Immutable’s Journey in Gaming Crypto

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Immutable — the gaming-focused crypto company behind titles like Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians — is learning from its years in crypto.

The firm now oversees 500 games from various developers, representing numerous opportunities.

I had a conversation with Justin Hulog, Immutable’s Chief Studio Officer, who previously worked at Riot Games.

Hulog acknowledged that the extensive roster makes it challenging to allocate adequate attention to each game, especially as even more games are in development.

> “What I’ve seen at Immutable over the past three years is a really significant maturation,” Hulog said.

He expressed a desire for Guild of Guardians to have experienced a better launch, particularly concerning the use of key opinion leaders (KOLs), and he wished for more data on wallet spending to guide decisions.

Conversely, he considers the free-to-play pixelated MMORPG Ravenquest a success, noting that its land sale sold out in December, with its launch taking place this month.

> “We’re pushing a lot more of the games towards zkEVM,” said Hulog regarding Immutable’s new chain. “This aligns with where we anticipate the market will head, focusing on the value of L2s and viable use cases.”

Immutable has also become more receptive to the idea that a walled garden isn’t always the best approach, especially given the proliferation of gaming chains, many equipped with unique wallets. In Immutable’s case, there’s a dedicated single sign-on Passport wallet and an NFT marketplace.

> “Our first hypothesis three years ago was that everything needed to be in one gated ecosystem. But we’ve realized that model doesn’t work for all games or gamers,” Hulog stated.

I pointed out that creating a walled garden to combat competitors may not be effective, as rivals like Ronin and Sui continue to grow. If gamers need multiple wallets to participate across various gaming chains, it could become overwhelming.

> “Many of us are recognizing this,” Hulog added, stating, “Web3 gaming players should focus on advancing the space as a whole for broader adoption and improved experiences instead of competing against one another.”