In Case You Missed It: Ethereum-Based Card Game Launches on Platform Where NFTs are Banned

Gaming chain Immutable announced that gaming studio Bazooka Tango has launched the beta version of the crypto game Shardbound on Steam and Epic Games Store on October 9, 2024. 

• However, Steam does not allow any blockchain-based game. So how has the game adjusted?

What’s the significance: Players can try this game and earn from the opportunities it offers.

Short Background: In October 2021, Valve, the company behind Steam, quietly disallowed NFTs or cryptocurrency on the gaming platform. 

• It was after Steam’s distribution onboarding guidelines wrote that “applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs” are not allowed to be launched on the platform. 
• Aside from this guideline, Valve did not release another statement explaining their move. 

About the Beta Launch

To adjust to Steam’s regulations, Bazooka Tango Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Stephan Sherman said that Shardbound’s beta launch on Steam and Epic Games Store does not include direct NFT integration initially.

• Still In-Progress: The game studio then assured their supporters they are still crafting their 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 that match their in-game cards, either sent to a connected Immutable Passport wallet or claimable via an emailed redemption code.
• More Rewards: Players can also do social tasks that 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 it needs to,” so they can get more feedbacks from players. 

By the numbers: More than 100,000 players who pre-registered for the game’s launch.

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Key Quote: 

“Launching Shardbound on Steam is a massive milestone for us. We’ve crafted a game that’s not just fun to play—it’s exciting to watch. We’ve dialed up the intensity, designed huge, game-changing moments, and created a world that players will want to return to again and again.”

Bo Daly, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bazooka Tango

About Shardbound

It is a strategy card game built on the Ethereum L2 scaling network, Immutable zkEVM.

• Gameplay: The game blends elements of deck-building and card-collecting games with turn-based battlefield fighting and role-playing elements.
• Technique: Players can craft 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 was funded through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign and the game’s “Early Access” started.
  • However, the early access release did not push through. 
• Entities Involved: Shardbound was originally created by Spiritwalk Games. Bazooka Tango and Immutable Games acquired the game’s rights as the developer and publisher, respectively. 

Key Quote: 

“We didn’t want Shardbound to feel like another dark, post-apocalyptic battlefield. We envisioned a world where art, culture, and beauty still thrive—a place that’s full of sunshine, lush flora, and people who cherish creativity as much as strategy.”

 Bo Daly, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, 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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