and the distribution of digital products.
MapleStory N: A Legacy IP’s breakout moment in blockchain.
- In anticipation of the game launch, MapleStory hosted an OpenSea Primary Drop campaign. The launch showed high demand for MapleStory N as 1.7 million NFTs were minted.
- On May 14, 2025, Maplestory N logged over 1.1 million users, signalling strong initial interest just a day prior to the game launching.
- MapleStory N has averaged over 10,000 daily buyers and sellers since its launch. MapleStory N opened to an active marketplace as traders continue to both buy and sell items.
- MapleStory now leads all Avalanche Layer 1’s (L1s) in active addresses, accounting for 29% of total activity among the top six L1s. MapleStory N is ahead of other L1s by at least 20%.
Primer
MapleStory, a 2D side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), was first launched in 2003 by Nexon. MapleStory has become a global phenomenon, amassing over $5.0 billion in lifetime revenue and boasting a staggering 250.0 million registered users worldwide. As a pioneer in the gaming industry, Nexon has spent two decades fine-tuning MapleStory as a long-term live service, consistently enhancing content and gameplay. However, like many legacy titles, MapleStory has faced challenges from its extended lifespan. Although continuous updates provided users with content to enjoy, the release of new in-game items has also caused inflation in the economy. Nexon has recognized the need to evolve beyond traditional live service models to create a healthier, more sustainable engagement with players. With that in mind, Nexpace, a blockchain arm of Nexon, has launched MapleStory Universe, a blockchain-integrated gaming experience designed to preserve and enhance the original game’s IP. While still in its testnet phase, this initiative represents NEXPACE’s strategic solution: rather than reacting to emergent problems, MapleStory Universe seeks to fundamentally reshape the user experience by leveraging blockchain technology to support asset ownership, longevity, and secure transactions within a thriving ecosystem. MapleStory Universe ecosystem is built around four key pillars: MapleStory N, a blockchain-integrated MMORPG; Synergy Apps, a user-generated content (UGC) applications platform that connect with the in-game economy; The Builder's Center, a one-stop hub for API access, onboarding and development resources to support MSU ecosystem contributors.; and Nexpace Protocol and NXPC, delivering enhanced Rewards Experience to the community. These elements aim to create an interconnected experience that enhances player engagement and drives ecosystem growth.
Research Contents
First month of MapleStory NMapleStory N, the flagship title within the ecosystem, reimagines the classic MapleStory experience as a PC-based MMORPG infused with blockchain technology. This integration introduces features like digital ownership of in-game NFTs, empowering players to trade and manage their virtual possessions. Players can earn in-game items, convert them into NFTs, and trade them within the dedicated MapleStory Universe marketplace, opening up new avenues for economic activity and player interaction.
The first month of MapleStory N validated market appetite for the convergence of legacy IP and Web3. Backed by Nexon’s two decades of live-service expertise, the title has averaged over 30,000 users daily since its launch and has maintained steady activity across its marketplace. Rather than launching with a speculative model, Nexpace, the blockchain arm of Nexon, prioritized utility, composability, and ownership. Its custom Avalanche Layer-1, Henesys, quickly became one of the network’s most active chains, underscoring the scale of early engagement. With this foundation, MapleStory Universe serves as a reference point for traditional game publishers exploring blockchain integration. It offers a blueprint for sustainable growth built on proven IP and user-centric design.
Pre-Launch: Primary Drop Campaign
Prior to the official game launch, NEXPACE held an NFT minting event in anticipation of their MapleStory N game release. Partnering with OpenSea, NEXPACE launched the OpenSea Primary Drop campaign. In this event, users could mint a soulbound Scroll NFT. Soul-bound NFTs are non-transferable tokens that typically represent some kind of achievement or identification on a user’s wallet. The NFTs are bound to a specific wallet and cannot be bought, sold or traded. are . The event lasted six days and garnered attention, as over 1.5 million NFTs were minted cumulatively.
Day 1 Onboarding: MapleStory N makes a splash
NEXPACE officially launched MapleStory N on May 15, 2025, marking a breakout first debut for the company. The Henesys L1 saw high engagement prior to its launch, spiking up to over 1.0 million unique active wallets, likely caused by users prepping for the game launch as well as the NXPC airdrop. While launch-day activity naturally tapered, MapleStory N has sustained strong engagement, averaging 35,967 daily active wallets over its first month, placing it among the most trafficked blockchain games to date. Although the ecosystem remains in its early stages, this level of adoption highlights promising traction and sets a strong foundation for NEXPACE to build upon.
In-game Engagement: The Busy Marketplace
Alongside steady player growth, MapleStory N has also recorded consistent traction in its in-game marketplace. Since launch, the platform has averaged over 10,855 daily unique buyers, reflecting an 8.1% increase in average buyer activity from launch to the present. The marketplace plays a central role in gameplay progression, enabling players to purchase equipment tailored to their character builds using NESO, the in-game transactional currency. High-grade gear, often listed on the marketplace, allows players to tackle more difficult bosses, unlocking access to high-tier raffles and improved item rewards.
Henesys’ impact on the Avalanche networkHenesysHenesys is NEXPACE’s custom Avalanche Layer-1, purpose-built to support the MapleStory Universe. Currently, MapleStory N is a core application operating on the network, though NEXPACE has signaled plans to expand Henesys with additional applications as the ecosystem matures. Following the launch of MapleStory N, Henesys experienced a sharp spike in usage, rapidly surpassing many existing Avalanche L1s in activity and positioning itself as one of the network’s leading L1 environments by onchain engagement.
Since the launch of the Henesys, MapleStory N has emerged as a key contributor to onchain activity within the Avalanche ecosystem. Among the top six Avalanche L1s by transaction count, Henesys has demonstrated strong early traction despite launching only recently. While not the highest in daily transaction count, Henesys has quickly solidified a position as one of the most active L1s on Avalanche.
Active Addresses
Despite launching just two months ago, Henesys has already emerged as the most active Avalanche Layer-1 by daily active addresses. It now accounts for 29% of all active addresses across the top Avalanche L1s, including the Avalanche C-Chain, and is over 20% higher than the next most active L1. This surge in activity demonstrates the outsized impact MapleStory N has had on the overall Avalanche ecosystem. Looking ahead, NEXPACE’s continued content updates and feature expansions will be critical for maintaining momentum and converting early traction into long-term user retention.
Operational ResilienceLiveOps that Fights Back: Hacks/Macros controlWhile MapleStory has attracted a growing player base and early success, it faces challenges in sustaining its economy and game environment over time. One of the most pressing issues is the threat posed by bots and cheaters, common but serious problems for most MMORPGs. These risks were not new to the team, drawing from Nexon’s deep LiveOps experience, responded swiftly and decisively. What matters is how quickly they were contained. Through years of live-ops playbooks from Nexon, response actions were deployed effectively, visibly stabilizing in-game activity.
Growth Catalysts: Updates and Ecosystem Expansion
While user activity in MapleStory N has tapered since its launch, Nexpace is actively building toward a more expansive and durable ecosystem. Rather than relying on short-term momentum, the team is focused on deepening its product surface and extending player engagement through new experiences and tools.
As part of this strategy, developer traction has steadily grown. The MSU team has received 84 API integration requests since launch, with over half of them (45) already in active development. The most common use cases to date include analytics dashboards at 46% and guild tooling at 23%, reflecting a growing emphasis on user experience and community infrastructure.
Beyond these, a broader range of applications is beginning to take shape. Early-stage projects such as prediction markets, trading assistants, and mini-games are expanding the utility surface of the MSU economy. Four applications are nearing launch, including a real-time analytics dashboard, an information hub, and a Discord-integrated gameplay bot.
This development momentum suggests a roadmap not just of content updates but of ecosystem enablement. With additional Synergy Apps expected to go live in the coming months, MSU is laying the groundwork for a more composable and creator-powered ecosystem. With these developments in the ecosystem, MapleStory aims to reinforce long-term user retention while growing demand for its NXPC token..
Closing StatementWhile still early, MapleStory has made a statement in the Avalanche ecosystem, quickly becoming a top performer among L1s. Its broader significance, however, lies beyond Avalanche.
For both Web3-native and traditional publishers, MapleStory N offers a compelling blueprint. This path forward is no longer theoretical; rather, it is already unfolding, and its trajectory may shape the future of game publishing across both Web2 and Web3.