Game Entry & Participation
Eternum
Eternum takes place in 'Seasons', multi-week campaigns with long-term strategic and diplomatic developments. There are several weeks between each season that allow for iterative development and feature expansion in each subsequent season.
Realms NFT Holder Entry 
Realms NFT holders have the exclusive benefit of free entry into each season of Eternum through the minting of Season Passes. Each Season Pass is unique to the Realm it was minted from and allows the holder to initiate a settling transaction to enter the game. To do this, Lords must first mint the Season Pass here using the wallet that contains the Realms NFT, then transfer the Season Pass to their Cartridge Wallet.
Non-Realm Holder Entry
⚖️ Season Pass Marketplace
Should a Realm NFT holder decide not to use their Season Pass, they can transfer it or sell it on the Season Pass Marketplace, providing an avenue for non-Realm holders to acquire Season Passes to participate in the game.
🏕️ Villages
Villages are modest outposts that can be established around settled Realms, offering an accessible entry point into Eternum. Villages have some restrictions but offer a low-cost, casual taste of Eternum gameplay to newcomers while also acting as an avenue for established players to expand their production. Each Realm can support up to six surrounding Villages.
For detailed information about Villages, including settling mechanics, resource production, and progression paths, visit our Villages guide.
Realm Control Mechanics
As long as you maintain control of a settled Realm or Village, you can actively participate without additional entry fees, engage in the market using $LORDS tokens, and enjoy uninterrupted gameplay until the end of the season. However, Eternum is a high-stakes game, it can be unforgiving and players must accept that their valuable holdings may become a target for other players. Thankfully, the game offers high-stakes and low-stakes gameplay to ensure that players can participate in the world at their own pace and risk tolerance.
⚔️ Realms - High Stakes
Once settled, Realms can be conquered and claimed within a Season, transferring control to the conqueror. Realms are the key playing pieces in Eternum and allow for the full gameplay experience in producing resources, training armies, conducting trade, and pursuing territorial expansion. This level of capability comes with increased risk, as Realms must continually manage defenses, alliances, and strategic positioning to protect themselves from rivals.
🌴 Villages - Low Stakes
Unlike Realms, Villages cannot be conquered by other players, making them an ideal choice for casual players seeking a lower-risk gameplay experience. Villages can still participate in most gameplay activities, but production rates are limited to 50% the rate of Realms and progression paths are limited. These features make Villages perfect for new players looking to learn the game mechanics without the constant threat of conquest.
Blitz
While an Eternum season is a single game instance that unfolds over weeks, Blitz competitions take place in 'series' that are hosted in the development period between seasons. Unlike Eternum, Blitz does not require ownership of Realms NFTs or Season Passes for entry. Entry requirements and stakes are determined by the bracket that players choose to compete in.
Bracket System
Blitz gameplay is structured around multiple brackets with varying stakes and entry requirements, catering to different playstyles and competitiveness levels.
🍻 Recruit Bracket - No Stakes
Free-to-enter bracket for introduction, playtesting and practice. Players can experience Blitz gameplay with no stakes while potentially earning some Relic Chest rewards. Recruit games run multiple times per day on a rotating schedule to encourage participation from players in all time zones.
💰 Gladiator Bracket - $LORDS Stakes
Competitive games with $LORDS stakes. Players pay a 250 $LORDS entry fee, contributing to a shared prize pool. The top 20% of players split the prize pool at the conclusion of the game, while all players have a chance to earn Relic Chest rewards. Games run twice per day on a rotating schedule.
🏅 Warrior Bracket - Series Games
These games form the bulk of a competitive Blitz Series. Players pay a $LORDS entry fee, contributing to a prize pool. The top 20% of players split the prize pool at the conclusion of the game, with players earning additional rewards in the form of Relic Chests and Blitz Rewards Chests. The highest placing players can also win tradable NFT invites to the Elite bracket. Games run a few times weekly during prime time for key timezones (USA, Europe, Asia-Pacific).
🏆 Elite Bracket - Series Finals
Representing the highest level of Blitz gameplay, Elite bracket games are considered the 'finals' of a Blitz Series. Entry requires an NFT invite from Warrior bracket (no additional $LORDS cost). These games offer large, DAO-funded prize pools (pending BIP) along with Relic Chests, Blitz Rewards Chests and Elite Blitz Rewards Chests. A limited number of Elite games are run at the end of a Blitz series.
Realm Control Mechanics
Each Lord starts the game in control of three equally capable Realms. As in Eternum, Realms in Blitz can be conquered by other Lords, encouraging constant vigilance and strategic interaction. Lords must carefully balance their military forces, territorial positioning, and resource management to survive and thrive within the intense two-hour game duration. There is no progression beyond the conclusion of the game, and each game instance starts with a refreshed world state.