Elvis Presley Dances Into the Metaverse via 'The Sandbox'

Ethereum metaverse game The Sandbox has confirmed a release date for a series of officially licensed Elvis Presley NFT avatars designed to celebrate the late musician’s long-standing legacy. 

First announced last year via the Elvis Presley Legacy Council, which is introducing the music icon into various online and blockchain-based platforms, each of the 3,000 avatars will feature familiar outfits and hairstyles from across Presley’s historic career, alongside a series of unique emotes inspired by his signature dance moves.

The NFT-based avatars—which are minted on Ethereum scaling network Polygon—will be fully playable in all future Sandbox multiplayer experiences, and will also unlock upcoming features and content in the metaverse space.

The public sale is set to begin August 9 following an exclusive 24-hour purchase window for owners of The Sandbox’s NFT-based land and certain avatar collections, as well as those who registered for an allowlist.

All Elvis avatars will then be revealed on August 11. The avatars will be split across four rarity levels and each one will cost 100 SAND, which is worth about $41 as of this writing.

Holders of the avatars will also have governance and voting rights for the Elvis Legacy Council DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization—essentially an online community, one which in this case will help decide future moves around Presley’s digital expansion. The council has also previously revealed plans for another Ethereum metaverse game, Decentraland.

“We believe in a world where Elvis fans participate and shape the direction and future of the Elvis Presley Digital Estate,” said the organization in a statement.

The release of the Elvis avatars comes alongside a digital, week-long celebration of "The King of Rock & Roll" that’s due to kick off August 9, in a bid to keep his legacy accessible for younger generations. Fans will be able to livestream concerts, tribute contests, and panel discussions, plus there will be a digital tour of Presley’s iconic home of Graceland.

Last year, The Sandbox also confirmed plans for an official Elvis Presely metaverse space, featuring a digital recreation of Graceland and unique NFTs, setting it alongside virtual land spaces owned by the likes of metal band Slipknot, rapper Snoop Dogg, McDonald’s, Adidas, and Gucci.