Yuga Labs' Otherside Metaverse Launches New Game "Outbreak" with Open Access

Yuga Labs, the Web3 company behind the prominent Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, has initiated a three-week beta phase for its new game, "Outbreak," within the Otherside metaverse. The announcement signals a strategic shift towards broader accessibility, as "Outbreak" is not token-gated, allowing any player to participate without requiring ownership of Yuga Labs' NFTs. This move aims to expand the Otherside community and onboard new players into its burgeoning ecosystem, as stated in a recent tweet from "Other Games" which highlighted the game is "powered by $APE $SOL."

"Outbreak" is described as a zombie infection game, featuring a timed match format where one player, designated as infected, attempts to spread the "plague" to others. The game is developed using the Otherside Development Kit (ODK), similar to Yuga Labs' previous 8v8 shooter, "Bathroom Blitz." Initially launching with a smaller map, Yuga Labs plans to introduce larger environments as the beta progresses, encouraging continuous engagement and exploration.

This open-access approach represents a notable departure from previous Otherside experiences, which typically required ownership of specific Yuga Labs NFT collections like Bored Apes or Voyagers. By removing this barrier, Yuga Labs seeks to attract a wider audience and foster a more inclusive gaming environment within its persistent metaverse. This strategy aligns with efforts to expand the platform's reach beyond its core NFT holder base.

The Otherside metaverse has previously demonstrated its capacity for large-scale multiplayer experiences, having set a Guinness World Record in early 2025 for the most concurrent players in an online first-person shooter, with 2,197 participants. ApeCoin ($APE) serves as the native utility and governance token for the Otherside ecosystem, utilized in past land sales for Otherdeed NFTs and powering various economic and governance functions within the metaverse. Discussions around migrating ApeCoin to its own dedicated chain, ApeChain, have also emerged to address scalability challenges encountered on Ethereum.

While ApeCoin is deeply integrated into the Otherside economy, the tweet also notes that "Outbreak" is "powered by" Solana ($SOL), a blockchain renowned for its high transaction speeds and low costs, making it a popular choice for many blockchain games and NFT projects. This mention suggests a potential multi-chain strategy or a broader acknowledgment of Solana's role in the Web3 gaming landscape, alongside ApeCoin's established utility within Yuga Labs' projects. The beta is currently accessible via the Otherside website.