The crypto and NFT gaming sector is experiencing unprecedented activity lately, with several major games launching, numerous token airdrops occurring, and a continuous stream of developments keeping the community engaged. The pace can be overwhelming! Fortunately, Decrypt’s GG is here to keep you informed. If you’re looking for a concise summary of the latest happenings in crypto video games, we proudly present This Week in Crypto Games. Our weekend recap highlights the most significant news from the past week, along with some additional insights you may have overlooked. We also feature a selection of our original articles from the week.
### Major Developments
Gaming tokens face significant downturn: Recently, cryptocurrency assets have exhibited extreme volatility, largely influenced by President Trump’s fluctuating trade policies. However, gaming tokens have suffered particularly severe declines. A glance at CoinGecko’s top 100 coins by market capitalization reveals the absence of any gaming tokens. Immutable (IMX) was the last remaining representative, but it dropped out of the rankings last Monday, only to make a brief comeback midweek. A year ago, six gaming tokens were listed, including The Sandbox (SAND) and Gala Games (GALA), but they have since vanished from the rankings. Established gaming tokens have experienced substantial losses, while the most promising new gaming tokens from the previous year have plummeted.
We conducted an in-depth analysis of the challenges currently facing the crypto gaming industry and the broader crypto market’s influence on the value of gaming tokens, with insights from industry experts on the prevailing conditions.
### Eve Frontier Launches Free Trial
Eve Frontier, a space survival MMO built on Ethereum, commenced a 10-day free trial on April 11, allowing players to explore its universe without the benefits of paid Founders Access passes. This trial, which concludes on April 21, aligns with the game’s third development phase, usually a time for introducing new features. CCP Games, which secured $40 million in funding in 2023 to expand its Eve Online universe through blockchain technology, began closed alpha testing for Eve Frontier in December, offering Founders Access passes priced between $30 and $90. The company has recently recruited a former economist from the Central Bank of Iceland to develop its player-driven financial system. Built on Redstone, an Ethereum layer-2 network, Eve Frontier will eventually support multiple tokens, including an EVE utility token. The game is a sequel to Eve Online, a well-established MMORPG launched in 2003 that continues to engage a dedicated community.
### Immutable to Merge Networks
Immutable, an Ethereum-based gaming platform, has announced plans to merge its original Immutable X network with its newer Immutable zkEVM layer-2 blockchain by the end of 2025. This integration aims to streamline its gaming ecosystem after the zkEVM network has seen significant growth, having processed nearly 150 million transactions since early 2024. For users, the transition will be mostly seamless, with assets transferred to existing wallets, although an opt-out option will be available. However, game developers will face more substantial changes, including the need to reimplement certain mechanics due to deprecated APIs and modifications to collection addresses. Guild of Guardians has already successfully completed this migration, setting a precedent for other notable titles on the platform, including Gods Unchained and Illuvium.
### Other Noteworthy Updates
In case you missed it, Ethereum game Aavegotchi is transitioning from Polygon to Base following a community decision, while it will also discontinue its layer-3 Geist network. A Solana meme coin themed around Fortnite briefly surged in value after Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney labeled it a “scam” on X. In further developments, Realms of Alurya has officially announced its migration to the Ronin Network, marking a significant advancement in the Web3 gaming landscape. Gaming network Xterio Chain is set to be phased out, with all assets being transferred to BNB Chain. Horizon Blockchain Games has rebranded itself as Sequence, reflecting its gaming infrastructure suite. According to Blockworks, Skyweaver, its long-standing NFT card game, will continue under this new identity. The crypto game Nifty Island, reminiscent of Roblox, has introduced its Playground Options Expansion to enhance builder capabilities. Additionally, the creators of the mobile game Heroes of Mavia have unveiled a roadmap for the year, detailing game updates, a marketplace launch, and plans for new game development.
### GG Spotlight
Here are some original articles from this past week that we believe are worth your attention this weekend:
#### GG Newsletter
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