Ubisoft Launches Blockchain Game: Champions Tactics

French gaming giant Ubisoft, known for the popular Assassin’s Creed series, is launching its first game featuring blockchain-based, in-game assets that players can trade.

Overview of Champions Tactics

Called Champions Tactics, the new web3 title is a role-playing game where players collect and assemble teams of characters reminiscent of Dungeon & Dragons. Players will utilize these characters to battle against others, with the game set to launch on PC on October 23.

Ubisoft stated that at the heart of Champions Tactics lies a collection of 75,000 Champions, which are digital collectibles or NFTs used in gameplay. This launch comes in the wake of Ubisoft's previous attempts at incorporating blockchain and NFTs into their gaming ecosystem, which began back in 2019 and faced skepticism during their initial launch in 2021.

The Changing Landscape of Blockchain Gaming

The debut of Champions Tactics arrives amidst significant shifts in blockchain game development. While simpler games like Hamster Kombat have drawn in millions of users, AAA-style projects are now entering the space with intentions to incorporate tradeable in-game assets.

For example, Gunzilla Games recently launched an early access version of Off the Grid, a Fortnite-style battle royale game, paving the way for console games where players can trade NFTs.

Champions Mint Success

Over $8 Million in Trading Volume

Regarding Champions Tactics, Ubisoft's Champions mint held in July sold out quickly, with last year's Warlords mint generating over $8 million in trading volume. According to Tristan Peschoux, Ubisoft’s lead of live operations, the Warlords Mint was highly successful and showcased immense community interest with over 12,000 sales transactions.

Ubisoft reserved about 50,000 Champions NFTs for Warlords holders, who serve as digital collectibles. Players interested in trying out the new game will not need to own a “Champions Tactics” NFT or have a crypto wallet.

Gaming Ecosystem and Future Goals

The new web3 game utilizes the HOME Verse, part of the Oasys gaming ecosystem. Oasys provides Layer 1 hub and Layer 2 networks for game development, featuring Sega and Ubisoft as validators.

Nicolas Pouard, Ubisoft Lab VP, stated that with Champions Tactics, their goal is to have web3 technology integrate seamlessly, allowing players to immerse themselves in the game’s fun and strategy without hindrance.