaming standards. Future updates will therefore be less frequent but more impactful, with one team focused on improving the core experience while another handles ongoing events and live content.

Pixels confirmed that more games will be joining the staking system. One example is an upcoming pets game, and discussions are ongoing with both internal and third-party developers. These games will receive $PIXEL emissions for user acquisition, functioning similarly to a publishing model. However, any game receiving emissions must redistribute those rewards to stakers, ensuring that value remains within the ecosystem.

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Clarifications on Mechanics and User Questions

During the AMA, several community questions were addressed. Staking is fully on-chain if users choose that route, and the unstaking period will be set at three days, aligning with typical industry standards. The team is exploring additional incentives, such as distributing RON tokens to stakers, and further details will be provided in the future.

Players asked about tracking staking rewards, which will be delivered via in-game maildrops. Questions also arose about specific scenarios involving $vPIXEL transfers and interactions with partner games like The Forgotten Runiverse. While exact mechanisms vary by game, all partners distributing $PIXEL are expected to do so in a way that benefits long-term ecosystem participants.

Finally, the team emphasized that the Pixels ecosystem is designed to reward users who are invested in its long-term success. Features like the farmer fee and staking incentives are structured to promote sustainable growth, rather than short-term speculation.