How to Play Axie Infinity: Step-by-Step Guide for New Players

Learning how to play Axie Infinity in 2026 is significantly more accessible than it was in 2021. The game provides free starter Axies, the tutorial covers core mechanics, and the Ronin Network keeps transaction fees minimal. This step-by-step guide takes you from zero to your first ranked Arena battles, covering wallet setup, getting your first Axies, learning the battle system, and starting to earn.

Table of Contents

1. Before You Start: What You Need
2. Step 1: Set Up Your Ronin Wallet
3. Step 2: Create Your Axie Infinity Account
4. Step 3: Get Your First Axies
5. Step 4: Add RON for Gas Fees
6. Step 5: Complete the Tutorial
7. Step 6: Master Adventures (PvE)
8. Step 7: Enter the Arena (PvP)
9. Step 8: Build Your First Competitive Team
10. Step 9: Start Earning SLP and AXS
11. Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
12. Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start: What You Need

To play Axie Infinity you need: a computer or smartphone, a reliable internet connection, an email address to create your account, a small amount of cryptocurrency for gas fees (a few dollars of RON is sufficient to start), and about an hour for initial setup. You do not need to buy Axies immediately — the game provides free starter Axies that let you learn the battle system before investing.

Step 1: Set Up Your Ronin Wallet

The Ronin Wallet is the blockchain wallet required to play Axie Infinity. All your Axie NFTs, SLP tokens, AXS tokens, and RON gas tokens live in this wallet.

1. Go to wallet.roninchain.com (the official Ronin Wallet website — bookmark this URL).
2. Download the browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Brave, or download the Ronin Wallet mobile app from the official app stores.
3. Click Create New Wallet and follow the prompts to set up your wallet.
4. Write down your 12-word seed phrase on paper. Store it in a secure physical location — offline, not in a photo or document on your phone.
5. Verify your seed phrase when prompted to confirm you have recorded it correctly.
6. Your Ronin Wallet address appears at the top of the wallet interface. It starts with ronin: and is the address where your Axies and tokens will live.

Critical: Your seed phrase is the master key to your entire wallet. Anyone who has it controls all your assets permanently. Never share it. Never type it into any website that asks for it. Sky Mavis support will never ask for your seed phrase under any circumstances.

Step 2: Create Your Axie Infinity Account

1. Go to axieinfinity.com.
2. Click Play Now and select Create Account.
3. Enter your email address and create a strong password.
4. Verify your email through the confirmation link sent to your inbox.
5. Log into your new account and connect your Ronin Wallet when prompted. The wallet connection links your on-chain identity to your Axie account.
6. Your account is now created. Your Ronin Wallet address is your in-game identity — Axies you purchase or receive appear in this wallet.

Step 3: Get Your First Axies

New players receive a free starter team through the game’s onboarding process. These starter Axies are not NFTs — they cannot be sold or transferred — but they allow you to learn battle mechanics without spending money.

To claim your free starter Axies, complete the initial onboarding steps within the game after logging in. The game guides you through this process automatically when you first open it with a new account.

When you are ready to own your Axies as actual NFTs (which enables breeding, selling, and full marketplace participation), purchase a team on the Axie Marketplace. For beginners, look for a balanced team with at least one Plant-class tank, one damage dealer, and one support Axie. Filter by price to find teams within your budget — beginner-friendly teams exist at multiple price points.

Step 4: Add RON for Gas Fees

On-chain transactions (buying Axies, breeding, marketplace trades) require small gas fees paid in RON, the Ronin Network’s native gas token. You need a small amount of RON to start transacting.

Acquire RON through one of these methods: purchase RON directly on an exchange that lists it (check Binance or other major exchanges for availability in your region), or buy ETH on Coinbase or Kraken and use the official Ronin bridge at bridge.roninchain.com to convert ETH to wETH on Ronin, then swap wETH to RON using the Katana DEX on Ronin.

A few dollars equivalent of RON is sufficient for dozens of standard transactions. You will not need to top up frequently unless you are breeding or making many marketplace transactions.

Step 5: Complete the Tutorial

Axie Origins includes an in-game tutorial that covers battle fundamentals: how to draw and play cards, how Energy works, how to target enemy Axies, and how combo effects trigger. Complete the entire tutorial before entering Adventure or Arena modes.

The tutorial teaches the mechanics but not the strategy. You will learn strategy through playing, analyzing your mistakes, and studying successful team compositions in the community resources. Treat the tutorial as vocabulary class, not strategy class.

