What Is the Otherside Metaverse and How Does It Work?

Otherside is a virtual world, often called a metaverse, developed by Yuga Labs, the company best known for the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. It was announced in early 2022 as a shared online space where people could play games, socialise and attend events, with ownership tied to NFTs and a crypto token.

The idea has several layers:

• Land: Otherdeeds are NFTs that represent parcels of land in the Otherside world.
• Characters and creatures: Holders of other Yuga collections, plus a creature collection called Koda, can appear in the world as avatars or companions.
• Currency: ApeCoin (APE) is the token linked to the project and the wider Yuga ecosystem.
• Experiences: Games, social spaces and events run inside a 3D client.

It helps to separate what is on-chain from what is not. The ownership records for Otherdeeds, Koda and ApeCoin sit on the Ethereum blockchain. The 3D world, the game logic and the servers that let many people share a space run on conventional infrastructure and are controlled by the developer.

Otherside is not a single finished game with a fixed release date. It has been rolled out in stages through previews, tests and themed events. That is why this guide describes the structure and mechanics rather than any current feature list, which you should confirm on Yuga Labs' official channels.

Yuga Labs launched Bored Ape Yacht Club in 2021, a collection of 10,000 ape avatars that became one of the most recognised NFT brands. The company later expanded into related collections, including Mutant Ape Yacht Club, and in 2022 it acquired the CryptoPunks and Meebits brands. Otherside was the company's move from selling collectible images toward building a place where those collectibles could be used.

The launch was tied to two events in spring 2022:

• ApeCoin: ApeCoin was introduced in March 2022 and is governed by the ApeCoin DAO, a community governance body, rather than by Yuga Labs alone.
• Otherdeed sale: The land sale took place at the end of April 2022, priced in ApeCoin.

Yuga Labs has worked with technology partners on the virtual world itself. Partners and arrangements can change over a multi-year project, so treat any specific partner list you find as something to verify in recent official material.

Understanding this background explains why Otherside is closely linked to the Bored Ape community. Many early supporters came from that group, and the first events were designed with Ape holders in mind. It also explains the criticism the project attracted: it launched at the peak of NFT enthusiasm, and promises made then have been tested by a very different market since.

Otherdeeds are the central asset. Each is an NFT on Ethereum representing a plot of land in Otherside. The first batch of 100,000 was sold in April 2022, and each deed has a set of traits that describe its place in the world.

The main trait groups are:

• Sediment: the type of ground the land sits on.
• Environment: the landscape or biome of the plot.
• Artifact: a feature or object associated with the land.
• Resource: a resource found on the plot, which hints at possible future gameplay uses.

A smaller subset of Otherdeeds contained a creature called a Koda. Kodas were revealed later through an expansion and became their own NFT collection, with a set of visual traits. They are designed to be companions or characters in the world.

The NFTs follow the standard approach for collectibles. Ownership is recorded on the blockchain, and the image and trait data (metadata) are stored in a way that wallets and marketplaces can read. What the traits actually do inside the game depends on what the developer builds. A trait such as Resource suggests a use, but it is not a guarantee of one.

Because the deeds are standard NFTs, they can be traded on secondary marketplaces. Prices are set by buyers and sellers and have moved widely since 2022, so check a current marketplace rather than relying on old figures.

Otherside combines blockchain records with ordinary game technology. A simple way to picture it is in three layers.

1. Ownership layer (on-chain). Otherdeeds, Koda, ApeCoin and the other Yuga NFTs live on Ethereum. Your wallet holds them, and smart contracts record who owns what.
2. Identity layer. To enter gated experiences, the system can check which NFTs your connected wallet holds. This is read-only verification: it looks at what you own without taking it.
3. Experience layer (off-chain). The 3D world, character movement, chat, quests and events run on game servers and in a client application. Real-time multiplayer is too heavy and costly to run directly on a blockchain.

This split has an important consequence. Owning an NFT proves a claim on-chain, but what the NFT does in the world is decided by software the developer controls. If an experience is changed, paused or ended, the NFT still exists in your wallet, but its usefulness depends on the developer's decisions.

The same is true of most blockchain games. The ownership is verifiable and portable, while the gameplay is a product that someone has to operate. Reading any metaverse project well means asking which parts are decentralised and which are not.

A wallet signature should only ever be used to log in or verify ownership. A request to approve token transfers or to sign a blind transaction is a different matter and deserves extra caution.

ApeCoin (APE) is an Ethereum token created in March 2022. It is governed by the ApeCoin DAO, whose members vote on proposals about how the community treasury and related funds are used. Yuga Labs is a major participant in the ecosystem, but the token and its governance were set up as a separate structure.

In the Otherside context, ApeCoin served as the currency for the Otherdeed sale. The stated aim was to make it a flexible token for games, merchandise and services across the Ape ecosystem, including the virtual world.

Points to keep in mind:

• ApeCoin is a separate asset from Otherdeeds. You can hold one without the other.
• Its price is volatile. Check a reputable market data tracker for current prices rather than relying on figures in articles.
• Governance is ongoing. The DAO's proposals and decisions change what the token is used for, so read recent forum and voting records if you need current detail.
• Utility depends on what is built. A token's use in a virtual world only exists if those features are live.

