gaming

European game studio Maniac Panda Games aims to onboard mainstream players to Web3 with its flagship MMO title.

As the Web3 gaming landscape is getting bigger by the day, mainstream players who enjoy playing popular titles games such as PUBG, Fortnite or Apex Legends are starting to take notice. However, there’s still a technical understanding barrier before Web3 gaming can reach a broader audience. Players need gameplay elements that they are familiar with to warm to blockchain games that usually come with technical lingo like play-to-earn (P2E), nonfungible tokens (NFTs) or crypto wallets.

The gaming world is no stranger to blockbuster titles that initially started as an adaptation of literary work. From The Witcher series to the first Bioshock (which was inspired by Ayn Rand’s dystopian classic Atlas Shrugged), using books as a reference for worldbuilding is a tried-and-true method for game developers. An upcoming Web3 game applies the same formula by building a virtual world around a fantasy saga to create the familiar feeling of ‘becoming someone else in an alternate world’ for players.

Inspired by the fantasy Outer Ring saga of novels of the same name written by Daniel Valdés-Araiz, CEO of the company, Outer Ring MMO is set in a lore-rich universe that has five species divided into four different factions, all fighting for control and resources. The game is a online multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) with extensive gameplay that ties in multiple components, including PvP, PvE, housing and crafting in a vast, sci-fi-themed metaverse.

Using 3rd person perspective, players can compete against each other, engage with brands and in-game businesses in real-time, socialize and monetize the time spent in the game. Known for their Valorant performance, major esports club Team Heretics announced that they will take part in the Outer Ring MMO PvP experience.

A defining characteristic of Web3 gaming is its user-centric economy, where players can own, trade and monetize game-related assets. As blockchain technology enables the creation of economic infrastructure in Web3 games, native tokens or NFTs created on the same network can act both as an in-game item and a crypto asset that can be traded on different marketplaces. Similarly, the player-driven economy found in Outer Ring MMO  enables users to generate in-game assets and items and then convert them to NFTs. Through this process, players can own those objects and generate value by selling them.

Introducing a Scavengon, one of the 5 playable races in the game. Source: Outer Ring

In terms of tokenomics, Outer Ring MMO is built as a part of the developers’ Galactic Quadrant (GQ) ecosystem. It would use the same GQ token as the governance currency, while Exocredits (EXO) will act as the in-game currency. Other games to launch within the same ecosystem already available to play in their early stages are the racing game RacerLoop, the trading card game Underground Waifus and the gambling title CryptoDuels.

Developers at Maniac Panda Games, the gaming branch of Nexxyo Labs - a 300-employee Spanish studio regarded as one of the largest Web3-native video game studios in Europe - aim to seamlessly connect Web2 and Web3 gaming. The studio is looking to introduce Web3 gaming to the masses through their flagship AAA-tier game developed by former talent at Rockstar Games (the studio after Grand Theft Auto), Ubisoft and Electronic Arts. Cointelegraph Accelerator selected Maniac Panda Games as a participant of the program with an aim to boost adoption in Web3 gaming space.

Launched in 2023, the Cointelegraph Accelerator program aims to help up-and-coming Web3 ventures reach a broader audience and acts as a catalyst in assisting them in achieving their Web3 potential. By becoming a part of the program, Maniac Panda Games will tap into Cointelegraph’s global audience and its established leadership in the crypto and blockchain media landscape since 2013.

Aside from Cointelegraph Accelerator, Outer Ring MMO has seen interest from organizations in a wide range of industries, including basketball club Baskonia-Alavés, movie theater chain Kinépolis and decentralized finance app DexTools. All of them have sealed deals to tap into Web3 by the hand of Outer Ring and have their respective functional presence and integrations running within the game to interact with users and players. Following the closed pre-alpha release of Outer Ring MMO, which is slated for June 28, 2023 for PC and Mac operating systems, the team will continue to develop the game’s player-driven economy and expand the overall GQ ecosystem with more strategic partnerships.

Web3 game developer QORPO Game Studio aims to introduce competitive esports to the Web3 gaming ecosystem.

The Web3 gaming world saw consistent growth and exciting developments in the first quarter of 2023, according to a DappRadar report. Traditional Web2 gaming companies started to notice blockchain technology’s potential, resulting in a total of $739 million invested in blockchain games and metaverse projects during the first quarter of 2023.

From the open-world role-playing games to battle royale-themed shooters, gaming quickly turned to a major point of interaction between users and Web3, with almost half of blockchain activity coming from gaming. While play-to-earn provides a fresh take on players’ experience of a game, there’s an even bigger potential for Web3 gaming with microtransactions. Web2 gaming offers skins or other in-game items via microtransactions, but the inefficiency and lack of transparency of traditional payment methods are often met with criticism from players.

