Ubisoft has released its first-ever blockchain game, the tactical NFT battler Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles.
The company announced the game last June after years of dabbling in blockchain, but has only now quietly launched it.
The game is on PC and free to start, though players can purchase figurines with which to battle using either in-game gold or cryptocurrency. These figurines are NFTs and can be bought on the game's marketplace from anywhere between $7 to $64,000 (almost £50k).
It appears to be possible to play the game without purchasing figurines, though those willing to pay the extortionate prices will surely have more success in battles.
Battles themselves are turn-based affairs against other players with squads of three figurines.
Francois Bodson, studio director at Ubisoft Paris, told IGN the game "offers deep strategic gameplay featuring unique in-game assets and several exciting innovations", comparing it to a physical trading card game.
Here's the statement in full: "The team inside the Ubisoft Paris studio developing Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles partnered with Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab and Oasys to ensure that our use of blockchain was done in service of delivering new and innovative gaming experiences for our players. Our shared goal is to explore new ways to play alongside bringing more value to players based on empowerment and ownership. Champions Tactics offers deep strategic gameplay featuring unique in-game assets and several exciting innovations. These include millions of procedurally generated figurines, each with distinct stats, assets shaped directly by players' choices, and an open marketplace letting players compose their teams on a peer-to-peer basis - much like a physical trading card game. For months, we have collaborated closely with our community through events and beta phases to build and refine Champions Tactics. We’re excited to keep expanding and enhancing the experience together."
Ubisoft did not comment on the game's Adults Only rating, presumably for its blockchain basis and use of cryptocurrency.
Back in December 2021, Ubisoft launched its own NFT platform called Quartz, with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint as the first game to offer a beta trial. It did not fare well, appearing to have initially only sold 15 NFTs.
Still, Ubisoft's NFT bosses stated in an interview afterwards that players just "don't get it".
It's interesting, therefore, for Ubisoft to have still released this project, considering other developers have slowly backpedalled on their enthusiasm for cryptocurrency.
That includes EA boss Andrew Wilson, after describing NFTs as "an important part of… the future of our industry".
"I believe that collectability will continue to be an important part of our industry and the games and experiences that we offer our players," he later said during an earnings call in February 2022.
"Whether that's part of the NFT and the blockchain? Well, that remains to be seen. And I think the way we think about it, is we want to deliver the best possible player experience we can. And so we're going to - we will evaluate that over time. But right now, it's not something that we're driving audience."