Updated 17 Apr 23: Added info on MNLTH2/CIRL Release (Dec 2022), Exodus/Pod Burn (Jan 2023), SZN1 Update, and reorganised the whole article.

RTFKT (pronounced ‘artefact’) has a wide array of NFT drops ranging from sneakers and clothes, to CloneX, Pods, and this mysterious cube, MNLTH (pronounced ‘monolith’).

This article aims to record and update all of RTFKT’s earlier drops so as to:

• Help newcomers understand the scope of their ecosystem, and potentially find an accessible entry point

• Give a broad overview of the ecosystem, which will hint at their strategic direction of the team

• Document RTFKT’s progress, both the good and the bad, and be an archive of their rapid growth

By sharing the history of their drops, I hope to show how RTFKT has evolved from a simple custom sneaker brand to one that will shape the future of fashion. From AR integrations, to futuristic sneakers with customisable skins, to Metaverse lands, I believe that RTFKT will define that future alongside Nike.

Scope Of Article

1. The Earliest Drops

2. Pre-Nike Collections

3. CloneX and Airdrops

4. Forging and Luxury Collabs

5. Upcoming Releases

6. Bonus: Unconfirmed Releases

7. RTFKT in Review (2021 and 2022)

1. Earliest Drops

If you examine RTFKT’s earliest collections, you’ll see that it’s an amalgamation of the founders’ unique mix of expertise and experience.

• ClegFX (Chris) has been working on CS:GO skins for years, and is thus the key person behind the 3D and animation stuff

• Benit0 (Benoit) was managing Faze, an e-sports team, and doing collabs with luxury brands, which he still does today

• Zaptio (Steven) was working on custom luxury goods, and is the main guy when it comes to physicals (sneakers and SZN1) today

It was their love for sneakers that brought them together to create the Faze sneakers (2019) and thereafter the many earlier 1/1 drops. Read more in the RTFKT interview. If you were to scroll through their earliest Instagram posts, you’ll find a lot of AR (augmented reality) integrations.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBgO1opPx1/

Their first NFT releases were very limited in supply, often experimental, and collected mostly by their friends and closest fans. Many were 1/1s or have less than 30 in supply, and were mostly launched on SuperRare and not on the RTFKT website. This was the time when when TopShot was still running hot, and when NFTs was just about to take off as Punks and Beeple led the charge.

1.1 Cyber Sneakers (Feb 2020)

RTFKT created “CYBERSNEAKER” and photoshopped it onto a photo of Musk and Kanye West. The CyberSneaker NFT was later sold at an auction on SuperRare and went for 30 ETH. Only two physical sneakers exist – one for the buyer, and one sent to Musk.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJmlTrpVk-/

1.2 The X Evolutions (Nov 2020)

Inspired by “Air Jordan 1 OG”, RTFKT created “The X Evolutions” and auctioned them on MetaGrail. A collaboration with artist MGXS, the final design of the sneakers was a surprise as new paint colours were added upon every successive bid. The winner of the auction also got a pair of custom physical sneakers. The final “The X Evolutions” had six colours and was collected by WhaleShark at 22 ETH.

https://twitter.com/WhaleSharkETH/status/1559391333080449025

1.3 The PS5 Sneakers (Nov 2020)

Created to celebrate the launch of PS5, this was truly RTFKT’s passion in their ability to create custom sneakers. The pair was sold at an auction on SuperRare for 4.2Eth.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1326957844307054593?lang=en

1.4 Fewo Crypto Brick (Jan 2021)

The first collaboration with FEWOCiOUS was the “FEWO Crypto Brick”, which was super limited (only 24 pieces). The NFT was like an access pass, which gave holders access to future NFT drops.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1365060817775964165

1.5 Doge Slippers (Feb 2021)

These virtual slippers auctioned off on Rarible and was created by blenderdac. They were released around the time when Elon Musk was tweeting a lot about Doge going “to the moon”. This was also when the Gamestop saga was in full swing and people were in full-on degen mode. While the slippers were never turned into the actual physicals, they marked an important time, which was also the start of the NFT run.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1358518317863026690

1.6 Golden Ox Enchanted Sneakers (Feb 2021)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1368679850861498369

This was a special collaboration for Lunar New Year, and featured an auspicious custom red “Nike Dunk High” to commemorate the year of the Ox.

1.7 METAJACKET (Feb 2021)

https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb932a70a57673d89f4acffbe830e8ed7f75fb9e0/19616

The Metajacket OG was a 1/1 created and auctioned on SuperRare. Four other 1/1 Artist Editions were also auctioned off concurrently on Digitalax Marketplace, featuring Zaid Kinsey, VIII, Retrocoin, and Toby1Tooth. A special one was also created exclusive for Youtuber FaZe Banks, as a metaverse jacket that can be worn on his gaming avatar.

1.8 ATARI Sneakers (Mar 2021)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMShAa3JT2T/

RTFKT partnered with ATARI to launch a series of virtual sneakers. This included the 1/1 Sneakers that could be used in Sandbox and Decentraland, and six other Artist editions (50 units each) that were also Sandbox wearables. The Artist editions were done with MGXS, ZOMEWORK, MGO, RETROCOIN, Blenderdac, and VIII, and were sold on Rarible.

1.9 RTFKT x Ev Bravado Jeans (Mar 2021)

https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb932a70a57673d89f4acffbe830e8ed7f75fb9e0/21724

https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb932a70a57673d89f4acffbe830e8ed7f75fb9e0/21723

Two 1/1 jeans were created and auctioned on SuperRare, with the owners being able to receive the physical jeans. In partnering with Ev Bravado’s label, WHO DECIDES WAR, it was a strategic move that showed RTFKT’s ambition to target fashion more broadly, beyond sneakers.

1.10 Meta Haze + Krypto Kush 420 (Apr 2021)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1384835910391500811

Early followers of RTFKT’s Instagram and Twitter were also given a chance to win these exclusive sneakers. Custom designs, five pairs for Instagram and five for Twitter, only if you were early and lucky enough.

1.11 RTFKT x Highsnobiety Not In Paris 3 (Jun 2021)

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1407044276547207168?lang=en

Highsnobiety (formerly known as Paris Men’s Fashion Week) worked with RTFKT to create a whole series of drops. This included eight Artist Edition Hoverboards, created just for the show, as well as two “Alien” themed sneakers.

Hoverboard collectors also received the Alien Caraspace Shiny Sneaker, while the Eiffel-Invasion NFT (75 pieces) was also given away during the event. The Eiffel-Invasion was a key part of the story as the narrative was about an alien invasion and the Eiffel Tower was reimagined as their headquarters.

1.12 RTFKT Creator Toy Challenge (Aug 2021)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1422671400486199301

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1422665756840448001?lang=en

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1422661498225242119

The last of the smaller-scale collaboration drop (outside of their bigger edition drops) was a community-initiated challenge where Creators could submit designs for an RTFKT Toy. The final winning entries were the DeFi Demon, The Meta-Alchemist, and Urloc & Ghale, and were released at 0.1ETH, 20 pieces each, on Rarible. These can be found under RTFKT Creators.

2. Pre-Nike Collections

RTFKT is very strategic when it comes to collaborations. They start small and grow from there.

You’ll notice that the collections above were mostly 1/1s and with brands or artists you might have not heard of. However, this gave them the springboard to scale up their collections, in terms of legitimacy of the partners and the size of the collection.

This phase also marked their transition from selling on other NFT platforms (Fewocious on Nifty Gateway, and Staple Pigeons on Bitski) to selling on their on website with Punks Project, and later Space Drip Capsule.

