What sets Illuvium apart from earlier generations of games is its use of the Ethereum blockchain as an underpinning technology to enabled trusted commerce. This gives players a secure and immutable method of owning their characters as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), meaning they can trade characters and purchase other assets within the game environment.

The team also benefitted from the advice of another brother, Kain Warwick, who has built a solid reputation as a cryptocurrency investor and thought leader in the emerging concepts of Web3 and decentralised finance. Kieran says Kain’s insights and connections were essential for helping Illuvium raise funds, which it achieved through a token offer.

Kieran first began developing the concept of a blockchain-based game in early 2020, as a means of allowing gamers to take full ownership of their in-game creations. Together, Kieran and Aaron spent two weeks putting together concept graphics and a 15-page game design document that formed the foundation of Illuvium.

“From there, we started building a team. We had 20 people by January 2021, including the lead concept artist, lead animators, and a CFO,” Kieran says. “I was relentless about getting experts in their field. None of us had built a AAA game before, but these hires were important for investors.”

Players can earn crypto tokens as they play, which they can redeem for in-game assets or wager on tournament battles. Players can also own virtual land within the game’s world, which they use to produce fuel – a critical element for catching and upgrading Illuvials.

“With what we’ve set up on AWS, the serverless architecture, we can essentially spin up hundreds of millions of players.” Kieran says. “It’s completely scalable and they’re all in a global region so everyone can play with everyone.”