Prominent Web3 gaming studios are beginning to trial a new solution for their upcoming AAA blockchain games.
Web3 gaming platform Immutable and Polygon Labs announced Wednesday that it has begun the public testing of its Immutable zkEVM – a solution that is tailored specifically to the needs of Web3 game developers that reportedly offers low cost, massive scale, enterprise-grade security, and Ethereum smart contract compatibility.
“This chain, combined with our suite of platform products, is the first end-to-end EVM solution dedicated exclusively to making games successful,” said Immutable Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder Alex Connolly in a press release shared with nft now.
Launched in 2018 by James Ferguson, Robbie Ferguson, and Connolly, Immutable focuses on creating a better gaming experience for Web3 games on Ethereum. With a team of over 260 leading technologists, the Sydney-based gaming platform is backed by investors including BITKRAFT Ventures, King River Capital, AirTree, Temasek, Coinbase, and more.
Immutable was also one of the first gaming platforms to deliver a zero-knowledge (zk) scaling solution to the Ethereum community, including Immutable X, a rollup based on StarkWare technology, and Immutable zkEVM, powered by Polygon.
Its gaming studio, Immutable Games, also pioneered the industry’s first breakout NFT trading-card games, Gods Unchained, which launched on Epic Games Store in June. It is also currently working on building the mobile RPG Guild of Guardians.
Connolly also says that Immutable is already witnessing a “massive influx” from games, players, and partners that he believes will set the Immutable ecosystem apart for the next generation of Web3 gaming.
At the time of publication, these games include MetalCore, Shardbound, Infinite Victory, CoinArcade, EF Defense, Galaxy Commanders, SimWin Football, Medieval Empires, Eyeball Pool, Meta Toy DragonZ SAGA, and Rune Realms. On September 15, MetalCore, an open-world, mechanized combat game, is expected to launch its Closed Beta Kick-off event, which should mark one of the first opportunities where gamers can experience zkEVM.
What this means for game developers
Through the Immutable zkEVM Testnet, game developers will have access to the entire suite of Immutable tools and solutions, including APIs, SDKs, Passport, Checkout, and Orderbook, while offering full EVM compatibility.
In addressing their users’ onboarding process and purchasing experiences, developers can use these tools to ensure what Immutable says are “frictionless experiences” while “generating massive liquidity for their assets.”
Smart contracts can now be deployed on zkEVM Testnet, granting developers access to a native Layer-2 (L2) faucet for Test-IMX, Spolia deposit and withdrawal bridges, a block explorer, and soon Immutable Relayer for currency abstraction and gas sponsorship.
While Immutable describes its zkEVM solution as “the Holy Grail of Ethereum scaling,” this remains to be seen as the industry still awaits a truly accessible, rich gaming experience that empowers the creativity and fair compensation of game developers while also striving for better game design, enterprise-grade security, and lower development costs.
Currently, Web3 game developers can begin migrating their existing smart contracts and Solidity code directly onto Immutable zkEVM Testnet for free, allowing them to test and adopt zkEVM’s enhanced functionality first-hand.
