The Sandbox, the immersive metaverse platform and Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd (Unlisted (AU):AB1) subsidiary, has opened pre-registration for NEXT, its first dedicated mobile battle royale game, in a move designed to lower the barrier to entry for new players and expand its addressable audience beyond desktop.
Pre-registration is free and open until March 25, 2026, with the playtest itself commencing on March 26. Spots are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis via sandbox.game/next.
A technical pivot with strategic intent
NEXT marks a notable shift under the hood: the title is built on Unreal Engine, a departure from Unity, which has underpinned The Sandbox's platform to date. The move signals the company's ambition to compete on production quality as it pushes into a crowded mobile gaming market.
The game drops players into two distinct environments — the Desert, an open-terrain map centred on long-range combat, and the City, a vertical, close-quarters setting built for adaptability. Matches accommodate solo play or multiplayer sessions of up to 20 players per instance.
Crucially, player identity, progression, and assets carry over from The Sandbox's broader ecosystem, positioning NEXT as an entry point into the platform rather than a standalone product.
Expanding the funnel
The mobile launch follows The Sandbox's Season 7 introduction of three browser-based games, which were framed as a frictionless gateway into its ecosystem. NEXT represents the next step in that strategy, targeting the time players spend on their phones as a growth lever.
"The goal is to meet people where they spend their time," said CEO Robby Yung. "A native mobile experience in addition to the desktop version makes that possible in a way browser access alone can't."
For a platform with more than 400 brand and IP partners — including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Snoop Dogg, and Lacoste — broadening distribution through mobile could meaningfully increase monetisation opportunities across its player-driven economy.
Additional features are expected to roll out as NEXT develops beyond the initial playtest phase.