0N1 Force Rebuild and Return: The first anime-themed PFP project to build a metaverse within Fortnite
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0N1 Force Rebuild and Return: The first anime-themed PFP project to build a metaverse within Fortnite
0N1 Force's journey back has just begun.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsText: Kathy (Investor of OFR)
It has been a long time since a new blue-chip NFT collection emerged.
Over the past period, Blur has siphoned off trading volume from the NFT market with its "Blur incentives + bidding + Blend" combo. However, due to lack of liquidity and fresh narratives, trading volumes and floor prices for blue-chip NFTs have remained sluggish. BAYC, MAYC, and Punk are all down roughly 50% from their peaks; Moonbirds and Doodles have dropped to 2 ETH, while CoolCats have even fallen below 1 ETH.
The first bear market in the NFT sector is reshuffling the deck for blue-chip NFTs.
Over the past month, 0N1 Force—an OG NFT project—has consistently appeared on Blur’s Trending list. Its floor price has steadily climbed from 0.5 ETH to as high as 1.97 ETH over 30 days, with trading volume reaching 1,700 ETH (approximately $3.4 million USD).
As the first anime-themed PFP project, 0N1 Force is striving to reclaim its place among blue-chip NFTs.
The resurgence of 0N1 Force began in February this year, when it was acquired by Old Fashion Research (OFR), a Web3 fund.
0N1 Force (pronounced “Oni force,” where “Oni” means demon in Japanese) launched during the NFT summer of August 2021. With its anime-style avatars rooted in Japanese culture, it was met with enthusiastic community support upon release. Notable holders include renowned DJ Steve Aoki and American actor Logan Paul.
Notably, 0N1 Force was the first project to introduce whitelist-based minting and pioneered post-mint reveal mechanics—both of which later became standard practices across the NFT space.
The mint price for 0N1 Force was 0.0777 ETH. Before the reveal, prices surged to 2 ETH, and the floor eventually rose to 7 ETH. Actor Logan Paul purchased 0N1 #717 for 188 ETH (around $623,000 at the time), setting a record in NFT transaction history.
Logan Paul paid a staggering 188 ETH for a 0N1 Force NFT
Despite a strong start, 0N1 Force suffered a major setback in 2022. The original team failed to deliver on promised roadmap milestones, leading to eroded holder confidence and mass sell-offs. The floor price plummeted to as low as 0.2 ETH.
Some early large holders still believed in the brand's potential and sought help from VCs. One such holder, Goltra, reached out to Wei Zhou (former CFO of Binance and strategic advisor/LP at OFR). After four months of evaluation and due diligence, OFR decided to acquire 0N1 Force early this year and actively participate in rebuilding the brand.
Valuing NFT Brand Potential
First, we firmly believe that NFTs and gaming are key drivers for mainstream blockchain and Web3 adoption. As one of the earliest non-financial blockchain applications, NFTs possess immense crossover appeal, drawing people from beyond finance and tech into the ecosystem.
NFTs represent a cultural movement. Successful NFT collections spread widely on social media, build active communities, and allow creators to earn royalties from secondary sales. Holders can also share in the brand’s IP rights, create derivative works, and benefit financially. PFP NFTs are truly native Web3 brands.
We believe 0N1 Force is a valuable Web3 brand with tremendous potential. As the first original anime-themed PFP project, it boasts high brand recognition, giving it strong scalability across anime, gaming, fashion, and lifestyle domains.
Although the original team was inactive, community manager Starlordy stepped up during the crisis, engaging actively with the Discord community, easing tensions, and regaining trust. Starlordy (real name Henry Finn) has experience in media and comics and previously ran an art website. The two original creators, IMCMLPX and Cromagnus, are passionate fans of Japanese anime and deeply knowledgeable about Japanese culture—Cromagnus is also the creator of the 10KTF series. We chose to continue working with Starlordy and the two creators. Prior to the official acquisition announcement, Starlordy was even voted CEO by the community during a town hall meeting.
0N1 core team hosting an exhibition in Japan
0N1 Force protects and respects holder rights. It launched the 0N1 Frames series, allowing owners to obtain custom frames matching their avatar traits to prevent impersonation. When an NFT is sold, the new owner can revoke the previous owner’s frame access. Holders can also unlock exclusive comic content on the official website.
Like BAYC, 0N1 Force grants commercial rights to holders, enabling them to create and monetize derivative products using the IP. This fosters community co-creation and further extends the brand’s reach.
