Reaper Actual Alpha Launches with Optional Crypto Features

Reaper Actual enters its Foundation Alpha phase with tiered pricing ranging from $29.99 to $74.99, positioning it at the higher end for an in-alpha title. The $29.99 edition provides players with their first base and Reaper characters, while the premium $74.99 ‘Stygian Oath Edition’ includes four Reapers, a bunker base, a warehouse base, and full game access. This PC-based open-world multiplayer first-person shooter features what Smedley claims will be the largest map of any FPS title, set on the island of Marova where players engage in a brutal civil war.

The core gameplay revolves around base creation, defense, and attack mechanics. Players control characters called ‘Reapers’ who receive missions from one of five warring factions. A unique defensive system allows players to rig their bases with traps to protect against enemy Reapers attempting to steal loot. While players can only control one Reaper at a time, any unused Reapers automatically guard their base, creating persistent defensive capabilities even when players are offline.

Despite significant fan backlash, Reaper Actual’s crypto elements remain completely optional, with Smedley emphasizing that the game is ‘first and foremost a skills-based shooter.’ The NFT marketplace, built on Tezos layer-2 Etherlink with Sequence’s assistance, allows players to trade in-game characters, bases, and cosmetics as digital assets. Smedley initially estimates only 8% of the player base will utilize this marketplace but projects growth to 30% over the next two years.

The web3-enabled version has a supply limited to 10,000 units, though Smedley clarified this limitation isn’t intended to create FOMO but rather reflects the studio’s capacity for meaningful playtesting. ‘Being able to give players true digital ownership of in-game assets is really important to our team,’ Smedley told Decrypt. ‘Players should have the freedom to do whatever they want with the things they own in our game, and that’s what this technology enables.’

Smedley has explicitly distanced himself from play-to-earn mechanics, stating ‘I’m not a fan of play-to-earn or mechanics like that. I also don’t like seeing tokens being viewed as a slot machine.’ Instead, he positions the NFT marketplace as similar to Steam’s Community Market but with greater transparency, focusing on ecosystem development rather than financial speculation.

Reaper Actual breaks from crypto gaming conventions by requiring no non-disclosure agreements for playtesters, encouraging public streaming and immediate feedback on platforms like Discord. This open development approach contrasts with other crypto shooters like Off the Grid, which used NDAs to control first impressions. Smedley explained the strategy: ‘We aren’t limiting the number of copies we’re selling to create FOMO. We’re actually doing it for a simple reason—we playtest this thing every day and now we need players to tell us if we’re delivering on the fun.’

The community response has been mixed, with fans of Smedley’s previous work expressing disappointment about the crypto integration and the game not being a new PlanetSide title. One X user commented, ‘Really disappointed with the Web3 integration, all of my excitement yesterday is gone,’ while another added, ‘If the goal of the game is financial reward, then the focus is definitely not on what I want from a game.’ Smedley has actively defended the game’s direction through social media, reiterating that crypto usage is optional and the primary goal remains entertainment rather than financial gain.

As Reaper Actual’s Foundation Alpha goes live at 9 AM PDT, the gaming industry watches closely to see if Smedley’s vision of optional crypto integration can succeed where other web3 gaming projects have struggled. The combination of traditional FPS mechanics with optional blockchain elements represents a significant test case for whether mainstream gamers will embrace crypto features when they’re presented as supplementary rather than central to the gaming experience.