Solana’s token price has spiked in the past month—but do you know about the Solana blockchain-enabled games listed on the Epic Games Store?
This year, the number of Web3 games on the Epic Games Store has grown from just 10 in January to 69 in October, according to Game7’s 2023 State of Web3 Gaming Report (Decrypt counted at least 78 in November). While many of these games are unreleased or in early access, their listings are reflective of Epic Games’ more open approach to hosting titles with crypto or AI elements compared to rival PC game launcher Steam.
Solana has a little over 125 games in its ecosystem, according to Game7’s report, making it the fourth most-popular blockchain network for game developers overall and the top most popular non-EVM chain. From ambitious sci-fi MMOs to fantasy pet battlers, here’s every game listed on the Epic Games Store that uses the Solana blockchain as of this writing.
Star Atlas
Star Atlas is a sci-fi MMORPG in development that uses Solana for its tokens and NFTs. Early access footage of the game shows an immersive world full of massive spaceships, modern structures, and futuristic apparel for its third-person perspective playable characters.
Despite Star Atlas studio ATMTA laying off 73% of its team back in July, development has continued on the upcoming game. In September 2022, ATMTA released a playable demo for Star Atlas NFT holders on the Epic Games Store.
ATMTA has also continued to promote Solana blockchain game development, launching an open-source software development kit (SDK) that could make it easier for developers to build games using the network. Star Atlas does not currently have a release date, but it is slated to release on the Epic Games Store in the future.
While fans wait for the finished game to launch, there’s SAGE Labs—a blockchain browser project that leverages Star Atlas lore—to try out in the meantime.
Aurory
Aurory is a free-to-play fantasy RPG whose executive producer has described the title as “Pokémon meets the Matrix.” While Aurory originally released its NFTs and AURY token on Solana, its team revealed its multi-chain plans in July and plans to expand to the Ethereum layer-2 network Arbitrum as well.
In November, Aurory announced that its RPG expansion “Seekers of Tokane” will be released on the Epic Games Store as well as in its native browser version. Aurory EP Jonathan Campeau previously explained to Decrypt that the move to launch a desktop version on the Epic Store is in part due to technical limitations imposed by a web browser.
Aurory’s Seekers of Tokane will offer players “unlimited amounts” of land to explore through portals, expanded Netfies battle features, and character customization, among other additions to the game. Seekers of Tokane does not yet have a firm release date on the Epic Games Store and is listed as “Coming Soon” at time of writing.
Yaku
Yaku is a free-to-play social metaverse game that currently supports the Solana and Ethereum blockchains. At time of writing, Yaku is available on the Epic Games Store in early access. Its Epic Store page states that the game is currently in alpha and is focused on enabling user-generated content and community-fueled development.
Yaku’s Epic Store page describes plans for an open-world, dystopian sci-fi environment where an “omnipotent mega-corporation Saikou reigns supreme.” The game world will be released slowly with incremental updates over the next five to seven years, according to Yaku’s Epic Store page FAQ.
Chain Crisis
Chain Crisis is billed as a free-to-play cyberpunk dystopian shooter game set in the fictional near-future world of Warpgate City. At time of writing, it’s in pre-alpha and listed on the Epic Games Store with the “Coming Soon” label, slated for release sometime in 2024.
Chain Crisis has released male PFP-style avatar NFTs on Solana and plans to offer players in-game character cosmetics as NFTs.
Angelic: Dark Symphony
Angelic is a sci-fi RPG that will offer multiplayer, co-op, and single-player game modes, according to its Epic Games Store page. Back in March 2022, the Angelic team raised $10 million for its game from Animoca Brands, Pantera, and Solana Capital, to name a few.
At time of writing, Angelic: Dark Symphony is listed as “Coming Soon” from its developers at Metaverse Game Studios, who are using Solana and Ethereum for its optional NFT elements.
Dark Symphony is Angelic’s single-player campaign mode. According to its Epic Store FAQ, the Angelic team says it will “never” add any “pay-to-win” or “play-to-earn” game mechanics, calling such models “toxic and unsustainable.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward