Ubisoft plans to create its own Blockchain games to ‘enable more games to win’

Ubisoft just wrapped up its second-quarter earnings call, a rare event in which relatively good financial numbers were overshadowed by the company on the defensive due to delays, workplace allegations, and questions about free play. But one element that seemed to make both Ubisoft and investors happy was the blockchain discussion.

Ubisoft’s future blockchain ambitions were mentioned both in its earnings release and on a few occasions during the call. As noted in its press release, Ubisoft is funding of blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands, which advertises itself on its website as “the world leader in branded blockchain games.”

Current Animoca projects include Revv Motorsport, Revv Racing, and the upcoming Formula E: High Voltage game, all of which use the same token called “REVV” ​​to allow players to “own” digital assets and collect NFT items in the game. play. He also has a game called The Sandbox, an NFT-filled virtual world called “Sand”.

In addition to funding from Animoca, Ubisoft is a founding member of the Blockchain Game Alliance and has been exploring technology in general since its initial development. Chief Financial Officer Frédérick Duguet specifically called blockchain a “revolution” on the call. It seems like everyone is getting into the blockchain these days, but what does this mean for Ubisoft games?

CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed during the call that Ubisoft wanted to invest in blockchain companies and organically create its own games, while Duguet indicated elsewhere that we could see it wind up in Ubisoft games in some kind of new monetization tactic:

“[Blockchain] it will allow more games to win, which will allow more players to earn content, own content, and we think it will grow the industry a lot, “said Duguet.” We have been working with a lot of small businesses that are going blockchain and we are starting to have a good understanding of how it can affect the industry, and we want to be one of the key players here. “

Blockchain, NFT and everything related to them have been extremely controversial as they have gained widespread attention in recent years, mostly due to their huge negative environmental impact, but also because of the red-alert levels of scam inherent in the NFT business as a whole. If you still don’t know what NFTs and blockchains are and why they are bothering people, The Verge has a great explainer here., while GamesIndustry.biz has published your own industry-focused teardown.

Duguet tried to avoid criticism like this by pointing out the importance of learning “the impact on environments” and said that Ubisoft was still in the early stages of exploration. But it’s entirely feasible that we can look to Animoca Brands games for a rough idea of ​​what Ubisoft might want to do to integrate blockchain monetization tactics into its franchises, like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy, and others in the game. future.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @Patovalentino.