The competition among bigger-budget, web3 video games vying to be that first title to truly break into the mainstream could finally be intensifying with the launching of the Call of Duty-style crypto game “Shrapnel” on the Epic Games Store.
The online gaming store boasts a PC user base of more than 230 million gamers. “Shrapnel” will compete alongside other high-profile, blockchain-powered video games like “Star Atlas” and “Illuvium,” which are also available on the store in “early-access” form. First iterations of games are often released under the “early-access gameplay” classification so companies can release a version that allows for building a community around a title while simultaneously continuing to develop and tweak the gaming experience. Neon Machine, the gaming studio developing “Shrapnel,” has billed the game set in a dystopian world as an “AAA first-person extraction shooter.”
The team behind the title includes former employees of high-profile companies like Xbox and Electronic Arts, the company said in a statement. The developers consider their approach to early-access gaming unique. “In contrast to traditional AAA game release schedules, wherein studios keep their communities in the dark about gameplay and design until it is completely finalized, ‘Shrapnel’ is … involving its community at every stage of development until the launch of its free-to-play game in 2025,” Neon Machine said in a statement.
As the game evolves, Neon Machine is betting players will embrace customizing “every aspect of the game, from its characters and weapons to in-game maps.” While no blockchain game has managed to establish a foothold in the world of mainstream gaming, a multi-billion dollar a year business, Neon Machine views early interest in “Shrapnel” as robust, considering the game’s stage of development. The company said its online community on Discord has more than 100,000 members.