Domi Online Names Harley Swann CEO as Game Enters New Phase

The medieval fantasy world of Domi Online is entering an exciting new chapter. Following a successful public playtest in September, the studio has officially appointed co-founder Harley Swann as CEO, while Creative Director PelleK continues to oversee the game’s artistic direction, lore, and design. This leadership refinement signals a clear roadmap for the game’s next phase — one that’s poised to blend creativity, community, and blockchain-driven innovation.

Leadership Roles Take Shape

On October 6, the Domi Online team announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Harley Swann would officially take the helm as Chief Executive Officer. Though Swann had already been managing operations behind the scenes for over a year, this move formalizes his position, allowing him to make faster, more strategic business decisions.

Meanwhile, PelleK — who has long been the creative soul of Domi — remains in full control of lore, worldbuilding, music, and design. The team reassured fans that this shift won’t alter the creative direction players have come to love. Instead, it allows both co-founders to focus on their strengths — Harley leading business growth, and PelleK crafting the immersive fantasy experience that defines Domi.

What Is Domi Online?

For those unfamiliar, Domi Online is a free-to-play, play-to-earn MMORPG set in a medieval world powered by blockchain technology. Unlike traditional RPGs, there are no level or skill caps, allowing endless progression.

The game features real-time combat, meaningful death penalties, and a player-driven economy. If your character dies, you risk losing gear or even dropping a level — adding a thrilling layer of strategy and risk.

Players can explore vast lands such as Saint’s Rest, Araenae Jungle, and Leviathan Cavern, each with unique challenges. You can choose from four classes — Warrior, Priestess, Sorceress, and Amazon — each with its own playstyle, strengths, and gear loadouts.

This bold design brings old-school MMORPG elements into the world of blockchain games, combining nostalgic gameplay with modern economic systems that let players truly own what they earn.

September Playtest Showed Big Progress

From September 17–28, Domi Online ran its most ambitious public playtest yet. The test showcased a major leap forward in performance, visual design, and gameplay systems.

Among the highlights were:

• New Conquest Guild system for structured progression

• Smarter enemies with improved pathfinding and scaling difficulty

• Enhanced world visuals and updated map art

• Revamped loot and combat mechanics

• Server optimizations for smoother performance

The developers also launched a bug bounty program, allowing players to earn $AVAX and $DOMI tokens for discovering and reporting unique bugs. It was a clever way to involve the community directly in improving the game.

According to the dev team, this session marked their “biggest leap forward yet” — setting the tone for what’s to come.

Smarter Enemies and Sharper Combat

One of the most praised updates was the improvement to enemy AI. Monsters now track players more intelligently, making combat far more dynamic and challenging. Pathfinding upgrades mean that easy kiting is no longer a guaranteed survival tactic.

Enemies are also tier-scaled, ensuring that high-level zones remain unpredictable and rewarding. Combined with improved loot mechanics, every fight now carries real stakes — and potential big rewards.

This design philosophy perfectly fits Domi’s “risk-and-reward” identity. You can grab as much loot as you dare, but every step deeper into dangerous territory increases your chances of losing it all.

Professions and Crafting Expand the Economy

Beyond combat, the September update also expanded the profession and crafting systems. Players can now use new recipes and materials to craft items, gear, and consumables.

This isn’t just cosmetic — it’s a critical piece of Domi’s player-driven economy. Gathering materials, mastering professions, and trading goods with others allows you to carve your own role in the ecosystem. With no caps on professions or skills, long-term players can become true masters of their craft.

It’s a system designed to reward time, knowledge, and risk management — the hallmarks of successful blockchain gaming experiences.

Conquest Guilds Bring Purpose to Exploration

The Conquest Guild system, introduced in this playtest, gives adventurers structured goals beyond open-world exploration. Players can now complete specific monster-hunting missions at designated world hubs to earn loot, tokens, or prestige.

This system encourages teamwork and strategic planning, helping players progress faster while staying engaged in meaningful gameplay loops. It’s another example of how Domi’s design prioritizes community and replayability.

Technical and UI Improvements

The developers also worked hard behind the scenes to polish the game. They introduced server-side NPC culling to optimize memory usage and improve stability, while refining the user interface for better navigation.

Smaller quality-of-life updates — like social improvements and balance tweaks — added to the overall smoothness of gameplay. For many testers, it felt like the most stable and visually refined version of Domi Online to date.

The Bug Bounty Initiative

Another standout feature of the September playtest was the bug bounty system, which rewarded players for identifying impactful bugs. Reports were submitted through the game’s Discord and in-game tools, and payouts were distributed in $AVAX and $DOMI tokens.

Rewards depended on bug severity and originality, turning quality assurance into a fun, community-driven event. It’s a fresh take on community engagement that many blockchain games could learn from.

Looking Ahead to Open Alpha

With Harley Swann now officially CEO and PelleK continuing as Creative Director, Domi Online is clearly preparing for its next big milestone — the open alpha release.

If the September playtest was indeed the final testing phase, players might soon gain full access to the vast world of Stannfyr — complete with its deep professions, unforgiving PvP, and evolving economy.

The leadership clarity, ongoing community feedback, and commitment to quality all suggest that Domi Online is ready to become one of the most ambitious blockchain MMORPGs in development today.

As the team fine-tunes the final details, one thing is certain — Domi Online is leveling up fast, and the next chapter could redefine what’s possible in Web3 gaming.