The latest crypto news talk about the cryptographic company Immutable and the launch of a new ZkEVM network based on Polygon, which aims to be the only blockchain designed and developed exclusively for web3 games.
Currently, Immutable ZkEVM is in “early access” mode, with a few selected users who can test the features of the new network, while the mainnet will be announced in the coming weeks.
Let’s see all the details below.
Crypto news: Immutable and the launch of the zkEVM network based on Polygon in limited access mode
The crypto market news today takes us into the cryptographic gaming ecosystem of Immutable, which is launching its zkEVM network in collaboration with the Polygon team.
This chain leverages “zero-knowledge” technology rollup to offer a scalable environment that leverages the security of Ethereum L1 operating separately from the existing Layer 2 chain of the project based on StarkEx, Immutable X.
The collaboration between Immutable and Polygon, already started in March 2023, has led to the development of this layer-2 that will focus exclusively on creating blockchain gaming experiences with a focus on the benefits offered to developers.
The new network will be secured by validators who stake Matic tokens from Polygon and will allow for increased transaction execution fluidity with reduced gas fees, while maintaining native compatibility with Ethereum.
It is important to underline that at the moment the zkEVM network is only available in “early access” mode: this means that only a designated group of users can test firsthand the new features and user experience of the new cryptographic product.
The Immutable team has announced that the mainnet will be open to the public in the coming weeks, without revealing details regarding a specific launch date.
Meanwhile, the zkEVM testnet is available for studies to experiment and test game development and direct experiences with existing projects.
The “old” Immutable network, namely ImmutableX, had previously been launched as a place of excellence for developing new games, leveraging fast and cost-effective transactions. In recent years, we have witnessed a growth of this resource, which has brought its TVL to over 190 million dollars in crypto.
However, lacking EVM compatibility, this blockchain risked remaining separate from all the development of dapp-chains based on Ethereum.
With the layer-2 Immutable ZkEVM, this problem is solved, further expanding the connections between the two cryptographic ecosystems and offering gas-free interactions for players.
The participation of Polygon validators is the icing on the cake of this innovation, which can count on the presence of one of the main leaders in the rollup world.
.Immutable is not the only zkEVM based on Polygon, with Polygon Labs recently contributing to the development of zkEVM chains for Astar Network, IDEX, Palm Network, and Manta Pacific.
A blockchain dedicated to the gaming world
As mentioned in the latest crypto news, the new ZkEVM network by Immutable, launched in collaboration with Polygon, will be designated to host the development of the next successful games in the web3 world.
The significant investment made by the two companies to present this network is justified by the forecasts for the future of the blockchain-based gaming industry, which is growing year after year and could soon be worth over $614 billion, according to Fortune Business Insights.
According to recent statements by Michael Powell, Product Marketing Manager at Immutable:
“The launch of Immutable zkEVM marks an important milestone in our mission to create the best end-to-end experience for Web3 games. The chain is uniquely positioned to empower game studios to grow their game economy, protect their communities, and create frictionless experiences for their users.”
Several games that had participated in the old Immutable ecosystem are already working to be launched immediately on the new layer-2 ZkEVM, including Guild of Guardians, Metalcore, Shardbound, Treeverse, Cool Cats, BADMAD Robots, Space Nation, Eyeball Games, and Imaginary Ones.
In particular, we can already state that the action game Guild of Guardian and the card-based strategy game Sharbound will be released during the first half of 2024, at least according to what was said by a company representative in a recent interview for Decrypt.
Regarding Metalcore, a game that has been tested multiple times during 2023 with exceptional results, the CEO of developer Studio369, Matt Candler, said to expect “community missions and testing milestones” for players in the period leading up to the launch.
This action game could be one of the most chosen by the gamers’ communities of Immutable and Polygon, positioning itself as the flagship product of the web3 ecosystem.
The co-founder of the blockchain project Robbie Ferguson has addressed the public in a statement to highlight the progress of the entire Immutable ecosystem in supporting the development of the ZkEVM environment based on Polygon.
According to what has been explained, in the last 12 months more than 200 games have contributed to the development of the new blockchain, bringing Immutable’s market share in the web3 gaming industry close to 70%.
2024 could be the decisive year for the expansion of this gaming conglomerate, which aims to attract tens of millions of new players ready to test the latest experiences.
According to the project, the current products of Immutable will also be compatible with Immutable zkEVM, and the chain will offer gas-free functionality for players using its non-custodial wallet, Immutable Passport.