Founded in 2018, QORPO Game Studio seeks to pair up blockchain technology and esports — a major Web2 gaming trend with skyrocketing popularity — to act as the gateway between traditional gamers and Web3 opportunities. The Web3 game developer joined the Cointelegraph Accelerator Program to ramp up the development of end-to-end blockchain gaming solutions.

Citizen Conflict is a PvP shooter in which heroes with different skills and gameplay compete against each other. Source: Citizen Conflict

Given a team of seasoned game developers who previously worked on major titles, including Arma 3, Overwatch and Mafia II, the studio’s main project Citizen Conflict, a free-to-play shooter, aims to bring triple-A gaming to Web3. Citizen Conflict is a team-based cyberpunk shooter created in Unreal Engine 5 where three hostile organizations wage an endless battle for dominance.

Players will heavily rely on vehicles to get around the world of the Ether Islands with gameplay that is characterized by its humorous yet gritty gameplay that evokes a war-like environment and trading features brought about by blockchain technology. Following its alpha test in Q2 2023, QORPO Game Studio is planning a public beta phase of its competitive mode in the third quarter.

QORPO Game Studio is also working on an open-world action RPG, AniMate, which aims to deliver extraction and battle royale gameplay. Inspired by companion-based adventures such as Pokemon, AniMate takes players to a world divided into islands and centered around five essential elements.

AniMate blends Pokemon-esque graphics and narrative with Fortnite’s battle royale game mechanics. Source: QORPO Game Studio

Users will be able to customize their characters and join an open world to engage in dangerous challenges as they battle other players and loot NPC-guarded camps. Each monster has unique powers and is subject to different weaknesses at various stages of evolution. Following the release of the game, QORPO Game Studio also plans to launch AniMate comics and a physical trading card collection.

The Cointelegraph Accelerator program helps fresh Web3 startups and projects prosper by leveraging Cointelegraph’s network and leadership as the leading crypto and blockchain media outlet since 2013. As part of the program, QORPO Game Studio will continue developing its two titles, focusing on bringing the skill-based competitive niche to Web3 gaming.

Backed by industry heavyweights; this new blockchain game aims to get a foothold in the competitive arena.

Blockchain-based gaming has gained momentum in recent years as the novel sensation in the crypto universe, to the point where blockchain games accounted for half of all blockchain activity in early 2023. As the trend expands, new players have joined the fray, looking beyond the initial token-collection craze and shifting the focus to gameplay elements.

The latest and greatest games are built with players’ evolving needs in mind, taking into account the popular genres that captivate the public, such as stealth and battle royale. On top of those, Last Remains is also looking to throw a zombie twist into the Web3 gaming scene.

Gameplay improvements drive blockchain gaming adoption. Source: BGA

Last Remains, a triple-A Web3 multiplayer battle royale zombie game that previously secured $4.75 million in funding from notable players in the crypto industry, including CoinFund, Fabric and Animoca Brands, has become the latest strategic partner of the Cointelegraph Accelerator — the startup booster leveraging Cointelegraph’s media capabilities.

Developed by a team with prior experience at Riot Games, Bethesda, Junglee Games and Blizzard Entertainment, Last Remains seeks to take the much-loved formula and bring it to a new level of quality by making use of Web3 technologies.

Staying true to the dynamics of the battle royale genre, players in Last Remains start the round at random locations throughout a zombie-infested city. While they begin with no real means to survive, the city map has no shortage of lootable items, consumables and weapons.

Combat-wise, the game offers a mix of Assassin’s Creed stealth action and PUBG’s iconic battle royale elements. Players can sneak up on the zombies, take them down with melee weapons, or rush in guns blazing.

In Last Remains, players will have to outlast both other players and zombies. Source: Last Remains

It’s up to the player to pick from a large selection of weapons to fit their playstyle, from the iconic frying pan to the ever-popular katana. The ultimate goal is to survive until the rescue team swoops the winner up from an ever-shrinking active map. Among the first three players who reach the pick-up point, the one with the highest score — based on their loot and kills throughout the game — takes the round.

As part of its launch roadmap, the Last Remains team announced the minting of the first 5,000 Genesis Character nonfungible tokens. Following the sale, developers will spend the rest of Q2 conducting monthly alpha tests, followed by the beta phase in the next quarter.

The Cointelegraph Accelerator Program supports up-and-coming Web3 startups and projects by providing exposure through Cointelegraph, the pioneering crypto and blockchain media since 2013. The program picked Last Remains as a partner for its focus on gameplay, high production quality, the strong backing the game has received, and the developers’ track records. As part of the Accelerator program, Last Remains aims to establish its brand in the competitive arena by partnering with content creators and game developers.