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 launches NFT game: Ubisoft, the gaming giant behind classic franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance, launched its first original NFT game called Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles on Wednesday.
Built around optional NFTs minted on blockchain gaming network Oasys, Champions Tactics is a free-to-play PC game available through the Ubisoft Connect platform. The tactical strategy game challenges players to select teams of fantasy-themed digital figures and then enter battle against other online opponents in turn-based combat.
The gaming giant has been playing in the blockchain space for a number of years now, releasing small experimental projects while supporting a number of blockchain ecosystems and Web3 startups. But Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles is the publisher’s first original, full-fledged NFT game.
‘Assassin’s Creed’ Maker Ubisoft Releases First Original NFT Game ‘Champions Tactics’
Gaming giant Ubisoft—the publisher behind such franchises as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance—launched its first original NFT game called Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles on Wednesday. Built around optional NFTs minted on blockchain gaming network Oasys, Champions Tactics is a free-to-play PC game available through the Ubisoft Connect platform. The tactical strategy game challenges players to select teams of fantasy-themed digital figures and then enter battle against other online opponents...
‘X Empire’ airdrop: Telegram tap-to-earn game X Empire completed its token launch on The Open Network (TON) and subsequent airdrop on Thursday. The Elon Musk-themed game allocated 70% of its token supply to those who played its original cycle, with an additional 5% for those who tapped along during its 15-day "Chill Phase."
Only about 6 million players out of a total of 50 million received a share of the airdrop, and some even moaned to Elon Musk about it, despite no actual connection to the game. He didn't appear to respond to anyone.
‘X Empire’ Telegram Game Token Launches at Half the Pre-Market Price
Elon Musk-themed Telegram tap-to-earn game X Empire launched its long-awaited X token on The Open Network (TON) on Thursday, with some 6 million players purportedly eligible for the airdrop. But the token launched at approximately half the estimated pre-market trading price, and has only dipped further since then. X launched at a price of about $0.000096 per data from CoinMarketCap and has been volatile throughout the day, dipping as low as about $0.00005 before bouncing up to a peak of $0.00013...
When the token launched on Thursday, that disappointment was compounded as the token traded for significantly less than pre-market trading had predicted. At its lowest X traded for $0.000052 and at its best $0.00013, while pre-market traders predicted an average price of $0.0002. Just another example of why pre-market trading can be especially risky.
Next up for Telegram tap-to-earn players is the Tomarket token launch and airdrop, set for this Thursday, October 31. Stay tuned for more coverage of that impending launch in the coming days.
'Tomarket' Reveals Airdrop Details as Telegram Game Tops 40 Million Players
Rising Telegram crypto game Tomarket revealed fresh airdrop details this week ahead of its planned TOMA token launch on The Open Network (TON). Players must reach a level of at least Bronze in the game’s leveling system, which is based on various forms of gameplay and engagement across the Telegram mini app. Tomarket lets players earn in-game tomatoes—akin to points in other crypto apps—along with gold coins that can be used to boost your overall player level over time. Tomarket previously revea...
And after that, the next big one looks to be MemeFi, which announced late last week that it will launch via the Sui network rather than Ethereum layer-2 network Linea. The MemeFi token launch is now set for November 12.
'MemeFi' Telegram Game Reveals Airdrop Date Amid Move From Ethereum to Sui
Just weeks before its token launch and airdrop, the developers of popular Telegram tap-to-earn combat game MemeFi have announced a shift to the Sui network, along with other details around the upcoming token launch. MemeFi was previously being built on Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Linea, but the team said Friday that the game's token will launch on layer-1 network Sui instead. The developers said they’ve teamed up with Sui network creator Mysten Labs on strategic initiatives around the launc...
MetalCore on Solana: Mech shooter MetalCore originally launched on Ethereum scaling network Immutable zkEVM, but on Thursday, the developer announced that it will soon switch to Solana. This is set to happen alongside the launch of the game’s second season sometime in November.
Studio 369, the developer of MetalCore, named Solana’s “exceptional” ability to process a large number of transactions and growing ecosystem as to why it’s making the move. When Decrypt asked about the team’s experience on the Ethereum scaling network, Studio 369 declined to comment.
Mech Shooter 'MetalCore' Ditches Ethereum and Immutable for Solana
Mech shooter game MetalCore will migrate from Ethereum layer-2 gaming network Immutable zkEVM to Solana, developer Studio 369 announced Thursday. The move is set to take place alongside the start of the game’s second season set for sometime in November. Studio 369 cited Solana’s “exceptional” ability to process a large number of transactions and growing ecosystem as to why it’s making the move. “Solana continues to show impressive growth and stability, being able to process billions of dollars i...
ICYMI
- Telegram crypto game Tomarket revealed airdrop details as it surpassed 40 million players.
- ApeChain, a new Ethereum layer-2 network, was launched by ApeCoin DAO last weekend—with a new ‘Top Trader’ game and improvements to metaverse Otherside.
- The makers of Sparkball raised $2 million in funding ahead of the "Sparkball 2.0" launch.
- There’s now a prediction market for watching video game streamers.
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- Crypto shooter Shrapnel announced a festive update set for November.
- Bitcoin third-person shooter Farcana started its closed playtest on Friday, set to run until the end of the month.
- Space Nation announced that Roland Emmerich, the director of Independence Day and 2012, has started development on a live-action TV series using the sci-fi IP.
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
Should You Play 'Dookey Dash: Unclogged'? The Bored Ape Endless Runner With Big Prizes
Endless runner games are kind of hard to mess up at this point. Providing that your character is easy to control and the obstacles in their way never end, then they can offer up hours of entertainment—as exemplified by genre classics like Canabalt, Subway Surfers, and Jetpack Joyride. But with the formula essentially being perfected by many games over the years (including those above and others), standing out in a crowded market isn’t easy—and apart from some Bored Apes you might recognize, that...
Most Anticipated Video Games Releasing in November 2024
October is almost in the rearview, meaning it's nearly time to put the spooky games away and look toward the new month ahead. Except we have a game from the director of the original Silent Hill, a PC release of a console classic with a beloved zombie-themed expansion, a puzzle game about murder, and a bleak post-apocalyptic sci-fi game for you this month. So maybe we'll just keep up with the spooky games. Don't worry, though—the list also features Mario, Tetris, LEGOs, and a 2D platformer too....
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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