The crypto and NFT gaming space is busier than ever lately, what with prominent games starting to release, token airdrops piling up, and a seemingly constant array of other things happening at all times. It’s a lot to take in!
Luckily, Decrypt’s GG is all over it. And if you need a quick way to get caught up on the latest moves around crypto video games, we’re happy to present This Week in Crypto Games.
Our weekend roundup serves up the biggest news from the past week, along with a few other tidbits you might have missed. We also showcase a few of our original stories from the week.
Biggest news
Ubisoft game revealed: Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance publisher Ubisoft will make its next big step into the crypto gaming world on Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Arbitrum, as the company announced Tuesday that it is working on Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E.
It’s unclear what form the game will take with the announcement describing it as a “transmedia experience,” with the “first activation and core” of the “ambitious community-driven project” to be built on Arbitrum.
Based in the same universe as the Netflix animated series “Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix,” Ubisoft says the game will feature characters from other franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Rayman, and Beyond Good & Evil.
Ubisoft Reveals ‘Captain Laserhawk’ Game on Ethereum Layer-2 Arbitrum
Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance publisher Ubisoft will make its next big step into the crypto gaming world on Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Arbitrum, as the company announced Tuesday that it is working on Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E. Based in the same universe as the Netflix animated series “Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix”—itself loosely inspired by the 2013 game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon—Ubisoft says the game will feature characters from other franchises, including Assassin’s Creed...
Ronin attack: The bridge between Ethereum and gaming-focused Ronin sidechain was halted early Tuesday following an exploit, leading to the loss of approximately $12 million worth of assets. Fortunately, all of the funds were returned by the ethical hackers.
The incident, described as a potential "MEV exploit," was brought to light early Tuesday by ‘white hat’ hackers who then swiped $10 million worth of Ethereum and $2 million USDC. Ronin co-founder Aleksander Larsen reassured users that the bridge, which secures over $850 million in assets, remains safe. However, it will remain offline until an audit is completed.
Ronin Gaming Network Recovers Swiped Ethereum After $12 Million Bridge Attack
The bridge between Ethereum and gaming-focused Ronin sidechain was halted early Tuesday following another exploit, leading to the loss of approximately $12 million worth of assets—but most of the funds have already been returned. The incident, described as a potential "MEV exploit," was brought to light early Tuesday by ethical hackers, Ronin co-founder Aleksander Larsen said on Twitter. He reassured users that the bridge, which secures over $850 million in assets, remains safe. The Ronin accoun...
The Open Network on Binance: The Open Network's native currency Toncoin (TON) was listed on centralized crypto exchange Binance. The announcement of the listing alone pushed the token up 8.2% on the day.
The Open Network is the home to the largest Telegram mini-apps that have taken over the crypto gaming scene. Many of these are simplistic tap-to-earn games that incentivize players to tap the screen in order to earn virtual currency which may potentially contribute to a future airdrop. It is the home of the popular Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, PixelTap, and many more.
The Open Network's TON Token Jumps Over 8% Following Binance Listing
The Open Network's native currency Toncoin (TON) is up by 8.2% on the day, following an announcement that crypto exchange Binance would list the token. Per data from CoinGecko, TON is currently treading at $6.17, having surged to a peak of $6.41 Thursday morning. However, the token remains down on the week by almost 9%, following Monday's crypto market crash. 🔈 @binance, the world’s largest digital asset exchange, has listed $TON! Users can now trade TON in pairs with BTC, USDT, FDUSD, and TR...
ICYMI
- Hit-em up game Highrise launched on Ethereum layer-3 Xai, as the first game stemming from the network’s partnership with indie game curator The MIX.
- Atari launched classic game Breakout on Ethereum layer-2 network Base, following Asteroids in late July.
- Video game actors continue to strike over AI protections.
- On-chain gaming infrastructure provider, Cartridge, raised $7.5M in Series A funding
- GameStop canned its 33 year old magazine Game Informer, laying off staff in the process.
GameStop Kills 33-Year-Old Gaming Magazine as Stock Price Sinks
GameStop’s stock has weathered a rough week, and things only got worse on Friday as the broader stock market felt the pain from a series of rough economic reports that suggested the United States might be headed for recession. And it came on the same day as the video game retailer killed off an iconic industry brand. On Friday, the long-running video game industry magazine Game Informer announced that it had immediately shuttered after 33 years, with both the print and web versions of the public...
- Apeiron's Season 3 open beta was announced to launch on August 22.
- Gods Unchained announced new limited-time game modes, which will make players reassess how they play the game and build their decks.
- Hamster Kombat added extra information regarding its airdrop to its app.
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
How Midnight Society Moves Forward After Dr. Disrespect 'Shock'—And What's Next for Deadrop
More than a month after famed gaming influencer Dr. Disrespect was dropped by Midnight Society, the studio building the first-person shooter Deadrop, the team has broken its silence in an exclusive interview with Decrypt’s GG—to discuss removing the popular streamer from the company, and how the game can move forward without him. Dr. Disrespect, aka Guy Beahm, was alleged to have inappropriately chatted with a minor. The streamer later admitted to having conversations with a minor that “leaned t...
'Dog Pooper' Is the Rare Telegram Game You'll Want to Play for More Than Just an Airdrop
Over the last few months, I’ve played a lot of Telegram tap-to-earn games. From Hamster Kombat through to Catizen and X Empire, I’ve tried them all—and almost always come away disappointed at how little there is to actually do in them. Now, amazingly, a game about pooping dogs is keeping my interest. Dog Pooper, which is its actual name, has a similar swipe-to-combine mechanic as Catizen. But instead of combining cats, you drop piles of dog poop on top of each other to generate even better (or...
Miladycraft: The Grand Remilia Ball and 'Network Spirituality' in Minecraft
A custom Minecraft game server acts as both a key meeting place and an immersive, philosophical art piece at the center of Milady Maker—one of Ethereum’s most popular and subversive NFT projects. Built around rich theories on the modern world and micro-communities full of lore, the Milady Minecraft server or “Miladycraft” was created by holders of the Remilia Corporation NFT projects (like Milady Maker and Redacted Remilio Babies) for members to enjoy. But it’s more than just a place to hunt for...
Edited by Andrew Hayward
