This Week in Crypto Games: Gaming Tokens Crash Out, Eve Frontier Opens Up
By Andrew Hayward | April 13, 2025
As the crypto and NFT gaming landscape continues to evolve, this week has seen significant turbulence for gaming tokens alongside notable developments in popular blockchain-based games. From market movements to new project launches, here’s a comprehensive roundup of what you need to know in the realm of crypto gaming.
Major Shift in Gaming Tokens
In a significant downturn, gaming tokens have experienced severe price declines, reflecting broader trends in the cryptocurrency market. Following turbulent economic conditions, particularly influenced by President Trump’s ongoing trade disputes, gaming tokens have been more adversely affected than many other crypto assets. In fact, the latest data from CoinGecko reveals that gaming tokens have all but vanished from the top 100 by market capitalization, with Immutable (IMX) being the last remaining representative before it too fell off the rankings earlier this week.
Just a year prior, six gaming tokens, including The Sandbox (SAND) and Gala Games (GALA), were among the top coins. However, this week’s analysis shows that long-standing gaming tokens have seen substantial devaluation, with this trend suggesting significant challenges facing the industry. Experts have pointed to a variety of issues plaguing the crypto gaming sector recently, prompting discussions about the sustainability and future of gaming tokens in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Eve Frontier Launches Free Trial
In a more optimistic development, the much-anticipated MMO space survival game, Eve Frontier, launched a ten-day free trial period on April 11. This initiative allows players to delve into its expansive universe free of charge until April 21, albeit without enhanced features available through paid Founders Access passes. This trial comes in conjunction with the game’s third developmental phase, which typically introduces new functionalities.
Developed by CCP Games, which successfully raised $40 million last year for blockchain expansion of its Eve Online universe, Eve Frontier has captivated attention. The developers aim to create a player-driven economy by integrating insights from their recently appointed former Central Bank of Iceland economist. Built on the Redstone layer-2 network of Ethereum, Eve Frontier will eventually support multiple tokens, including its forthcoming EVE utility token. The game seeks to expand on the legacy of Eve Online, a well-established MMORPG launched in 2003. ### Immutable’s Strategic Merger
In another noteworthy development, Immutable, the Ethereum gaming platform, announced its plans to merge its original Immutable X network with its newer Immutable zkEVM layer-2 blockchain by late 2025. This strategic move is designed to consolidate their gaming ecosystem amid impressive growth for the zkEVM network, which has processed nearly 150 million transactions since early 2024. For players, this transition is largely expected to be seamless, with automatic asset transfers to existing wallets. However, game developers will face more complex challenges, including updates to deprecated APIs and adaptations of collection addresses. Notably, Guild of Guardians has already transitioned, setting a precedent for other significant games on the platform such as Gods Unchained and Illuvium.
In Case You Missed It
While the downturn and developments in gaming frameworks dominate the headlines, other stories from the week include:
- Aavegotchi, a notable Ethereum game, will migrate from Polygon to the Base platform following a community decision and will close its layer-3 Geist network.
- A Fortnite-themed meme coin on Solana saw a brief surge in value after receiving a social media condemnation from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who called it a "scam."
- iCandy Interactive and Matter Labs have teamed up to launch the mainnet for the ZKcandy layer-2 network on Ethereum, targeting mobile game applications.
- The company Sweet, which manages official NFT platforms for major sports leagues like the NHL and MLS, has announced plans to integrate the upcoming SCOR reward token on TON for use within its ecosystem, starting with Telegram-based sports games.
As the gaming landscape continues to shift with emerging technologies and fluctuating markets, both players and developers face an intriguing mix of challenges and opportunities. With significant events unfolding weekly, staying informed is essential for anyone involved in the crypto gaming community.
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