2.1 Punks Project (May 2021)

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1394008709190324224?lang=en

The Punks Project showcased RTFKT’s ability to do mass custom sneakers. It also leveraged on the legacy of CryptoPunks, such that any Punks holder could participate and get a pair of customs based of their Punk’s traits and colours at just 1ETH. A total of 245 custom Punk Sneakers were redeemed, and each redemption also granted the holder a VXL Punk Portrait NFT.

The original plan was for Punks Sneakers to be constantly updated in new styles but there has been no further update following their subsequent launches and wider focus.

2.2 FEWOCIOUS x RTFKT (Feb 2021)

Three FEWOCIOUS shoe designs were dropped via a 7-minute-long Open Edition. This meant that the supply went as much as number of shoes minted during the 7-minutes on Nifty Gateway. The three tiers were Rare, Epic, and Legendary, and costs $3K, $5K, and $10K respectively. Each NFT could redeem for a pair of the corresponding physical sneakers, and buyers were later surprised with a hoodie and a custom Ledger during the delivery of the sneakers.

In addition, a 1/1 Fewo Charm was auctioned off, and 300 Fewo Drips were released on a lucky draw basis. The Fewo World Trophy and Fewo World Mini Charm were also Bonus Items given to major collectors who supported the drop.

2.3 Jeff Staple x RTFKT (Apr 2021)

Launched on BitSki, this drop included the Meta Pigeon MK ($2,021), the K-Minus ($500), and the Meta Pigeon ($1). The first two NFTs included the physical shoes, and no utility was announced for the Meta Pigeon during launch. During the 16 August 2021 AMA, the team mentioned that they were working on an incense burner for Pigeon holders.

A 1/1 Meta Pigeon Boss was also auctioned on SuperRare and was sold for 25.3E. Additionally, all holders who forged i.e. redeemed for their physicals received a Meta Pigeon OG. This was a surprise airdrop, which promised no utility at the time of the drop, but later on was included in the list of pre-sale items that gave access to the Clone X Mint Vial drop.

https://twitter.com/0xAnon__/status/1501419717088710659

2.4 Space Drip Capsule (Mar 2021)

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1379191834388365317

In what would be RTFKT’s widest collaboration, they partnered with 19 artists, including Paris Hilton to create custom sneakers. Founder ClegFX also got to stamp his design onto a pair of sneakers.

Instead of launching a fixed number of units per design, RTFKT launched this drop as mystery capsules, from which holders had to exchange their capsules for a random design – this ‘gachapon’ mechanism would later be employed in Clone X and MNLTH.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNS-QqUKMkG/

The gacha mechanism added a gaming element to the drop, and also encouraged collectors to trade for the ones that they desired. The first person to collect all 18 designs (LokaGG) was also gifted the elusive Paris Hilton Drip.

One common question every new collector will ask is, “Why is Space Drip split into two collections, 1 and 1.2? Are the collections different?”

They belong to the same collection. During the drop, due to an image loading issue, the team paused and later restarted the drop, which led to a split collection. Space Drip 1 and 1.2 have the same utility and a total minted supply of 500, with the only difference being the generic image you’ll see on the main collection page on Opensea. In total, there are around 600 Space Drips, including those gifted to the artists and can be found under the Easter Eggs and Bonus Items collections.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1534595464368095233

More than a year post-drop, RTFKT released forging for this collection in June 2022. Forging refers to the redemption for physical products.

They also added a twist. With the Nike acquisition, these sneakers were also given the iconic AF1 treatment and are the first official RTFKT-Nike AF1 sneakers. Each shoe features a Nike Swoosh on one side and an RTFKT Blade on the other. Space Drip holders had to pay 0.33ETH to receive a Sneaker NFT, which was then used to redeem for the physical sneakers of that particular design. In October 2022, collectors finally got their hands on the physical sneakers.

https://twitter.com/LokaGG1337/status/1593256055961591815

3. CloneX and Airdrops

As the RTFKT brand grew, two things happened: Nike, and Murakami.

