<p>Team Secret announced a partnership with the Checkmate Ecosystem on Jan. 12. The move would see $CHECK token adoption beyond&nbsp;<a href="https://funjible.games/games/anichess">Anichess</a>, mainly into the esports landscape. The collaboration introduces a membership NFT pass and positions CHECK as a functional currency across Team Secret's operations.</p><h2>What is included in the Team Secret Membership Pass?</h2><p>Team Secret's NFT pass grants users access to exclusive content and other competitive opportunities. Pass holders receive access to community tournaments, VIP tickets for Team Secret's global events, and direct interaction with players from the organization's Dota 2, VALORANT, and Rainbow Six Siege rosters through private AMA sessions.</p><p>Ultimately, the membership pass aims to create direct value for supporters, so it’s not a collectible NFT.</p><p>Considering the Checkmate Ecosystem started picking up steam after launching the $CHESS token in Nov. 2025, it’s encouraging to see this type of partnerships with big names. Team Secret CEO John Yao framed the partnership as a step toward fan ownership, noting that CHECK integration gives supporters "a direct stake" in the organization's activities.</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We just Checkmated Esports.<a href="https://twitter.com/teamsecret?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@teamsecret</a> is a global top-tier esports org with championship teams across multiple games with millions of fans.<br><br>What’s cooking<br><br>→ Team Secret NFT Membership<br>→ <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24CHECK&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$CHECK</a> for payments<br>→ <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24CHECK&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$CHECK</a> your participation<br>→ <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24CHECK&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$CHECK</a> as buy ins/prize pools… <a href="https://t.co/fTmes8g7pj">https://t.co/fTmes8g7pj</a></p>— Anichess (@AnichessGame) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnichessGame/status/2010639562951770439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Anichess head Chevan Tin emphasized the long-term infrastructure angle, positioning the partnership as foundational work for “tokenized rewards that will redefine the esports experience.”</p><p>Team Secret also appears committed to hosting competitive Anichess events. The organization will work with Chess.com, which backed Anichess alongside five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.</p><p>Going into 2026, Anichess aims to reach traditional esports audiences that might not have considered a Web3 chess variant before. Team Secret's competitive credibility in games like Dota 2 lends legitimacy to that effort.</p><p>The partnership between Team Secret and Anichess also follows the game’s recent competitive restructuring with Season 5's&nbsp;<a href="https://funjible.games/news/anichess-launch-winter-clash-as-illuvium-merge-ranked-queues">Winter Clash update</a>, which introduced the Checkmate Arena and shifted reward distribution toward CHECK-based competition.</p><p>At the time of writing, it’s currently unclear what the Checkmate Ecosystem is planning to turn $CHECK into a cross-platform currency. Speaking from experience, one could expect more games to become available within the ecosystem, but Checkmate also seems determined to create valuable experiences outside of the gaming bubble as well. If Anichess can continue to bring in notable names, like Team Secret, they may even kickstart a new&nbsp;<a href="https://funjible.games/news/funjible-games-report-2025-crypto-gaming-trends">crypto gaming trend</a>.</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fA-z4rKziCU?si=jGKUJSNiJyHzX3oR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

Anichess

Anichess is classic Chess with a twist—spells! Earn mana as you play and use it to teleport pieces, summon pawns, and cast powerful abilities.

Team Secret Join Checkmate Eco with NFTs & CHECK Integration

Anichess

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