Pixelverse, the creator of the popular Telegram game PixelTap, announced Thursday that it has launched a closed beta for its browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), marking a significant expansion beyond the messaging platform.

While the Pixelverse game itself is not bound to Telegram, it still features what the company says is the first implementation of The Open Network (TON) blockchain microtransactions outside of the messaging app, ensuring that PixelTap players can make a smooth transition over.

The cyberpunk-themed game, set 800 years in the future, allows players to explore "Neopolis City," complete quests, and participate in an open economy. Pixelverse is designed as a more immersive game than PixelTap, which focused on tap-based mobile battles via the Telegram platform and pulled in tens of millions of players in the process.

The Pixelverse closed beta is currently available to early supporters, with plans for a public release in the fourth quarter.

"We are leveraging our massive user base on Telegram to expand organically beyond the platform,” Pixelverse CEO Kirill Volgin said in a statement. “Many Telegram mini-game users have discovered crypto through these mini apps in recent months, and now we're ready to offer them a richer, more complex gaming experience outside the mobile ecosystem."

Pixelverse launched its PIXFI token in July and held an airdrop for players. The token launched initially on Ethereum, but the studio said it plans to bring the token to TON as well alongside a dedicated layer-2 scaling network called Pixelchain.

While the PIXFI token itself is not yet available on TON, Pixelverse has already dished out hundreds of thousands of NFT collectibles on the chain via PixelTap.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.