Their sneaker culture and innovation drew the attention of Nike and eventually led to an acquisition (announced Dec 2021), while their first avatar project, CloneX, was done together with renown contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami. Clone X is a culmination of all of RTFKT’s work in the prior 20 months because of what it could be – identity, wearables, virtual world integrations etc.

To reward their existing collectors, every of RTFKT’s earlier NFTs qualified as pre-sale items – this means each NFT entitled its holder to mint three Clone X mint vials at 0.05E, while Metakey Edition 2 (launched in Apr 2021) holders were entitled to one mint.

3.1 RTFKT Mintdisc (Oct 2021)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1463916354034184196?lang=en

During the Clone X Mint Vial sale, the smart contract recognised unique ERC721 tokens to grant its three allocated pre-sale. Earlier NFTs that were created on the ERC1155 tokens were thus airdropped the ERC721 Mintdiscs.

Mintdisc 3 gave access to three Mint Vials, while Mintdisc 1 (for Metakey E2 holders) gave access to one Mint Vial. There is no confirmed utility for the Mintdiscs post-drop.

3.2 Clone X x Takashi Murakami (Nov 2021)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSZ4P3XqTU3/

The first mention of RTFKT’s avatar/PFP project was in August 2021. Back then, the project was codenamed ‘Akira’ and it was ambitious because the founders wanted to create 3D characters (back when the market was all the rage about 2D animal illustrations) and wanted to make every asset worn by the avatars forgeable. Imagine donning the same apparels IRL as what your avatar wears virtually.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVnfcdhKWtM/

The team also managed to bring Takashi Murakami onboard. This was “a dream come true” as the founders were big fans of Japanese anime culture (which you’ll find across many Clone X traits) and of Murakami. As for Murakami, he has had very successful collaborations done with HypeBeast and even Louis Vuitton. Bringing on a famous contemporary artist with his fans, collectors, and network would really grow RTFKT’s reach, and was a deeper step into this culture.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1469772331673432070

Just like Space Drip Capsules, the Mint Vials was a ‘gachapon’ that could open to reveal a Clone of one of eight DNAs (Human, Robot, Angel, Demon, Reptile, Undead, Murakami, and Alien), each with varying rarity. Besides DNA rarity, there were also traits of different rarities – the coveted Murakami traits are present in 15% of the Clones, and are often referred to as Murakami Drips.

RTFKT also gave holders full commercial license to their non-Murakami Clones (was initially capped at $1M and the cap later removed), while Clones with Murakami traits did not have any licensing rights (agreement with Takashi Murakami).

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1544035652848738304

In July 2022, RTFKT released the 3D files of Clones to holders. This has led to a whole wave of user-generated content, with holders like VegaGenesis creating original music and music videos with his Clone, AltsAnonymous doing all sorts of live streaming with his Clone, Beb.eth creating Clone Tools to make it easier for Clone holders to create renders, and Clone-related brands like CreaWearables and Clone Force emerging. RTFKT’s vision of co-creating with their holders is slowly but surely materialising.

3.3 MNLTH (Jan 2022)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1489902023109656578

In February 2022, RTFKT airdropped MNLTH to all Clone holders. The MNLTH remained in a dormant state and the team built up a lot of hype leading up to the reveal.

Eventually, the community had to solve a series quests to prove themselves worthy before the MNLTH was unveiled. This included diagrams and puzzles, some of which involved finding old tweets, others involved exploring the Loot Pod, and there was even a Sandbox game segment. JTobcat was one of the huge carries in solving many of these puzzles.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1517606500847562752?lang=en

The MNLTH was ready for reveal in April 2022. Opening each MNLTH gave holders one CryptoKicks, one random Skin Vial, and a MNLTH2.

MNLTH is about innovation, and the innovation here is forgeable sneakers with custom skins. The MNLTH reveal also employed the same gacha mechanism where holders are randomly assigned a Skin Vial of a particular DNA. More on that later.

