Big news from GDC

GM GM. It's Lootbox again, standing in line for you at GDC 2023, so you don't have to wait over an hour to get your fix of web3 gaming news.

For today

• Eve Online devs building web3 game

• MapleStory Universe comes to Polygon

• 2 layer 2s partner up?

• The Sneakies - ChatGPT in Unity editor

This year at GDC, 24,000 people stormed the Moscone center to witness what's new and cooking in gaming. With that came announcements that were exciting for web3 gaming.

EVE Online Developer Is Building A Web3 Game

CCP, the developer behind the MMO EVE Online, announced it's expanding the EVE Online universe with a, wait for it...

Web3 game.

Yup, you heard that right.

They raised $40 million from a16z, Nexon, BITKRAFT and more for Project Awakening.

What do we know about the game?

Nothing yet, but keeping an eye out.

Asian Heavyweight Studio Partners With Polygon

Another heavyweight out of Asia is entering the web3 space with their new partnership with Polygon.

Who?

Nexon, the publisher behind MapleStory, a game that has generated more than $4 billion in revenue since 2003.

Now they are bringing the IP to web3 with MapleStory Universe on Polygon. Man, it feels like Polygon is playing in god mode.

What we know so far

• They will be using Polygon's Supernet. If you know about Avalanche's Subnets, it works similarly.

• There will be no NFT pre-sales. Gamers would earn the NFT items by playing the game. Once earned, you can trade.

• Don't expect in-app purchases, either.

• The universe will have a crypto token in the future, though the details are yet to be finalized.

Immutable Is Launching A zkEVM

Immutable and Polygon Labs partner.

Yup, cupid working its magic.

They partnered up to bring Immutable's zkEVM to life, and this announcement comes a week before Polygon rolls out its own zkEVM to mainnet beta.

What is zkEVM

zkEVM is a zero-knowledge, rollup-based Ethereum virtual machine that offers faster transaction speeds, lower gas fees, and a smoother gaming experience by utilizing zk-rollups to increase transaction throughput.

Developers will be able to build more complex games and offer a better user experience, all while saving money on gas fees.

What we know

• Immutable zkEVM will support smart contracts, unlike Immutable X, which does not. Both networks will run alongside each other.

• The zkEVM would be powered by Polygon.

• In the future, assets could cross the Immutable zkEVM to the Polygon zkEVM with bridges.

• Expect it to start rolling out at the end of Q2 2023.

• The eager ones can start building now by getting their hands on the early documentation.

The Sneakies

• Gamma.io Launches Bitcoin NFT Marketplace, Adding to Growing Infrastructure for Digital Collectibles in the Bitcoin Community.

• Epic Games Plans to Expand Crypto-Powered Games Marketplace with 20 New Titles by 2024, says Executive.

• Watch "GPT4 - What's it mean for GameDevs? - The Game Dev Show

• ChatGPT is being integrated into Unity Editor and could change the game for game development.

• Ordinals NFTs are getting a new marketplace, and it's one of the well-known ones. It's Magic Eden.

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