If you are considering buying APE, treat it like any other crypto asset: it can lose value quickly, and a link to a well-known brand does not reduce that risk. Nothing here is financial advice.

Otherside has been released through staged previews rather than one complete launch. Yuga Labs has run limited-access events, sometimes branded as trials or odysseys, that let participants explore parts of the world together, complete simple challenges and test the technology.

The kinds of activity the project has focused on include:

• Shared exploration: moving through 3D spaces alongside other participants.
• Mini-games and challenges: short, structured activities designed to test multiplayer features.
• Social events: gatherings, community sessions and themed experiences.
• Avatar use: appearing as a character from a connected NFT collection.

These tests were also used to measure how many people could be in a space at once, which is a core technical challenge for any virtual world.

What you can do today depends on what is live. Access rules, supported collections and event schedules change, so use Yuga Labs' official announcements and community channels as the source. Be wary of any site, direct message or social post that claims to offer early access or a private link. Official events are announced on the project's own accounts, and reputable organisers do not ask for your seed phrase.

If an experience requires a particular NFT, the requirements will be stated in the official announcement. Check them before buying anything to take part.

The April 2022 Otherdeed sale was one of the best-known NFT launches of its time. A total of 100,000 Otherdeeds were offered, priced in ApeCoin, and demand was high enough to push Ethereum network fees to extreme levels during the sale. Many participants paid large transaction fees, including some whose transactions failed.

This event matters for two reasons.

• It showed the limits of minting on a busy network. When a very large number of people send transactions at once, fees rise and people can pay for transactions that do not succeed. Later NFT launches have often used different sale mechanisms to reduce this.
• It set the market context. The sale took place at a peak of NFT interest, and the broader NFT market has changed a great deal since. Early buyers' outcomes varied widely depending on when they bought and sold.

The sale also shows how a project can raise significant funds before the product exists. Buyers were purchasing land in a world that was still being built, based on a roadmap and a brand. That is a common pattern in crypto games and is a main reason to read roadmaps critically.

For current market conditions, such as floor prices and trading volume for Otherdeeds, use a live marketplace or analytics tool. Figures in older articles are out of date.

Otherside carries the same risks as other NFT-based games, plus some specific to its size and history.

Common criticisms and risks

• Roadmap risk: a virtual world takes years to build, and timelines can slip or features can change.
• Value risk: NFT prices can fall sharply, and some assets are hard to sell.
• Centralisation: the game servers and rules are controlled by the developer, even though ownership records are on-chain.
• Interoperability limits: the idea that assets move freely between worlds depends on each game choosing to support them.
• Scam exposure: popular brands attract fake mints, phishing links and impersonation accounts.

Practical defences

1. Use official channels only, and type or bookmark addresses yourself instead of following links in messages.
2. Keep valuable NFTs in a separate wallet from the one you use to connect to new sites.
3. Read every wallet prompt. Be suspicious of approvals that grant access to all your NFTs.
4. Revoke old token approvals periodically using a reputable approval-checking tool.
5. Never share a seed phrase with anyone, including people claiming to be support staff.
6. Only spend what you can afford to lose.

For anyone under 18, NFT trading and token purchases are not appropriate, and local rules on crypto assets vary, so check what applies where you live.

Otherside is often compared with other web3 games, but the models differ. The table below sets out the broad contrasts with Alien Worlds, a play-to-earn game on the WAX blockchain, as an example of a different approach.

Feature	Otherside	Alien Worlds
Main developer	Yuga Labs	Community-built project
Main chain for assets	Ethereum	WAX
Core model	Land NFTs, avatars and events in a 3D world	Mining and gameplay that earn TLM and NFTs
Key tokens	ApeCoin (APE)	Trilium (TLM)
Entry requirement	Varies by event; some require NFTs	Varies; check the game's current requirements

The differences are worth noting. Otherside is built around a premium NFT brand and a land-ownership model. Alien Worlds is built around repeated in-game activity that generates a token. Each approach has its own economic risks: land values depend on demand and developer delivery, while token-earning games depend on whether new demand can sustain the rewards.

When comparing any two blockchain games, ask the same questions: What do you need to own to take part? Where does the value come from? What happens if the developer stops updating? Who controls the rules? Current requirements and token details change often, so check each project's official documentation before you commit funds.

Because Otherside is a long-running project in stages, any statement about what is live today goes out of date quickly. The reliable way to understand its present state is to check a few sources yourself.

Where to look

• Yuga Labs' official website and social accounts for announcements, event schedules and access rules.
• The Otherside official documentation or help pages, where available, for how entry and wallet connection work.
• The ApeCoin DAO forum and voting records for governance decisions affecting the token.
• A live NFT marketplace for Otherdeed and Koda prices, volume and listings.
• A crypto market data tracker for ApeCoin's price and trading information.

Before you take part

1. Confirm the requirement for any event, including whether an NFT is needed.
2. Check the contract address of any NFT against the official collection page before buying.
3. Use a fresh or low-value wallet when trying a new site.
4. Ignore unsolicited messages offering access, airdrops or support.

If you are mainly curious, you can follow the project without spending anything. Public announcements, community discussions and event recordings are often enough to understand how the world is developing. If you do decide to buy, treat it as a high-risk purchase, set a limit in advance and remember that this guide is general information, not financial advice.