Ethereum Shooter 'The Machines Arena' Coming to Steam and PS5—Without Crypto Features

Ethereum hero shooter The Machines Arena is coming to new platforms, and will release on leading PC marketplace Steam as well as the PlayStation 5 console. However, due to both platforms having restrictive crypto policies, those versions of the game will have zero or potentially limited crypto features.

In its fullest form on PC via the Epic Games Store or direct download, and on Android mobile devices, The Machines Arena runs seasonal play-to-airdrop campaigns where in-game progress leads to players being rewarded with TMA tokens that unlock features via the game’s website. Plus, in-game skins are tradable as NFTs on the Ethereum sidechain gaming network Ronin. 

But none of these features will be present in the Steam version of the game, as the platform prohibits blockchain games.

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“Our aspirations with the Steam version of The Machines Arena are to expand the player base and allow users to join the game regardless of their platform.” Directive Games Design Manager David Gracia told Decrypt. “To comply with platform policies, crypto-related elements will not be present in the Steam version.”

The top-down shooter will be available on Steam from January 14. It will also launch on PlayStation 5 sometime in 2025, and it’s still undetermined whether the console version of The Machines Arena will include any blockchain elements.

“For the PlayStation 5 version, we are in continuing discussions with Sony to explore the scope of the experience we can provide with The Machines Arena while still adhering to their platform guidelines,” Gracia explained. 

While Gracia left the door open for the possibility of some crypto elements remaining in the PlayStation 5 version, we’ve yet to see a game really pull this off. For example, when the makers of combat arena game Moonray revealed PlayStation 5 plans last year, the studio admitted that it would be forced to remove all crypto elements in the upcoming release.

However, Off the Grid creator Gunzilla Games told Decrypt that the current early access console version is powered by its dedicated Avalanche L1 chain GUNZ, which is currently in testnet. That said, Gunzilla Director of Web3 Theodore Agranat also said that the game’s crypto elements will be “handled differently” on PS5 and Xbox once they become more apparent to players via the upcoming GUNZ mainnet launch.

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Despite a possible three different versions of The Machines Arena launching across various marketplaces and platforms, all players will be able to enter the same lobbies and play the game together. This is part of Directive's future vision of a cross-platform experience across PC, mobile, and console.

“Our goal is to create a unified, inclusive ecosystem where players can enjoy The Machines Arena on their preferred gaming platform—whether with or without blockchain elements,” Gracia added.

Edited by Andrew Hayward