Gaming chain Immutable announced that game studio Bazooka Tango launched the beta version of crypto game Shardbound on Steam and Epic Games Store on October 9, 2024.
- However, Steam does not allow any blockchain-based games. So how has the game been adapted?
What is the meaning: Players can try this game and earn money from the opportunities it offers.
Brief background: In October 2021, Valve, the company behind Steam, quietly banned NFTs or cryptocurrencies from the gaming platform.
- It was after Steam’s distribution onboarding guidelines wrote that “applications created with blockchain technology that issue or enable the exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs” cannot be released on the platform.
- Aside from this guideline, Valve issued no other statement explaining its move.
About the Beta release
To accommodate Steam regulations, Bazooka Tango co-founder and CTO Stephan Sherman said the beta launch of Shardbound on Steam and the Epic Games Store does not include direct NFT integration initially.
- Still in progress: The gaming studio then assured its followers that it is still crafting its web3 strategy to ensure compliance with platform rules while maintaining a consistent player experience across all platforms.
- In-game rewards: Despite the temporary exclusion of NFT features, players will still receive NFTs matching their game cards, either sent to a connected Immutable Passport wallet or claimable via an emailed redemption code.
- More rewards: Players can also perform social tasks which can be found here: https://gleam.io/app/competitions.
- More updates soon: More details on when the NFT feature will be integrated will be released soon.
- When will the open beta end? Sherman clarified that the open beta is available “as long as necessary,” so they can get more feedback from players.
In numbers: More than 100,000 players pre-registered for the game’s launch.
🚨 THE OPEN BETA IS LIVE 🚨
Shardbound Open Beta is officially LIVE on Steam AND Epic Games Store! 🎉🔥
Get into the game NOW!
Don’t miss your chance to earn in-game rewards – start playing! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bVh9PvpfUs
— Shardbound (@shardbound_game) October 9, 2024
Key quote:
“The launch of Shardbound on Steam is a huge milestone for us. We have created a game that is not only fun to play, but also exciting to watch. “We’ve cranked up the intensity, crafted huge, game-changing moments, and created a world that players will want to return to again and again.”
Bo Daly, co-founder and CEO of Bazooka Tango
About Shardbound
It is a strategy card game built on the Ethereum L2 scaling network, Immutable zkEVM.
- Gameplay: The game combines elements of deck-building and card-collecting games with elements of role-playing games and turn-based battlefield fighting.
- Technique: Players can build decks focused on an all-out war for a military victory or prepare for more strategic approaches to achieve an economic victory.
- History: In 2017, Shardbound received funding through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign and began “Early Access” for the game.
- However, the early access version did not take off.
- Entities involved: Shardbound was originally created by Spiritwalk Games. Bazooka Tango and Immutable Games acquired the rights to the game as developer and publisher, respectively.
Key quote:
“We didn’t want Shardbound to feel like another dark, post-apocalyptic battlefield. “We imagine a world where art, culture and beauty still thrive, a place filled with sunshine, lush flora and people who appreciate both creativity and strategy.”
Bo Daly, co-founder and CEO of Bazooka Tango
This article is published on BitPinas: In case you missed it: Ethereum-based card game launches on platform where NFTs are banned
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