Step 6: Master Adventures (PvE)

Adventures is the PvE mode where you fight computer-controlled opponents through increasingly difficult stages. This is the safest environment for learning battle mechanics because losses do not affect your competitive ranking.

Use Adventures to practice: playing your cards in different sequences to discover which combos work, understanding which enemy status effects are dangerous and need to be countered, and learning how your specific team’s card interactions work in practice rather than in theory.

Complete all available Adventure stages before focusing on Arena. The stages reward SLP, experience, and item drops that help you understand the game’s economy. Higher Adventure stages also provide better SLP earning rates than early stages.

Step 7: Enter the Arena (PvP)

The Arena is where you battle other players for Victory Points and seasonal ranking. Win and gain points. Lose and lose points. Your Victory Point total determines your rank tier and your AXS reward allocation at the end of each season.

Initial Arena games match you against opponents at similar skill levels through the matchmaking system. Early matches should feel competitive rather than overwhelming. If you are losing consistently, spend more time in Adventures before returning to Arena.

Between Arena sessions, review your replays (available in the game interface) to identify where specific matches were won or lost. The most valuable learning comes from understanding why you made losing plays rather than just cataloging wins and losses.

Step 8: Build Your First Competitive Team

Once you understand the battle system through Adventure and early Arena experience, you are ready to think about your first real competitive team composition. Several principles guide team building for beginners.

One tank, two damage dealers is the standard starter composition. A Plant or Reptile class Axie in the frontline absorbs damage. Two higher-damage Axies in mid and back positions deal focused damage on key enemy targets.

Synergistic card sets matter more than individual card power. A team whose 12 cards create multiple strong combo chains will outperform a team with three individually powerful Axies whose cards do not synergize well.

Check community meta resources. The Axie Infinity community on Reddit, Discord, and dedicated sites like Axie.Tech maintain current meta information about which team compositions are performing best in the current season. Starting with a proven meta team lets you learn the game while playing an effective strategy.

Step 9: Start Earning SLP and AXS

With a competitive team in place and Arena ranking established, your primary earning paths are:

Daily SLP from Adventures and Arena: Complete your daily Adventure missions and Arena battles to earn the available daily SLP. Consistency matters more than intensity — daily play generates more SLP over time than irregular intense sessions.

AXS from ranked season rewards: Reach a qualifying rank by season end to receive AXS token rewards. Higher ranks receive larger allocations. AXS rewards are distributed at season end, so performance throughout the entire season matters, not just the final week.

Crafting Runes and Charms for sale: Once you understand which Runes and Charms are in demand from competitive players, crafting and selling them on the marketplace generates income independent of your battle results.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Sharing your seed phrase. The single most dangerous mistake. Scammers impersonating support staff, guild recruiters, or helpful community members will attempt to obtain your seed phrase. Legitimate contacts never need it.

Buying Axies before understanding team composition. New players often buy the three cheapest available Axies without checking whether their cards synergize. Study team compositions before making your first marketplace purchase.

Holding all SLP earnings. SLP is a utility token subject to inflation. Experienced players sell a portion of SLP regularly rather than accumulating large positions waiting for price appreciation that may not come.

Ignoring the meta. Axie’s competitive meta shifts between seasons as Sky Mavis releases balance updates. A team that dominated last season may struggle in the current one. Check community meta resources when a new season begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to learn Axie Infinity?

Understanding the basic mechanics takes a few hours through the tutorial and Adventure mode. Developing competitive level skill takes weeks to months of regular play and study. Most new players feel comfortable in Arena within two to four weeks of consistent daily play.

Do I need to spend money to play Axie Infinity?

You can start for free with the starter Axies and learn all battle mechanics without spending anything. Competitive play and earnings from breeding or marketplace activities require owned NFT Axies. A small amount of RON for gas fees (a few dollars) is needed for on-chain transactions once you are ready to own Axies.

How do I know which Axies to buy?

Research current meta team compositions in the Axie Infinity community resources (Reddit r/AxieInfinity, official Discord, dedicated community sites). Look for teams with synergistic card combinations at your budget level. Filter the Axie Marketplace by class and body part combinations to find Axies that fit your target team composition.

Playing Axie Infinity well requires patience and learning investment. The players who enjoy it most are those who engage with the strategic depth of the card system rather than approaching it purely as a financial opportunity. When the game itself becomes engaging independently of the earning mechanics, both the playing experience and the economic outcomes tend to improve together.