Astar, a web3 collective based in Japan, has relaunched its digital collectible game Yoki Origins under a new title, Yoki Legacy, on Sony’s Soneium blockchain. The move marks a strategic shift aimed at expanding accessibility and continuing the development of the Yoki intellectual property in a blockchain ecosystem designed to support creative and IP-focused applications.

Yoki Legacy x Blockchain

Yoki Origins originally debuted last year on the Astar Network, Japan’s leading web3 ecosystem, with involvement from major partners including Casio, Japan Airlines, JR Kyushu Railway Company, Quickswap, and Rarible. According to Astar, the project saw significant user engagement, resulting in 59,000 unique wallet addresses and the minting of 2.5 million Yoki-related non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Now hosted on Sony’s Soneium blockchain, a Layer 2 network developed by Sony’s Block Solutions Labs, Yoki Legacy aims to reach broader audiences and support long-term scalability. Maarten Henskens, head of Astar Foundation, stated that the transition to Soneium aligns with Astar’s mission to preserve and expand the Yoki IP in an environment designed to empower creators and projects centered on intellectual property.

Yoki Legacy Coming to Sony’s Soneium Blockchain

Streamlined Gameplay and Token Integration

Yoki Legacy maintains the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor while introducing a simplified structure intended to enhance user experience. Drawing inspiration from Pokémon and traditional Japanese culture, the game invites users to collect digital characters known as “Yokis” and complete a virtual notebook. In this updated version, the number of Yokis has been reduced from 48 to 24, with 12 basic and 12 evolved variants. Players can fuse three identical basic Yokis to generate an evolved one, maintaining a strategic element while making the game more accessible.

The game also introduces an updated token system. The original in-game token, previously known as Omamori (OMA), has been rebranded as OMASTR to reflect deeper integration with the Astar Network. Players can mint OMASTR tokens on Soneium using Astar’s native token, ASTR, without any daily limits. This change is intended to provide users with greater flexibility and enhance participation across the ecosystem.

OMASTR tokens are primarily used to obtain Yokis through capsule machines, a core mechanic in the game. There are now three distinct capsule machines, each featuring different Yokis and offering four capsule types. This variation is designed to support ongoing engagement by creating opportunities for users to collect different character sets.

Incentives to Support Web3 Engagement

As part of the relaunch, Astar Foundation has expanded its Astar Contribution Score (ACS) program, designed to reward users for participating in on-chain activities. Players earn ACS Points by minting Yokis, fusing them, and completing their notebooks. The program is supported by a reward pool of 100 million ASTR tokens, with two million ACS Points available at launch and the potential for additional allocations over time.

To further encourage participation, players who complete their Yoki notebook by June 1 will receive an exclusive Yoki OG Badge. Developed as part of the collaboration between Astar and Sony’s Soneium, the badge serves as a symbol of early engagement and support for the project. Sony noted that this badge is more than a digital item, representing a user’s contribution to the development of the Soneium blockchain ecosystem.

Soneium Blockchain 

Positioning for Future Growth in Web3

With Yoki Legacy now active on Soneium, Astar and Sony aim to leverage the strengths of both organizations to create a more engaging and scalable web3 gaming experience. Soneium, which launched with support from well-established technology providers such as Circle, Optimism, Alchemy, The Graph, and Chainlink, is designed to host decentralized applications across gaming, entertainment, and finance.

By relocating Yoki Legacy to this infrastructure, Astar is positioning the game and its associated IP for long-term growth, while continuing its broader mission of fostering adoption and innovation within the web3 space.