Raini Ends Lords of Light to Focus on Action Games and RST Shift

In the ever-evolving world of blockchain games, change is constant—and often swift. Raini Studios, once celebrated for its Avalanche-based trading card game Raini: The Lords of Light, has announced that the game will sunset on July 21. As the studio moves toward high-energy action titles and overhauls its tokenomics, it marks the end of a creative chapter in web3 gaming history.

A Final Farewell to The Lords of Light

Launched in 2021, Raini: The Lords of Light brought classic trading card gameplay into the blockchain age. Featuring deck-building, summoning creatures, and PvP battles, it stood toe-to-toe with genre giants like Hearthstone and Gods Unchained. It appealed to both casual and crypto-native players with its hybrid approach, combining SoulBound and NFT-based cards.

Each match revolved around the Seven Lords of Light and a strategy-focused 40-card deck. The mana system—driven by color-coded gems earned through card staking—added a layer of sacrifice and resource planning. In short, it wasn’t just about the right cards but about making the right decisions every single turn.

But despite early enthusiasm, the player count slowly declined. And now, the final curtain is falling.

Built on Avalanche, Fueled by RST

While it originally launched NFTs on Ethereum, Raini: The Lords of Light eventually migrated to Avalanche for better scalability and lower fees. The game’s native token, RST, emerged from a fusion of the older $RAINI and $PHOTON tokens and ran on Beam, an Avalanche L1 chain optimized for web3 gaming.

RST was at the heart of the in-game economy. Players earned tokens through gameplay and used them for governance and rewards. While this worked well in the short term, the token’s emission model became unsustainable. Over time, RST’s value suffered due to constant supply pressure—a key factor in the game’s eventual shutdown.

Humor, Memes, and Crypto Culture

What made Raini's card game uniquely memorable wasn’t just its gameplay mechanics. It was the crypto-infused humor woven into its card designs. From Dogecoin shoutouts to Satoshi-themed spells and even nods to Sam Bankman-Fried, the game had a cheeky irreverence that stood out in a sea of serious web3 projects.

These design choices reflected a deep understanding of the blockchain gaming community and its culture. But novelty alone couldn’t save the game from the harsh realities of market demand and player retention.

Why Raini Is Shutting It Down

The studio’s decision to sunset the game didn’t happen overnight. According to Ceden CEO Sam Moody, while Lords of Light once paid out over $1 million in prizes to tens of thousands of players, recent numbers simply didn’t justify ongoing development.

“Player stats are now quite low and not sufficient to justify the cost to maintain the game,” Moody stated in a Discord post. “It also represents a systemic cost to RST holders who continue to suffer from the emissions the game generates monthly.”

That ongoing emission pressure made the game economically inefficient for both the studio and its token investors. So, with a heavy heart, Raini Studios decided to move on.

The Final RST Token Drop

To close out the game respectfully, Raini Studios is distributing a final 2 million RST (roughly $4,000 USD) to players during June and July. After that, all game servers will be permanently shut down on July 21.

For dedicated fans, this last drop is a small but symbolic thank-you—a gesture that recognizes the community’s support over the years.

What’s Next for Raini Studios?

While one door closes, another opens. Raini Studios is already working on two brand-new titles:

• Lucha Throwdown – A fast-paced, combat-driven card battler.

• Uncaged: The Jon Jones Brawler – A licensed action game featuring MMA legend Jon Jones.

These new projects signal a sharp pivot toward mainstream action gaming and away from niche fantasy TCGs. The goal? Tap into larger audiences with familiar gameplay styles and global brand partnerships.

At the same time, the studio is revamping its tokenomics. The RST token will adopt a deflationary model, with revenue from new games used to buy back and burn RST, and a transaction tax introduced to further reduce circulating supply.

“RST begins a new and exciting chapter with a fully deflationary future,” Moody added. “It remains a bittersweet moment for Raini Studios.”

Market Reaction and Investor Sentiment

Following the news, the RST token briefly surged by 14%, a clear sign of short-term excitement surrounding the new burn mechanism. Still, the token is down roughly 99% from its 2024 peak, and the price currently hovers around $0.002 with a $1 million market cap.

For long-term holders, the shift to a deflationary economy offers a glimmer of hope—but caution remains the dominant mood.

The End of a Web3 Chapter

Raini: The Lords of Light is part of a growing list of web3 games winding down in 2025. Its blend of strategy, humor, and blockchain mechanics showed what's possible when traditional gaming meets onchain innovation. But it also highlights how hard it is to maintain long-term engagement in this rapidly changing industry.

As the sun sets on Lords of Light, Raini Studios looks ahead. Whether its new titles can capture the mainstream imagination remains to be seen—but the ambition is clear. For now, fans and token holders alike will be watching closely as this next phase unfolds.

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