3.4 Space Pod (Jan 2022)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1489032218664128515

Even before the Clone X drop, founder Benit0 has teased that Clones will all be getting their custom rooms. This was done in collaboration with OnCyber, where each Pod represented a Clone’s custom space.

The Space Pods were airdropped to Clone holders shortly after the MNLTH airdrop. It started out much like a virtual gallery for NFTs but quickly became an avenue to build and support the growing 3D creators who built skins and sculptures for their Pods.

3.5 Loot Pod (Mar 2022)

The Loot Pod was airdropped to Space Pod holders a month after. This was an extension that connected to the Space Pod, and RTFKT teased that there will be a whole series of connecting Pods.

During the MNLTH quests, one of the quests involved a puzzle that can be found in the upper room of the Loot Pod. This room, which was previously locked, opened up to reveal cryptic dots as well as more doors (more rooms).

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1531690243816050688

RTFKT also kickstarted a Creators Challenge to get collectors to learn to use Blender, and make custom skins and objects for their Loot Pods. The winners had insane levels of details and creativity in customising their Loot Pods. A major update for the Space Pods and Loot Pods will be the burning of Pods.

3.6 CryptoKicks + Skin Vial + MNLTH2 (Apr 2022)

Each CryptoKicks can be equipped with a Skin Vial, which means you can customise your sneakers based on the Skin Vial NFT you equip to it. However, there were problems with the equipping mechanism such that sellers could unequip their Skin Vials to give a “blank sneaker” before accepting an offer. There was also a lesser known issue of duplicating skin vials. As such, the equipping function was paused indefinitely and is expected to resume in August/September. No further update has been given.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1519100532853460994

3.7 MNLTH2 Reveal →  Trillium Lace Engine (Dec 2022)

After teasing what felt like a very dope pair of self-lacing sneakers, featuring Move-to-Earn capability, RTFKT surprised everyone when the MNLTH2 was turned into a Lace Engine.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1599828647451721729

While this was also the first time that Nike’s technology was integrated into the RTFKT ecosystem, the manner of the drop caught everyone off guard for several reasons:

1. Most holders were expecting the NFT to include the shoes, and it traded upwards of 1.5ETH per MNLTH2

2. It was revealed that the Lace Engine would work like an early access coupon, where holders get priority access and a discount off the RRP

3. Any remaining supply will go to a public mint, which would also render any unredeemed “Coupon” valueless

4. The shoes only shipped within the US, which meant that a lot of holders will be excluded from the drop, and their NFT will become valueless

This was a major screw-up, which the team has also acknowledged, and the outcome of the mints were telling. Only around 6,000 pairs were minted, roughly 1/3 the supply, and many enraged collectors left the ecosystem. Holders were also airdropped the MNLTH X, in place of the MNLTH 2.

3.8 Project Animus (Nov 2022)

This was teased on 8 Oct 2022 – companions for Clones. In the video, two characters were revealed, a shark fitted with drips and a Koda-like character. It was also revealed that there will be eggs, and the eggs will be airdropped later.

The airdrop came in November, following the lore where there is an incoming planet destructor and Clones will have to escape their current planet along with the eggs. Holders underwent a Twitch experience where they voted on decisions on the spot (much like Bandersnatch or a Live TV experience) which influenced the subsequent outcome of the video. Each Clone was airdropped an Animus Egg thereafter.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1597709707057463298

More info is available on the official website, but full details including the release date and the final supply have not yet been released. It has been confirmed that Takashi Murakami will also be involved, and one of the Murakami Animus has been featured on the Takashi Murakami x RTFKT Geisai event on 30 April 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpw4Xq3L2Yc/

3.9 Exodus – Pod Burning (Jan 2023)

Following the lore and their upcoming roadmap. Exodus would signal the upcoming development in the CloneX ecosystem for the rest of the year.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1620426029146996739

Space Pods now feature an Egg Incubator while Loot Pods now feature a Hibernation Capsule. Combine multiple pods to get an ExoPod or LuxPod, which feature both an Incubator and Hibernation Capsule.

