Solana Makes It Easier to Launch Crypto Games With Built-In NFT Shops

Solana Labs publicly launched its GameShift tool suite today, making it easier for game developers to integrate functionality from the Solana blockchain. And the public version of the tools, following a beta rollout last October, includes a Tensor integration for in-game NFT marketplaces.

Tensor and Solana Labs launched the full version of GameShift with the news that the full public version of the gaming suite includes the ability to tap into the functionality of the leading NFT marketplace on Solana.

According to a Tensor tweet, GameShift will let developers “save time and complexity for game devs, enable custom-branded marketplaces, [and] benefit from Tensor’s speed and deep liquidity.”

According to a separate Solana Labs tweet thread, the integration will let players trade NFTs with each other in-game using USDC stablecoin, plus all listings are cross-posted to Tensor’s primary marketplace to get more eyes on them. Furthermore, a new asset import feature in GameShift lets game developers support other existing Solana NFT collections.

Broadly, GameShift is designed to simplify the process of bringing games to the blockchain, including letting developers implement support for SOL wallets and NFTs, accept credit card payments for crypto assets, and even enable asset lending functionality.

Solana already hosts numerous playable video games, including titles like Aurory, Ev.io, and Star Atlas: SAGE Labs that let users earn crypto rewards while playing.

Tensor currently commands the majority of market share among Solana NFT marketplaces, based on trading volume, due in part to its own rewards model that may lead to an eventual token airdrop. However, chief rival Magic Eden is starting to make up ground, according to the latest blockchain data, after launching its own Diamonds rewards program.

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.