Axie Infinity Season 9 rewards struggle to reverse player decline
Sky Mavis introduced an 81,133 AXS prize pool for Origins Season 9 to boost engagement, but player numbers remain significantly lower than the 2.78 million monthly users seen in 2021. The game continues to face economic shifts and workforce reductions.
Sky Mavis set a prize pool of 81,133 AXS for Origins Season 9, which exceeds $567,000 in value. The Rare Era rewards 12,170 AXS to the top 30,000 players. Collectible axie holders can access 7,000 AXS through collectible chests if they reach Tiger rank or above. I find the push for engagement through Gauntlet Mode, which includes SLP rewards, a direct attempt to fix engagement. In Gauntlet Mode, the 1st win provides 200 Moonshards, a 2nd win provides 20 SLP and 600 Moonshards, a 3rd win provides 60 SLP and 900 Moonshards, a 4th win provides 100 SLP and 1200 Moonshards, a 5th win provides 150 SLP and 1500 Moonshards, and a 6th win provides 200 SLP and 2000 Moonshards.
| Season 9 Reward Feature | Specific Value or Condition |
|---|---|
| Total Seasonal Prize Pool | 81,133 AXS |
| Rare Era Prize Pool | 12,170 AXS |
| Collectible Chest Rewards | 7,000 AXS |
| Final Era Prize Pool | 28.4K AXS |
| Elite 8 Tournament Prize | 3,000 AXS |
Developers scheduled three one-week Gauntlet Mode events this season to drive activity. The Rare Era Gauntlet Mode ran from June 17 to June 25. The Final Era carries 28.4K AXS, which accounts for 35% of the total seasonal prize pool. Players ranking in the top 1,300 can earn exclusive Bard and Machito avatars. This 49-day season aims to keep players active through varied reward structures.
Declining numbers and changing economics
Historical data shows a massive drop in engagement. While the game saw 2.78 million monthly players in January 2021, the user base fell to 701,447 at other points. In 2022, the game had 599,000 total unique accounts and 268,000 monthly active users. I see that the current daily player count sits around 52,659. The player base remains heavily concentrated in the Philippines, which holds 40% of the audience, alongside Venezuela at 7.4%, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
You should look at how these changes affect the core player motivation. The shift toward bAXS tries to move the economy away from speculation. Sky Mavis also released Terrariums V1.1 in July 2026, adding land items and accessories to the system. The development team released Terrariums V1 in June 2026 to replace the old Homeland system, using a bonded AXS mechanism where players earn non-transferable tokens through hourly gameplay on the specific plots they own. Does the introduction of bAXS solve the inflation problems that plagued the SLP token in previous years?
Workforce cuts and market volatility
Sky Mavis laid off 21% of its workforce, affecting approximately 50 out of 250 global employees. CEO Trung Nguyen stated this move allows for a sharper focus on hypergrowth in 2025 and beyond. This workforce reduction happened while the company focused on expanding the Ronin Network and Mavis Marketplace. The company previously dealt with a $600 million loss from a Ronin bridge hack in 2022. AXS trading volume reached $136.4 million on April 28, 2026, though the market cap sat at $261 million.
AXS reached $1.54 during that April window. This price follows a long period of decline from its 2021 peak, when it reached above $52 in July. The developer works on the Ronin network to attract new games like Pixels and Wild Forest. Despite the new rewards, the player base remains largely concentrated in the Philippines and Venezuela. I see the game fighting to keep interest alive through these constant mechanical shifts. The August 3 tournament will award 3,000 AXS to the winner from the eight top battlers. Is Axie Infinity still popular in 2026?
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