This Week in Crypto Games: ‘Off the Grid’ Coming to Steam, Ethereum’s ‘Ember Sword’ Shuts Down

It is powerful to maintain tabs on the ever-changing crypto gaming house, due to the fixed circulate of reports: all the pieces from massive recreation launches and enjoyable degen experiments to token value swings and occasional challenge collapses. It is lots to observe.

Fortunately, we’re plugged in at Decrypt’s GG. We cowl the largest happenings all through the week, after which this weekly roundup supplies a fast strategy to catch up, in addition to discover a bunch of different little bits of reports from all through the week.

Prime tales

Off the Grid NFT gross sales, Steam plans: Avalanche-powered battle royale shooter recreation Off the Grid is steadily transitioning its gamers from testnet to the GUNZ mainnet, enabling actual cryptocurrency buying and selling of in-game gadgets for GUN tokens. At present, solely about 0.13% of the sport’s 16.5 million gamers can entry the mainnet market, but high-value trades are already occurring.

Notable current gross sales embody a Prankster tactical vest for $2,393, a ZipperMouth masks for $1,100, and varied different uncommon gadgets fetching a whole bunch to hundreds of {dollars}. Probably the most coveted gadgets are ultra-rare Pioneer and Legacy weapons, which collectors are holding onto anticipating future updates that would drive five-figure gross sales.

Off the Grid plans to increase to Steam in June, regardless of Steam’s 2021 ban on blockchain video games. Gunzilla Video games has but to elucidate how this may work, although the sport can be out there on PlayStation and Xbox, which equally limit crypto options.

Ember Sword ends: Ember Sword, an Ethereum-based MMORPG, has shut down as a result of lack of funding. Developer Vibrant Star Studios, regardless of attracting distinguished buyers and gaming trade veterans as advisors, stated it could not safe continued financing within the present market local weather.

The sport launched in the course of the 2021 metaverse increase, attracting almost 35,000 gamers that pledged $203 million for its land sale, although the precise quantity raised was apparently far lower than that eye-popping determine. The sport confronted disappointing reception when it entered closed beta in July 2024, and its EMBER token has now crashed over 99% from peak ranges.

This closure displays a broader pattern of crypto recreation shutdowns, with current casualties together with Nyan Heroes, Blast Royale, and Tatsumeeko all closing inside the identical interval, plus different distinguished 2025 closures together with Deadrop and The Thriller Society. The wave of closures highlights the funding challenges dealing with blockchain gaming tasks within the present market setting.



ICYMI

Ubisoft has relaunched Champions Ways on Steam as Champions Ways: Reforged, which lacks the NFT market and advantages for holders. Decrypt is looking for additional clarification on the adjustments.
Yield Guild Video games launched LOL Land, a board game-inspired expertise from its new publishing division, on Ethereum layer-2 community Summary.
Legendary Video games’ upcoming cellular blockchain soccer recreation FIFA Rivals has opened pre-registrations on Google’s Android Play Retailer.