The makers of Ethereum-based combat arena game Moonray announced that they will release the free-to-play title on PlayStation 5 next year. However, citing Sony's policies, the game will be launching on the console without Web3 features.
On PC via the Epic Games Store, the game has already run a play-to-airdrop campaign, which saw gamers complete challenges to earn a chunk of its soon-to-launch MNRY token—and those who own the project’s NFT got an extra bonus. A similar system will be put into place with the mobile auto-battler that Moonray is set to release early next year.
But this will not be the case for the PS5 version of the arena combat game, at least from the outset.
“We make sure to comply with the rules and conditions put forth by each platform we are working with. These rules differ between them, especially when it comes to Web3 elements,” a Moonray spokesperson told Decrypt. “The PS5 version of the game will not feature any Web3 elements at this stage.”
Moonray originally launched as a metaverse role-playing game, which was being built on Bitcoin layer-2 network Stacks. The project soon rebranded to a multiplayer competitive battler built on Ethereum, while remaining set in the same “post-human” world. Players are dropped into an arena equipped with swords, weapons, and powers to defeat their opponents in a range of game modes.
Launching on Sony’s console will offer Moonray another opportunity to reach players, but without the core crypto features that have helped define its launch thus far.
“For Web3 to reach broad adoption. there really has to be a serious conversation about where you find your users,” a Moonray spokesperson told Decrypt. “For gaming, consoles are incredibly important platforms to reach a broad gaming audience.”
Last week, the Avalanche-based battle royale shooter Off the Grid launched on PS5, Xbox, and PC to significant demand. Its gripping gameplay led to tons of viral moments, and the PC version became the most popular free-to-play title on the Epic Games Store.
However, the game’s crypto integration still hasn’t been completed. Off the Grid developer Gunzilla Games is launching its own Avalanche L1 chain (aka subnet), which is currently running as a testnet, and it appears that wallets are being created on the back end and transactions are being made for certain in-game actions.
Off the Grid’s NFT integration and GUN token are not yet live in the game, and Gunzilla has yet to clarify how that functionality will work on consoles. The studio has not responded to Decrypt’s recent attempts to seek clarification on that front, after previously declining to provide details earlier this year.
“Currently, we are not ready to disclose all the inner workings and would like to keep the specifics of these mechanics confidential until the game officially releases,” Gunzilla Games told Decrypt in March. “This decision not only helps us protect our unique 'secret sauce' from competitive pressures, but also aligns with our commitment to providing traditional gamers, who are our primary audience, with an unparalleled quality of gameplay.”
While the initial success of Off the Grid has generated excitement over the future of crypto gaming on consoles, the continued mystery around the integration has left onlookers continuing to wonder about the path forward on PlayStation and Xbox.
No specific date has been set for Moonray’s console launch, but the team confirmed to Decrypt that it has just started porting the title from PC to PS5. With this, the team plans to “conduct testing” in the second half of 2025, although it’s unclear whether that will be public or private.
Edited by Andrew Hayward