The team has not revealed any further information on Incubation or Hibernation, which resulted into two camps of holders. The frustrated holders saw it as a sign of poor communication from the team, and many went on to leave the ecosystem. The other collectors see it as a form of staking – where Incubation and Hibernation are fancy ways of describing staking of Animus Eggs and CloneX respectively, which they speculate will feature later in their move-to-earn game.

4. Forging And Luxury Collabs

4.1 RTFKT NYC Event Airdrop (Jul 2022)

In May 2022, RTFKT organised a series of events for holders in NYC. Starting with the Clone X exhibition that was held at Gagosian, followed by a private dinner for top-tier RTFKT collectors, and then a party for all holders. At the end of the party, there were 888 sets of physical Murakami t-shirts and tote bags that were given out to attendees.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1524610282877767680?lang=en

Not everyone who attended walked away with a t-shirt and tote, which was why they later airdropped all attendees a t-shirt NFT, which can be forged in future. Attendees of the Clone X virtual exhibition on OnCyber were also airdropped an RTFKT x Murakami Blade, a 3D collectible that can be displayed in OnCyber spaces.

4.2 RTFKT AR Hoodie (Jul 2022)

https://hypebeast.com/2022/7/rtfkt-x-nike-ar-hoodie-set-to-launch-this-week

In July 2022, RTFKT released the AR Hoodie to Clone and CryptoKicks holders. It was available at 0.2ETH each, and had a limited supply of 8,888 on a first-come, first-serve basis. This was one of their innovations as each Hoodie came with an NFC chip, which is tied to the NFT to verify ownership. It also marks the second instance of the World Moving WM chips (after Space Drip sneakers).

The drop was met with front-end issues and most holders eventually minted directly from the smart contract.

4.3 Clone X Forging – SZN1 (Sep 2022)

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1557449971946999809

RTFKT released its most ambitious line of merchandise that are specially designed for Clones and based off their DNAs. There were a total of 10 collections – one for each DNA (8 DNAs in total), one for Murakami Drips, and the Genesis Collection. All Clones were able to mint one set of the Genesis Collection merchandise, as well as two sets of their respective DNA merchandise. Clones with the Murakami Drip trait could mint two sets of the Murakami Drip collection.

The idea for two sets is to have one to sport, one to stock.

This also represents the future of drops, in being able to token-gate different types of merchandise based on the traits in the Clone X collection. At present, only the DNA traits and the Murakami Drip trait are put on-chain to create this token-gated experience. In future, when all traits are put on-chain, it will also mean that Clones will be able to forge the respective merchandise for the traits they own e.g. only Clones with a GM Hoodie can forge the physical GM hoodie.

https://af1-lookbook.rtfkt.com/

The collections include socks (0.03E), caps (0.04E), short-sleeve shirts (0.08E), long-sleeve shirts (0.09E), hoodies (0.19E), sneakers (0.38E), pants (0.13E), as well as a few DNA exclusive items – the Robot Vest (0.16E), Demon Jersey (0.11E), Angel Jacket (0.22E), Reptile Jacket (0.22E), Undead Jacket (0.25E), Alien Puffer Jacket (0.28E), and Murakami Varsity Jacket (0.28E). All Clones could mint a Genesis Collection short-sleeve shirt for free.

Clone holders had a week to mint, and another week to forge. Forges were expected to deliver in January 2023 (delayed to April 2023), and the AF1 sneakers are up for forging in April 2023.

https://twitter.com/RTFKT/status/1645803225503903746

The SZN1 release was met with controversy, in part because it was released at the depths of the bear market. Some people were saying that RTFKT was squeezing from their collectors and charging too high a price. Other holders were disappointed on how rarer DNAs got more valuable drops. Regardless of sentiment, the market demand influenced the final supply.

