As its third Shorelime event starts, Pixels’ Heidi Christine on being experimental yet consistent

In the short life of web3 games, annually recurring in-game events are unusual. Hosting one for three years in a row is almost unheard of. 

So to see social RPG Pixels preparing for its third yearly Shorelime event is about more than anticipating frantic gameloops for 24 hours. It’s also a measure of the state of the game itself, and its wider ecosystem.

Initially deployed on Polygon, Pixels moved to Ronin at the end of 2023, boosting the game’s player metrics on every level. Since then, it has experienced a volatile time influenced by larger macro movements, but also constant in-game experiments and intentional changes from the team, aiming to refine what it believes to be a winning play-to-earn model.

We checked in with CMO and Head of Community Heidi Christine to get her view on the upcoming event, Pixels‘ community, and how the introduction of PIXEL staking is impacting player behaviour.

Before you even think about big marketing spends, invest in the people who believe in what you’re building.

Heidi Christine

BlockchainGamer: Hosting in-game event Shorelime for its third consecutive year, how do you make these repeat events exciting and not predictable? 

Heidi Christine: We only do this once a year. All year long, players ask us, “Wen Shorelime?” or “Bring back Shorelime!” and we don’t cave. It happens for just 24 hours once a year, which makes it feel really special. That sense of rarity keeps our long-term players excited. 

What’s been really cool this year is seeing people say, “This is my second Shorelime!” or even “Wow, it’s my third!” It deepens our connection with the community. Players feel like they’re part of something that stretches beyond just day-to-day gameplay.

They bring the OG vibes, and that energy can be felt throughout the entire event.

It appears almost all web3 games have struggled financially, but also with community support, in 2025. How has the Pixels community evolved over the last year?

One of the biggest contributors to our community’s strength is consistency. Since the beginning, we’ve hosted weekly community AMAs every single week, without fail. These aren’t just one-way updates, but open dialogues with our community where we talk transparently about what’s happening in the game, what’s coming next, and even the challenges we’re facing.

This regular cadence has created a culture and expectation of collaboration. Players aren’t just heard, but are actively shaping the direction of the game. Pixels moves fast, runs frequent experiments, and shares progress in real time. Over the past year, that transparency has helped us retain and grow a core group of players who truly believe in the long-term vision. They’re not just here for short-term rewards but see the value in what Pixels is building. 

And look, we’ve had tough times. We’ve been through cycles where things slowed down, and we expect that’ll happen again. Our team prepared for the highs and the lows, both financially and emotionally. We’ve seen some churn. But people still choose to come back. They tell us this feels like home, like a safe space. That kind of connection doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built intentionally, and I try to protect it every day. That’s the foundation of a community that can actually last.

What lessons do you think other web3 game developers are learning from Pixels?

I believe that developers are learning that solving play-to-earn is possible, but it takes smart design and real data. Devs are watching how we use live game data to fine-tune token rewards, identify real contributors, and keep the economy healthy by making it harder for extractors to earn. 

Our novel multi-staking system is also turning heads. It shows that a token like $PIXEL can represent an entire ecosystem, not just one game. In less than two months, there have been over 100 million $PIXEL staked across the ecosystem, with May marking the first time deposits outpaced withdrawals. Other projects are definitely watching to see if you can actually make play-to-earn work, and I believe we are closer than ever.

From a community perspective, I’d say this: don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but do stay open. We’re building something new here, and that takes time, courage, and a whole lot of experimentation. Not everything works the first time, and that’s just a part of the process. Start with your community. Before you even think about big marketing spends, invest in the people who believe in what you’re building. We’d be nothing without ours. Build with them, not just for them.

Has the launch of PIXEL staking changed player behaviour in Pixels itself, or is it more of an external project?

A bit of both! We’ve got a diverse player base, so staking has definitely engaged our heavy crypto users, but it’s also been a great introduction to staking for our more community and game-focused players. It’s become a bright spot in a tough market, giving people something to rally around and get excited about.

We recently hit 100 million $PIXEL staked and celebrated by throwing a party on NFT Farm Land #1000. It was a moment to hang out with our players, have fun in-game, and strengthen those real community bonds. Plus, it got the word out beyond our tweets or email blast. Players and creators were sharing screenshots and spreading the news on socials, which is always the best kind of promo.

Another exciting piece is how staking has opened the door for new games. Our players love it as they’re exploring new titles, getting rewarded, and actively participating in this growing $PIXEL-backed ecosystem.

And more games are on the way. The ultimate goal is for the $PIXEL spent across these games to match what’s being rewarded to stakers. Watching that loop play out in real time is going to be really interesting.

Shorelime details

Running for 24 hours from 3 pm UTC (4 pm BST) on 20th June, Shoreline is an in-game event combining storytelling with time-limited reward loops. The mission consists of planting and harvesting Shorelimes, which are needed in order to craft Shorelimeades and earn Solstice Stars. Depositing one of these stars unlocks a mystery gift, which boosts a player’s chance of winning one of six exclusive Shorelime Pets once the event is over.

For more event details, check out Pixels’ official Substack.