Web3 Gaming: What Is Immutable?

TL;DR
Immutable is a well-established, specialized option for Web3 gaming development, which contains two chains: the newer Immutable zkEVM option, and the original Immutable X. Immutable has introduced Passport (a non-custodial wallet) and Checkout (an easy way of making purchases), and has partnerships with Ubisoft and AWS. There are over 150 games building on Immutable, a native token (IMX), and there’s a strong emphasis on speed, scalability, and the creation of a smooth user experience.

In the realm of Web3 gaming, Immutable is one of the relatively larger and more established competitors. Founded in 2018, it’s designed specifically for games development and high speed scaling, and it has plenty of activity, so let’s take a look at how it’s developed, and what it has to offer as Web3 gaming moves forwards at pace.

Two Solutions

The first thing to note about Immutable is that it actually now offers two different blockchain solutions, each of which has its own merits.

Immutable zkEVM

This is the newer solution, launched in August 2023 for public testing, and operating in partnership with Polygon Labs. It’s EVM-compatible, utilizes smart contracts, can enforce royalty payments, and has low gas fees. The mainnet launch is road mapped for December 2023 or January 2024.

There are also plans to enable appchains next year, meaning dedicated, customized blockchains for individual projects (similar to Avalanche Subnets or Cosmos Zones.)

Immutable X

The original Immutable chain is Immutable X, which launched in April 2021, and operates on StarkWare. It’s not directly EVM-compatible, and this one doesn’t support smart contracts, but it requires zero gas fees to transact, potentially enabling–according to Immutable–the development of a “planet-scale game.”

Recent Immutable Developments

There have been several key developments this year at Immutable, so let’s run through some major points of interest.

Immutable Passport and Checkout

After the launch of Immutable zkEVM came the deployment of the Immutable Passport and Checkout features, both of which help create an intuitive user experience. A constant criticism of crypto and Web3 has been the lack of decent UI/UX, and Immutable now looks to be addressing exactly these problems.

The Passport is a non-custodial wallet that’s secure, but is designed with the emphasis squarely placed on ease-of-use and a streamlined experience.

Immutable’s Checkout is a payment solution that can be easily integrated by developers, and is designed for frictionless transactions, and enabling fiat on/off-ramping, with multiple standard payment options.

Ubisoft Partnership

Earlier this month, Immutable announced a new partnership with gaming giant Ubisoft, the company behind the world-striding Assassin’s Creed series (among many other blockbuster titles.) Immutable will be working with Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab, which is itself focused on exploring emerging technologies as they relate to gaming, including blockchain.

Immutable and AWS

Also this month, it was announced that Immutable was to partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS), and has joined Amazon’s ISV Accelerate Program, meaning that Immutable slots into an ecosystem alongside major games studios, has access to industry leads and resources, and can utilize AWS tools.

Top Immutable Games

There are over 150 games currently operating or being developed on Immutable, giving it a comparatively large portfolio, and here are some of the major titles.

Illuvium

Synonymous with Immutable, Illuvium is an ecosystem of interlinked fantasy titles which contain various NFT assets, including virtual land and characters called Illuvitars. Built using Immutable X for scalability, Illuvium recently announced that it’s set to be listed on the Epic Games Store from November 28th, immediately causing the game’s ILV token to gain in price.

Illuvium also has its own marketplace, called Illuvidex, and will soon be releasing the Illuvium Overworld title, which looks like a high quality development.

Guild of Guardians

A mobile-based fantasy RPG that is currently still in development, Guild of Guardians has been drumming up anticipation (claiming to have over a million waitlist registrations), and is open for pre-registration now. The plan for the game is to take a play-and-earn approach, utilizing an in-game token and tradable NFT assets.

The project roadmap is aiming for a test launch in Q1 2024, and a full launch with Web3 features operating in Q2 2024.

Gods Unchained

A long-running NFT trading card game, launching in 2018 on Ethereum before moving to Immutable, Gods Unchained has already been listed on the Epic Games Store since June this year. It has its own token, GODS, utilizes NFTs, and has over 450,000 registered players.

There are many other games to explore, with Momoguro and Undead Blocks also standing out as notable titles. There has yet to be a breakout Web3 game that fully crosses over with traditional gaming, but if a title is to achieve that goal soon, then there’s a strong possibility that it might emerge from the Immutable lineup.

IMX Token and Marketplaces

The native token of Immutable is IMX, and in terms of price it has–like several other gaming tokens–soared through November, gaining around 145% at the time of writing, but still remaining way down from its all-time high back in November 2021.

Immutable in-game NFTs can be traded on Immutable’s own marketplace, and on several other platforms, including TokenTrove (which is dedicated to Immutable X), and on well known marketplaces such as Nifty Gateway, Rarible, and OKX.

Speed, Scaling and User Experience

As mentioned, a problem for Web3 has been the user experience, and the sense that there’s too much friction involved in onboarding to crypto. Immutable looks like for Web3 gaming experiences, it’s seriously addressing these issues with its Passport and Checkout implementations. And for developers, it’s offering speedy, highly scalable blockchain options.

What’s more, Immutable has partnerships with Ubisoft and AWS in the bag, listings on the Epic Games Store, and is already in a leading position among Web3 gaming competitors.