TLDR
SEED faces bearish pressure from a copyright infringement dispute with Axie Infinity's creators, though no recent developments have emerged since May 2025.
1. IP dispute – Sky Mavis alleges SEED’s NFT designs and mechanics copy Axie Infinity (Blockworks).
2. Partnership fallout – Sui Foundation distanced itself, clarifying limited prior involvement.
3. No resolution – SEED’s DAO hasn’t commented; legal risks linger.
Deep Dive
1. Regulatory & external factors
Sky Mavis, creator of Axie Infinity, accused SEED’s game Seed Go on May 20, 2025, of replicating its blob-like NFT characters (Seedmon vs. Axies), breeding mechanics, and tokenomics. The dispute centers on intellectual property rights, with Sky Mavis claiming $1.3B in historical revenue from Axie Infinity (Alexander Larsen) and seeking an out-of-court resolution.
Sui Foundation, which provided initial smart contract support, clarified it no longer backs SEED and emphasized Mysten Labs’ limited role. This weakens SEED’s credibility as partners retreat.
2. Business & partnerships
SEED’s ties to Sui have frayed, with the Foundation calling its investment “small” and stressing high endorsement standards. SeedDAO’s silence amplifies uncertainty about governance and legal strategy.
The project’s reliance on Axie-like mechanics—a proven model—now poses existential risk if courts side with Sky Mavis. However, no legal action has been filed yet.
Conclusion
SEED’s legal overhang and eroded partnerships compound its 90-day price decline (-73%). While the case remains unresolved, the lack of updates since May suggests stalled negotiations or low priority for Sky Mavis. Could SEED pivot its game design to mitigate litigation risk?