What is Zed Run?
| KEY TAKEAWAYS: |
| — Zed Run is a game that takes horse racing and revolutionizes the industry with crypto and NFTs. — Zed Run horses are “breathing NFTs” that you can buy, breed, race and sell. Each horse has a bloodline and a rating that corresponds with its rarity, value, and racing. — There are a few ways to buy a horse – either from Zed Run directly, from the OpenSea platform or in a private sale. —The game is particularly exciting because it opens an otherwise elite sport to the world and global access means anyone can take part, whether as a fan or as an owner. |
You’ve heard of blockchain gaming – but not like this. What is Zed Run – and how can you get involved? Here, we explain.
Zed Run in a nutshell
Digital horse racing. It’s an online sport like you’ve never seen before.
The idea of Zed Run is fairly simple: You own digital horses, breed them and race them. If you win, you earn money.
But there’s a lot more to it than that. Zed Run takes horse racing to a digital level with the platform relying on the game-changing technology of cryptocurrency and NFTs, there’s a layer of complexity and opportunity.
Gaming Revolutionized: The Play-To-Earn Model
Not only is Zed Run a fascinating use-case for blockchain, but it also harnesses the technology to offer players a profit-possible play-to-earn game. The current models in the gaming industry feature pay-to-play and free-to-play games that are set up so that corporates profit while gamers are only rewarded with entertainment.
In play-to-earn games like Zed Run, gamers are able to earn funds based on their performance in the game. With Ethereum as the underlying cryptocurrency, winnings and horse sales are paid in Ether. This opens the door to a real world earning opportunity where the gamers – not the production house – take the money home.
It sounds crazy, like something of a sci-fi movie, but we’re here to take you down the track of discovery.
The Brilliance Of A “Breathing NFT”
Usually, non-fungible tokens are linked to digital art in the form of images, GIFs and videos that are collected or bought and flipped for profit. Zed Run horses are also NFTs, but they’re a little different. Zed Run creators are calling the horses “breathing NFTs.”
This means each horse has its own DNA. You can interact with them in a new way. You can breed them, they have a bloodline and a genotype, and, as you expect, you race them. No two horses are the same and the lineage counts for how pure the horse’s bloodline is.
Getting Started And Getting Your Stable
Okay, this is exciting, but how do I get in?
First things first, this game is based on Ethereum’s layer 2: Polygon. This means you’re going to need a Polygon wallet that allows you to communicate with the blockchain. A MetaMask wallet does the trick and here’s the safest way to use it. Zed Run is play-to-earn, but it is not free-to-play, so you need Ether to get started.
From there, connect your MetaMask wallet to Zed Run. The platform will prompt you and you’ll be able to establish your stable. (Exciting!) Before you’re able to earn though, you need to swap your Ether (ETH) with Wrapped Ethereum (WETH) to enter races and collect winnings.
How Do I Buy A Horse?
Of course, you first need a horse to race. There are a few ways to buy your horse:
- Zed Run drops horses from time to time, but relying on this strategy might lead to disappointment. Drops are extremely limited and your timing needs to be perfect to get one otherwise you’ll be faced with the dissatisfying neon “sold out” sign.
- A secondary market like OpenSea where people sell their horses. There is a much bigger supply here and you’re likely to find one you want.
- A private sale if you know someone who is looking to sell. If you do go this way, though, proceed with caution. Private sales don’t have any real level of protection, so make sure you’ve checked all the boxes before you send your crypto to someone.
The Different Types Of Zed Run Horses
Each horse has a number and a bloodline attached to it. These are important when looking at its purity and the ability to race.
The bloodline refers to a horse’s rarity. There are four: Nakamoto, Szabo, Finney and Buterin.
The genotype refers to the purity of a horse. The lower the number, the closer the offspring is to the ancestor. When you breed two horses, it adds the number of the mare and the stallion and gives you the generation number. So if you breed two Z1 horses, you get a Z2 horse.
Racing The Horses
Okay, once you’re set with your horse and ready to rear, it’s time to choose a race! Not all races are open to all horses. You’ll be able to tell whether your horse can enter when you click on a gate number (you’ll see the race window pop open). If your horse isn’t grayed out, it’s eligible!
Every race has allocated elements such as distance, location, name, class selection, entry fee, and prize money. If you’re happy with a race, select it and you’ll be given a gate number. Each race has 12 gates and once they’re filled, the race goes ahead.
Then the magic happens.
After each race, the podium winners prize money is automatically added to their wallet in WETH and all of the horses’ classes are either promoted or regressed. The top four are awarded points, fifth to eight remain the same, and the last four receive negative points.
Why Zed Run Is So Exciting
Not only does this game introduce a new outlook on where sports can go, but it combines the best of crypto, NFTs, sport and gambling and puts them together in an incredible way. The platform is also undeniably cool with the realism-meets-futuristic aesthetic.
It’s Entertainment Encapsulated
At the heart of it, it’s a game which brings the thrill of horse-racing to the global track. Those racing horses feel the excitement, adrenaline and nerves when their horses race and fans watching invest in their favourites.
It’s Accessible to Anyone, Anywhere
Not only is it more financially accessible (you don’t have to pay the same sort of bills that comes with real-world horse ownership), but the global platform also means you can be involved with races at any point from any part of the world. Anyone can take part and anyone has the opportunity to earn from it.
“We put together Zed Run because we want users to experience the thrill of the tracks and become the Mark Cuban of their own stables.” – Roman Tirone
It’s Economically Advantageous
Zed Run takes the play-to-earn gaming model and integrates it with delightful digital nuances. As a game that offers real-world earning opportunities, players can make a career and a living from the platform. It’s gaming, profit, the thrill of a race, and global opportunity wrapped up in a neat bundle of exquisite technology.
It’s Designed for Passion
The game itself has such an enticing design. The platform has managed to create a digitally realistic rendition of the sport and put it together in a way that only inspires enthusiasm. Couple that with the pull of horse-racing and we’ve got a platform built for passion.
Digital Will Complement Horse Racing, Not Compete
We don’t think jockeys don’t need to worry about their careers with Zed Run on the scene. Instead, fans from the game are more likely to take interest in horse racing in general. Instead of competition, Zed Run is a complement to the sport and can broaden the horse racing community.
Knowledge is Power.