4.4 RIMOWA Meta-Artisan Collection (Oct 2022)

The news of this drop first broke out in a Vogue Business article. Shortly after, RTFKT confirmed the drop and shared that a series of quest will soon start. Anyone could participate and join in the story, which will shed light onto the upcoming ecosystem, and also bring users onto a journey to discover this drop. Think of it as using storytelling to launch a new collection.

https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/rtfkt-rimowa-nft-suitcase/

The lore goes around a distress signal being picked up from a constellation far away. Participants had to freeze through the frames of the videos to figure out the puzzle, and when they eventually solved it, RTFKT revealed the Draco constellation.

https://twitter.com/rtfkt/status/1579531838930157568?lang=en

Later, the RIMOWA x RTFKT site was unveiled, and revealed a spaceship that was infected by the FUD virus. RTFKT released a series of quests, which involved puzzles (that were mostly demolished by Jtobcat) and interacting with polls put out on an RTFKT Twitter account. As users put their brains together to defeat the FUD virus, more details were eventually released on the drop.

The drop included 2,222 Worker Bots, and 888 Rimowa luggage. The Worker Bots come with skin vial tech, but no further details were shared. As for the luggages, they later revealed to be of four different rarities, and can be forged at a later date.

With this drop, RTFKT innovated by conducting the release within an OnCyber room. Users had to go into the OnCyber room, join the raffle queue, and when it was their turn to mint, they had five minutes to complete the transaction, all within the OnCyber environment.

While innovative, a drop that is the first of its kind also presented a host of issues. For example, poor usability meant that people had to hang around indefinitely for their turn. People also questioned the requirement to connect their Clone-wallets, which presented a security issue. During the later half of the mint, there was also an exploit where users who transferred the minted Worker Bot out could mint another one during their 5-minute window.

Nonetheless, the team had taken in the feedback (as they did with the AR Hoodie drop), and look to be making each upcoming drop better than the previous ones.

4.5 CryptoKicks IRL (Dec 2022)

While the CIRL sparked a lot of controversy and also led to many collectors leaving the ecosystem, the promised move-to-earn capability is still highly anticipated amongst current collectors. Current delivery is expected to be in June 2023.

Will the move-to-earn tie into Incubation and Hibernation? For those without the CIRL, will they be excluded from the experience? Will the experience even be meaningful? These are all questions that collectors hope to have answered in 2023.

5. Upcoming Releases

Although it might seem like RTFKT is all over the place with their drops e.g. PFP, Metaverse rooms, sneakers, wearables, it all ties in coherently into a single theme:

Merging of IRL and virtual identities – where your identity in both the physical and virtual realms can be represented by your avatar (Clone), your space (Pods), and wearables (both physical and virtual).

In fact, their upcoming drops continue to suggest their foray in this direction. Yes, some innovations might seem abrupt and out of place, but if we were to tie it back into the above theme, they do make sense.

5.1 Byredo x RTFKT

https://alphameta.rtfkt.com/

One of the confirmed partnerships is with Byredo, a luxury perfume brand. In a Vogue article, it was also revealed that the perfume will be “crafted” virtually when collectors mix different ingredients so as to create custom unique scents, much like potion crafting in games. The perfume will also be forgeable, which means that the actual perfume will be produced and redeemed.

As for the virtual Metaverse, equipping an avatar with the perfume could mean that the character has an aura around him. This can be pure aesthetics or might even come with certain power-ups in a game setting.

6. Bonus: Unconfirmed Releases

Before Clone X, there were planned drops that never materialised. While it’s uncertain that these will ever happen given how massively RTFKT has changed, and their current focus, they are still nice-to-have, especially if you hold a partnered project NFT.

