Animoca’s Anichess Launches Season 4 With Ranked Leaderboards and $10K Playoffs

Anichess has kicked off Season 4, bringing new leaderboards, a full rating reset, and a $10,000 tournament prize pool. Developed by Animoca Brands in partnership with Chess.com, the game mixes traditional chess with spells and strategy, and this season marks a shift toward more competitive play.

At the start of the season, all player ratings have been reset. From here, players can earn progress through daily matches and climb the ranks. Quick Matches offer casual play and steady progress, while Ranked Matches now contribute to placement on a global leaderboard.

Rewards in Season 4 are tied to a system called M8, earned by playing matches and claimed daily through the game’s interface. At the end of the season, the top 64 players by rating will qualify for a playoff event with a $10,000 prize pool distributed in $C Token.

Season 4 also introduces a clean slate for all players, whether returning or new. It’s a chance to re-enter the ladder without being held back by past results. The new system puts emphasis on both consistency and ranking.

The M8 points from previous seasons still exist but won’t count toward Season 4 rankings. This season runs on its own track, with its own leaderboards and structure.

Anichess can be played for free at anichess.com.

Latest on Anichess

The game first came into broader view in 2024 when Chess.com and Play Magnus Group, co-founded by five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, partnered with Animoca Brands to back the project. The collaboration extended Animoca’s strategy of connecting recognizable formats with on-chain infrastructure.

In a recent 2025 post from VentureBeat, Animoca executive chairman Yat Siu named Anichess among the studio’s flagship blockchain titles. He cited the game as a model for mainstream onboarding, where traditional game formats are combined with open systems like digital ownership and permissionless tournaments.

Siu also pointed to Anichess as an example of how blockchain can support long-term community building. “With Anichess, you have global chess players interacting in a format they understand, while being introduced to on-chain identity and reward loops in a way that feels natural,” he said.

About Anichess

Anichess is a chess-inspired online strategy game backed by Animoca Brands and Chess.com. It introduces spell mechanics, seasonal progression, and narrative elements to reshape how players approach classic chess gameplay. The game is free to play and accessible through its official website, with multiple modes and no requirement to use crypto or NFTs.