This week in digital gaming: Gala Games surpasses The Walking Dead, Flappy Bird departs crypto market

This week in digital gaming: Gala Games surpasses The Walking Dead, Flappy Bird departs crypto market

The Lowdown on Crypto Gaming

Dive into SCENE

The exponentially growing crypto gaming domain is a buzzing hive of action, with notable games being launched, token airdrops galore, and market swings aplenty. But fret not! Here at Decrypt's GG, we've got you covered. Our weekly recap provides a quick rundown of the hottest happenings in the crypto gaming scene, plus a dash of intriguing tidbits from the universe of gaming tokens.

Top Tales

The End of The Walking Dead: EmpiresGala Games recently announced that The Walking Dead: Empires, a multi-player survival game featuring Ethereum NFTs, will bid adieu on July 31, 2025. Players were able to purchase assets like weapons, supplies, and land deeds with a high selling price of $67,000 during the 2021 NFT boom.

Current holders will be compensated with NFTs boasting equal functionality from other games, although some users on social media have raised concerns regarding the value of the replacement assets. The game had been in open beta for more than a year.

The Return of Flappy Bird without CryptoThe classic mobile game Flappy Bird has resurfaced on the Epic Games Store for Android with no crypto integrations, despite initial plans for a token in the Telegram version. This rendition replicates the original gameplay with additions like a quest mode, driven only by ads and in-app purchases.

The Telegram version faced stiff criticism from gamers and had to be shuttered earlier in April. However, it seems Flappy Bird isn't finished with crypto just yet. Last week, the official Telegram channel hosted a community call, hinting that the Flappy Bird brand is communal property.

The Arrival of MapleStory NNexpace, backed by Nexon, will release MapleStory N on May 15, introducing blockchain integration to the cherished 2D side-scrolling game. Running on its exclusive Avalanche L1 chain Henesys, the game enables players to own and trade in-game assets on-chain.

With a player base of 250 million worldwide, MapleStory is an iconic franchise, and this PC launch marks the inaugural official game in the MapleStory Universe ecosystem, which recently transitioned from Polygon to Avalanche.

Game Dollar's FuturePlaytron has announced plans to release Game Dollar, a dedicated gaming stablecoin for Sui blockchain in Q4 2024. The token will support in-game purchases, subscriptions, and rewards within Playtron's GameOS ecosystem, including the upcoming SuiPlay0X1 handheld console.

Unlike traditional stablecoins, Game Dollar will offer programmability at the use-case level, backing by short-term U.S. Treasuries, and provisions to incentivize specific behaviors. Playtron CEO Kirt McMaster shared with Decrypt that this programmability unlocks novel economic models for developers and marketplaces.

Worth a Glimpse

• The revamped Ethereum NFT game Zed Run has found a new home on Base following the closure of the Polygon version.
• Mobile crypto games may see growth due to Apple's relaxed iOS guidelines on external payments and purchasing NFTs, as mandated by an antitrust court ruling.
• Claynosaurz, a Solana NFT project, is expanding to Sui, and its forthcoming mobile game will premiere on the SuiPlay0X1 handheld device.
• A Black Mirror token is being launched, tied to a social campaign featuring an AI assistant.
• Gaming behemoth Ubisoft has partnered with interoperability protocol LayerZero to develop a network for moving gaming assets cross-chain.
• An official One Championship MMA league game, One Fight Arena, launched on iOS and Android last week with optional Sui crypto and NFT features.
• Crypto exchange Bitget has taken legal action against wallets involved in an alleged $20 million market manipulation scheme centered on the VOXEL gaming token.
• The stealthy racing game Goblintown: Really Hard Driving is now available in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Goblins, grab the wheel!

Goblintown: Really Hard Driving Game is now in Early Access on Steam and Epic Games.

Steam: https://t.co/21cdoo9pO7

Epic Games: https://t.co/omY8kGtUi0

• Off the Grid's latest battle pass is live.
• Ragnarok Landverse Genesis has unveiled its roadmap for the coming year.
• Pixels has launched PIXEL staking rewards across the main game, Pixel Dungeons, and Forgotten Runiverse.

Staking is here. And it changes everything.

Now, stake $PIXEL to:

💎 Earn rewards 💎 Support your favorite games 💎 Help shape the future of the Pixels ecosystem

Pixels is constructing a decentralized publishing paradigm powered by staking, where games themselves...

1. The upcoming Game Dollar stablecoin, scheduled for release by Playtron on Sui blockchain in Q4 2024, will support in-game purchases, subscriptions, and rewards within Playtron's GameOS ecosystem.
2. The multi-player survival game The Walking Dead: Empires, featuring Ethereum NFTs, will shut down on July 31, 2025, with current holders receiving replacement NFTs from other games, although concerns regarding their value have surfaced on social media.
3. Zed Run, an Ethereum NFT game, has moved from Polygon to Base following the closure of the Polygon version.
4. Crypto exchange Bitget has taken legal action against wallets involved in an alleged $20 million market manipulation scheme centered on the VOXEL gaming token.
5. The classic game Flappy Bird has returned on the Epic Games Store for Android without crypto integrations, despite initial plans for a token in the Telegram version.
6. MapleStory N, backed by Nexpace and running on the Avalanche L1 chain Henesys, will release on May 15, introducing blockchain integration to the beloved 2D side-scrolling game, allowing players to own and trade in-game assets on-chain.
7. A Black Mirror token is being launched, tied to a social campaign featuring an AI assistant.
8. Ubisoft has partnered with interoperability protocol LayerZero to develop a network for moving gaming assets cross-chain.
9. An official One Championship MMA league game, One Fight Arena, launched on iOS and Android last week with optional Sui crypto and NFT features.
10. The stealthy racing game Goblintown: Really Hard Driving is now available in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store, where players can stake $PIXEL to earn rewards, support their favorite games, and help shape the future of the Pixels ecosystem. Staking in Pixels also powers a decentralized publishing paradigm, where games themselves... (This last sentence is incomplete, as it refers to a digital asset that was not specified in the original text.)

Read also: