The BAYC-themed metaverse game Otherside is getting ready for a major milestone. On November 12, Yuga Labs will officially open the Koda Nexus, a new social and interactive hub inside the world of Otherside. In the lead-up to this launch, the company is teaming up with Amazon Gaming for a one-time NFT drop set to go live on October 30.

Amazon to Host Exclusive Otherside NFT on Gaming Front Page

The new NFT avatar is called "Boximus," and it will be available on the Otherside brand store through Amazon starting Thursday. This marks the first time that Yuga Labs has partnered with Amazon, giving the metaverse game a major placement on the Amazon Gaming front page.

"Amazon has over 300 million users, and we're going to be selling digital assets to all of them," said Yuga Labs' Chief Creative Officer Michael Figge during the ApeFest event in Las Vegas. The company made the announcement during its annual gathering over the weekend.

The NFT drop is part of a broader move to bring Otherside to a much wider audience. By working with Amazon, Yuga Labs is looking to put its blockchain-based world in front of millions of users, many of whom may be new to NFTs or metaverse gaming.

What Is the Koda Nexus?

The Koda Nexus is the first major layer of Otherside's 3-tiered design. It acts as a social hub where users can interact, explore, and connect with each other. According to Yuga, it is just the beginning of what's planned for the metaverse.

After the Nexus, players can expect a second layer focused on gameplay. This will include battles, quests, and challenges created both by Yuga and outside developers. Following that is the third layer: the Otherside Development Kit (ODK), a set of tools for building and publishing content directly within the game.

The Nexus space is designed as a living core of the Otherside world, and will play a central role as the metaverse expands.

Yuga's Metaverse Strategy: Focused and Scaled

Otherside has been in development since 2022, starting with the sale of tokenized land NFTs called Otherdeeds. That sale alone brought in more than $560 million within 24 hours and made headlines for temporarily clogging the Ethereum network. Yuga later issued refunds to help cover high gas fees.

Since then, the project has gone through several play tests and experimental trials. These included major events like "First Trip" and "Second Trip," which let players try out early versions of the platform.

Earlier this year, in February, Yuga made news again when it hosted "Project Dragon," a shooter test that saw over 2,100 people join the same server. The test broke a Guinness World Record and proved the platform could handle large-scale, real-time multiplayer experiences.

To focus more on the development of Otherside and its flagship Bored Ape brand, Yuga Labs has sold off other IPs in recent months. This includes offloading Meebits, Moonbirds, and CryptoPunks. Those sales helped narrow the company's focus to just Otherside and BAYC.

The Role of Boximus and Voyager Avatars

The new Boximus avatar is part of Otherside's Voyager series, which represents playable characters that users can control in the metaverse. These avatars can walk, explore, and interact with the environment, offering a more immersive experience than a standard NFT.

Boximus is a co-branded character made in partnership with Amazon. It is expected to help bridge traditional retail with blockchain-based gaming. Players who purchase the NFT will be able to use it inside the Otherside world once the Nexus goes live.

Yuga Labs is also working with artist Daniel Arsham on a new 300-piece Voyager collection. This set will blend fine art with interactive avatars, each one evolving over time. 

Tools and Content for Builders

One of Otherside's big features is its builder tools. In June 2025, Yuga Labs unveiled AI-driven creation features that let users build 3D game worlds using chat-based commands. Through the ODK, players can type phrases like "add a tree" or "make the sky blue," and the platform will instantly update the scene.

The ODK also includes access to almost 1,000 assets from 29 unique in-game biomes, which can be used to create original content. This tool was launched to lower the barrier to entry for creators who want to build inside Otherside.

Players who own Otherdeeds, the land NFTs for the game, will also get access to more simple creation features. These include ways to make and share emotes, graffiti, and other small interactive items. Yuga says these tools are royalty-protected, letting creators earn revenue while keeping ownership of their work.

What Else Is Coming to Otherside?

Alongside the upcoming Koda Nexus launch, Yuga Labs has continued testing new ways to engage players inside the Otherside world. Over the summer, it introduced a series of interactive events to build on the platform's systems and gather player feedback.

The first was Bathroom Blitz, an 8v8 shooter set in a Bored Ape-themed bathroom. Built by a developer team using the ODK, it launched in July and rewarded participants with Voyager XP for their time in-game.

Later that month, Meet Me at the Clubhouse opened inside the updated Bubbles space. The area can now support up to 500 players at once, with support for invite links to make it easier for creators and streamers to host large sessions.

In August, Otherside Outbreak went live. This mode was designed to stress-test the platform's performance at scale and also contributes to Voyager XP progression.

Looking to 2026 and Beyond

The rest of the 2025 roadmap includes 2 more major goals: the full launch of Voyager 2.0 and complete utility for Otherdeeds. That means players will soon be able to do more with their land, like crafting items or hosting events.

In 2026, the company plans to introduce a new gameplay system called Resources. This will add features like land production, crafting mechanics, and a more active in-game economy.

All of this will be powered by ApeChain, a custom blockchain layer that supports NFTs and tokens inside the Otherside world. The game uses $APE as its main currency and allows onchain interaction through common Ethereum standards.

With the upcoming Nexus launch and its Amazon partnership, Otherside is setting the stage for a large-scale expansion of its virtual world. The NFT drop for Boximus is set for October 30 and will be the first chance for users to get a playable avatar tied to this new phase of the metaverse.