Bold Moves, New Updates, and Playtests Galore This Week in Web3!
Events
On July 24, Star Atlas, the much-awaited blockchain-based space-faring game, successfully conducted a noteworthy stress test in partnership with MetaGravity Engine. The test engaged 5,000 players who experienced an interactive and exploratory demo powered by the Unreal Engine.
McDonald’s, a prominent fast-food chain, recently revealed McNuggets Land in Hong Kong Quarter on July 21. This virtual world is now accessible within The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game. McNuggets Land is a dedicated celebration of the 40-year anniversary of their popular menu item, the Chicken Nuggets. Players are invited to join in the festivities and explore this virtual realm to mark the milestone of this beloved menu offering until August 28.
Ultra, a crypto gaming startup, is expanding its offerings with the launch of Ultra Arena, an esports tournament platform on its own blockchain network. Starting August 8th, users can create tournaments or leagues, with prizes ranging from Ultra's UOS tokens and NFTs to physical products. The platform aims to provide a pathway for amateur gamers to transition into professional ranks.
Alpha and Beta Tests
MetalCore alpha begins on July 28 at 8 p.m. CST. Officially titled Phase 3, the MetalCore team refers to this as the concluding alpha phase. For this playtest, players have access to a variety of vehicles and loadouts without needing to possess any MetalCore NFTs. Consequently, a beta release is likely soon to come, perhaps even later this year.
Everseed has released Closed Alpha alongside a significant update to their plant-based tower defense game. This release ushers Everseed out of the demo phase and provides players with their first look at a new interface and progressive gameplay.
The next generation blockchain MMORPG MetaCene will launch its Alpha Test on July 31. This limited-time event will enable players to explore three major post-apocalyptic regions of the game's world, establish alliances, accomplish objectives, and earn rewards. In addition, the Alpha Test provides a platform for users to test out new features and provide developers with valuable feedback.
On July 31, 2023, the beta edition of Parallel, a card game that features battles in multiple dimensions, will be released. In this strategic, turn-based game, players construct decks representing one of the five Parallels and compete in 1v1 matches against other players in a number of game modes.
Utherverse, a building metaverse platform, officially announced on July 25 that they will be introducing a closed beta version of their next-generation platform on September 26. This platform will provide a peek into its Web3 functionalities and will also serve as a testing ground for its final development.
Latest Mints
Fableborne's first closed playtest has just concluded. Now they're ready to reward the best player from the playtest and offer everyone a chance to "play to mint" an NFT from the first release of their forthcoming Primordials collection. Magic Eden on the Polygon network will host the mint. The precise date and basic price have not yet been disclosed. The minting process will take place in four phases, with the first two, pre-sale and T1, being guaranteed mints.
Alterverse has announced plans to mint a new collection of PFP cards called SkyReign Immortal. This collection will provide its holders with numerous benefits, including the ability to own, establish, and monetize a storefront in Sky City. The SkyReign Immortal mint begins for those on the whitelist on August 19. The pre-mint will be accessible to the public on September 5. The final supply of these will become available upon the launch of their open beta, scheduled for November 2023.
On July 26, Citizen Conflict, a Free-to-Play Competitive Hero Shooter, conducted its first Free Mint in collaboration with the Rocket Launcher of Earn Alliance, the largest web3 gaming aggregator and social platform. The Mint event, titled "Summer Jam," offers a duration of 7 days, allowing players and potential users ample time to create their Earn and QORPO accounts.
New Seasons, Chapters, and Updates
Season 5 of Axie Origins has formally begun, bringing with it a number of intriguing new features and enhancements. These include new starter Axies, rewards for collectible Axies, a reduction in the mint cost for Epic and Mystic Runes and Charms, and new methods to acquire AXS.
Sunflower Land welcomes all farmers to the intriguing new season, Witches' Eve. This enchanting new season, with its corn maze, daily rewards, objectives, NFTs, and exclusive items, will be released on August 1st, following the conclusion of their beta testing.
With the release of patch 0.27, which includes enticing new features, Big Time is preparing for the next chapter of its multiplayer action RPG. This includes the inclusion of new characters, game economy tests, a larger inventory, and various visual enhancements. Ben Franklin, a unique character, will make his début in patch 0.27, sending players on an entertaining and challenging adventure. This year will also see the introduction of female avatars, which will be followed by enhanced customization options.
In a recent update, DinoXWorld introduced Dynamic Cards, a new form of action card. These non-NFT, free-to-play cards can be deployed in every round of the game, adding a new layer of complexity to the combat system of DinoXWorld. The introduction of these cards gives players access to new strategies, making battles more engaging and difficult.
Partnerships and Funding
Sky Mavis, the creator of the well-known blockchain game Axie Infinity, has partnered with CyberKongz to launch the Genkai NFT collection. This anime-inspired art mint will take place on July 27, 2023, with 4,000 Genkais available on the Ronin platform via Mavis Market and 16,000 NFTs on the Ethereum Mainnet.
Graham's Port has collaborated with Club dVIN to introduce their first NFT wine collection, which consists of 50 limited edition cases of 1970 & 2020 Vintage Port, 44 of which are sold exclusively at Graham's 1980 Lodge.
The developers of Mini Royale have announced a new partnership with Opera GX, the gaming-specific web browser. Players of Mini Royale who use the Opera GX web browser to play the game can obtain a free, exclusive avatar.
Delabs Games, the blockchain game developer responsible for Rumble Racing Star and other upcoming titles, has secured $4.7 million in initial funding. The investment was led by Hashed Ventures, with participation from Spartan Labs, Polygon Labs, Planetarium, and Merit Circle, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on gaming.
Animoca Brands, a leading VC company in the gaming and metaverse space, has announced a strategic partnership on July 21 with 'hi,' a financial super app in the Web3 ecosystem. The collaboration involves a substantial $30 million investment from Animoca Brands into 'hi' and aims to work together on various projects.
Bold Moves In The NFT Space
Boss Fighters, the asynchronous arena combat game, made an announcement about their NFT migration to the Polygon blockchain on July 26. As a part of this migration, the Rowdies collection, which includes their first set of character skin NFTs, will now be managed through Open Loot on the Polygon network. To encourage players to make the transfer, the company is offering a raffle for a VR headset to all those who migrate their Rowdies NFTs before July 28th.
On July 26, The Bank of Italy revealed its partnership with Polygon, a prominent Ethereum scaling protocol, and Fireblocks, a decentralized finance platform. The central bank of Italy plans to collaborate with these two web3 companies to incorporate blockchain technology into the country's financial system.
Decentraland, a prominent user-generated metaverse known for its popular games like ICE Poker, has embraced the power of artificial intelligence in the realm of Web3 technology. In a recent development on July 26, Decentraland introduced AI NPCs (Non-Player Characters) and Sophiaverse, an AI center dedicated to Sophia the Robot.
Gucci is reportedly planning to reward holders of Vault Material NFTs with exclusive physical products, allowing owners to exchange their non-fungible token for a luxury wallet or purse. Gucci formed a partnership with the creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club, Yuga Labs, in March of this year to learn more about fashion in the metaverse.
Star Atlas abruptly announced layoffs and a reorganization of their priorities. Since reducing the staff from 167 to 45, the team has laid off over 120 individuals. Despite positive reviews for their releases, successful tech tests/mini-games, and a well-functioning base exploration app, the team suffered a significant setback with the collapse of FTX.