Our research revealed significant overlap between 0N1 Force holders and those of BAYC and Azuki (nearly 20%). About 5% are long-term NFT whales with substantial influence in the NFT space. This indicates 0N1 Force has a high-quality, financially powerful holder base.
Therefore, we believe 0N1 Force’s brand value is severely underestimated, with immense IP expansion potential. We decided to take on the challenge, leveraging resources from Wei, OFR, and the community to collaboratively explore and rebuild the 0N1 Force brand.
Rebuilding and Reviving 0N1 Force
The Web3 industry never lacks new trends. Compared to launching a new NFT series for short-term hype, rebuilding a damaged brand is far more difficult.
After OFR’s acquisition of 0N1 Force was announced, the response was overwhelmingly positive, with the floor price immediately jumping to around 1.3 ETH—but this was only the beginning.
Over the past two years, top NFT projects have completed initial capitalization and expanded their brand footprints: Yuga Labs connected its blue-chip NFTs into a gaming metaverse, Azuki partnered with streetwear brands, and Pudgy Penguins launched toys to enter the mainstream market. At this critical juncture, it is especially important to thoughtfully plan and manage 0N1 Force’s IP in a way that maintains community support.
We all agree that 0N1 Force’s greatest strength lies in its storytelling—a richly Japanese-inspired comic narrative. The core creative team possesses both the capability and resources to produce compelling comics. Our foundation should be comics, with long-term expansion into broader entertainment.
The first step in reviving an NFT brand is restoring community confidence. After becoming CEO, Starlordy mobilized community managers to host weekly AMAs or Twitter Spaces, gather community feedback, jointly develop the roadmap, and frequently engage with NFT whales and key industry players for support.
Over the past quarter, OFR and the 0N1 team traveled across the U.S., Paris, Japan, and Hong Kong, organizing offline 0N1 Force community events and consulting with veteran professionals in the entertainment industry. We are confident that 0N1 Force can become a bridge between Web3 and the entertainment world, forging extensive IP collaborations beyond original anime, particularly in gaming and fashion.
In terms of team development, 0N1 Force has added several key professionals:
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Announced Horizen Labs Ventures (HLV) as an advisor. HLV holds a significant position in 0N1 Force NFTs, designed the economic model for Yuga Labs’ ApeCoin, and serves as an advisor to The Sandbox, Jam City, Dust Protocol, and Animoca Brands. HLV will design a points system for 0N1 Force, expected to launch in June.
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Appointed David Uslan as an advisor. The Uslan family owns the Batman copyright. His involvement will support 0N1 Force’s expansion into comics and film industries.
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Appointed Helen Peng as Head of BD for the Asia-Pacific region. With over 10 years of experience in film and entertainment, Helen will lead IP business development for 0N1 Force in APAC.
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Appointed Hicham Habchi as Creative Director and Advisor. Former director at Riot Games, Habchi contributed to major IPs including *Valorant*, *Overwatch*, *Batman*, and *Love, Death & Robots*. He will collaborate with IMCMLPX on developing the 0N1 Force comic series.
Additionally, 0N1 Force has launched the R0N1N franchise program, brand ambassador initiative, and 0N1 World Club program. Holders can apply via the official website to join, receive authorization, and participate in franchising or related activities with corresponding benefits.
0N1 Force Franchise Program
First Step in Entertainment Expansion: Building 0N1 Verse in Fortnite
In the early hours of June 1, Starlordy hosted the latest 0N1Force community Twitter Space and revealed major news—the construction of an Enclave (a private zone) for 0N1 Force within Fortnite. This will make 0N1 Force the first NFT project to own a metaverse presence in Fortnite.
This collaboration between 0N1 Force and FortniteGame is facilitated by Theia Interactive, which will build the 0N1 Verse metaverse world in Fortnite, delivering a fully immersive audiovisual experience for the community and players.
Theia Interactive is a renowned U.S.-based creative solutions studio and one of Unreal Engine’s three official partners. It has delivered over 200 enterprise projects and collaborated with industry leaders like Epic Games, HP, and NVIDIA. 0N1 Verse marks 0N1 Force’s new venture into gaming, offering highly interactive gameplay experiences.
In July this year, 0N1 Force will also appear at San Diego Comic-Con—the largest pop culture convention in the U.S.—to launch its next season of comic books. Additionally, 0N1 Force plans to issue Bitcoin Ordinals.
The comeback journey of 0N1 Force has only just begun.
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