6.1 RTFKT x BAYC Sneakers

This was teased even before ‘Akira’, but never came to fruition. They also teased that Mutants will get their own version of RTFKT sneakers. One day, maybe?

https://www.theboredapegazette.com/post/first-look-rtfkt-studios-released-a-photo-of-their-bayc-shoes-what-we-know-so-far

6.2 RTFKT x ZedRun

In an AMA dated 16 August 2021, one of the leaks was a ZedRun project that “ClegFX was very excited about”. No further detail was shared.

7. RTFKT in Review (2021 and 2022)

NFTs has introduced digital ownership to masses, with a verifiable source of truth on the blockchain. While the space is still nascent, I believe that all social applications can and will eventually be tokenised, and NFT will play a huge role in our social identity.

In my opinion, RTFKT has been very strategic from its earlier collabs to its post-Nike launches, albeit with a lot of experimentation that were not all successful.

In 2021, Pre-Nike

The earlier collabs signalled their intention to work with different artists and creators. This has led them to go from small supply and lesser-known artists, to partnering with Takashi Murakami and getting the manufacturing expertise of Nike.

Their vision was always about ‘Merging Worlds’, and that starts from the WM NFC chips, to the integrate experiences that they have experimented, from the Oncyber Experience (Pods and RIMOWA) to the Twitch experience (Animus). As to how the physicals will eventually be tied into these experiences, I believe it will come down to the INVNTRY app, which they are building.

In the high-end luxury market, counterfeit goods have been a persistent problem and is responsible for as much as $98B of losses in 2017. The NFC chip presented by RTFKT, along with the associated NFT tied to the chip, has the potential to reduce this problem greatly.

In 2022, Post-Nike

The gachapon-blind-box mechanism that proved very effective for CloneX and later MNLTH, has since been used by many other projects. For NFT collectors today, it may no longer be a novelty. However, the rise of free-to-play games has shown us how effective blind boxes can be as a revenue stream, which is why I believe this will still feature in many NFT projects in future.

Partnering with Nike has allowed for RTFKT to expand on its physical manufacturing capability, which was also what led to SZN1 and CIRL. However, these were also the most contentious drops that left CloneX holders wondering if this is truly what they are in for.

Having said that, there lies a huge opportunity in the sneaker and street community, where most people who are oblivious to NFTs will be very interested in these drops, especially when Takashi Murakami is involved.

With plans of Animus and CloneX staking (Incubation/Hibernation), M2E capabilities with the CIRL shoes, the launch of INVNTRY app, and the release of Animus, it is quite an exciting year of release in 2023 for those who are still interested in the RTFKT ecosystem.

Contentious Issues

One of the most pressing concern is communication.

RTFKT has not been the most communicative when it comes to drops. Given the ground-up nature of Web3, many community holders want to be heard and be involved and not be thrown surprises, especially when the surprises are often poorly received.

Secondly, it’s their tendency to build hype.

RTFKT has been really good at building excitement and anticipation. However, this also sets expectations, which when not met whether it’s because of execution issues or because they are not able to release more information, it also causes holders to be upset, which has since led to many collectors leaving the ecosystem.

Lastly, it’s their diverse focus.

RTFKT is tackling more than just sneakers and fashion. They are integrating it with an identity in CloneX, a companion in Animus, and an integrated virtual experience where these all come together online. It takes time for all these to be fleshed out, and it goes back to the point of how they can communicate better and manage expectations while building on their roadmap.

In this market, collectors and holders can have unrealistic expectations. However, that doesn’t mean that they should be ignored; in fact, the teams that can properly engage and work with their community may trigger the strongest emotional connections and brand loyalty.

https://creators.rtfkt.com/

Collectors and holders aside, RTFKT has built an incredible infrastructure with their 3D assets, which can empower the creator economy. Many holders have got their hands dirty in trying out Clone Tools, making simple animations, or even tapping onto their IPs to build brand, which is the promise of RTFKT Creators. This sub ecosystem can possibly have exponential effect in terms of generating reach and awareness.

Thank you for sticking to the end. I hope this article gives you a good introduction and/or thorough information if you’re thinking about buying an RTFKT NFT.

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