Crypto Gaming's Hot Streak: Buzzing News and Developments

Decrypt's GG offers the latest updates on crypto gaming, including the mainnet launch of Blast, the exploitation of Super Sushi Samurai, and the $100 million gaming investment fund from Immutable and Polygon. Saga's mainnet launch in April, Square Enix's investment in HyperPlay, and OKX's partnership with Immutable for a GameFi launchpad are also highlighted. Additionally, Xai's potential to bring over 100 new games, Guild of Guardians' global launch in May, Portal's staking features, Shrapnel's in-game NFT marketplace, and Coinbase's addition of Ronin trading are covered.

Crypto Gaming's Hot Streak: What's Driving the Buzz?

The crypto and NFT gaming space has been a whirlwind lately, with major game releases, airdrops galore, and a constant stream of announcements. It's hard to keep up!

Decrypt's Got You Covered

Fear not, Decrypt's GG is on the case. Introducing "This Week in Crypto Games," your weekend recap of the biggest news, juicy tidbits, and exclusive stories from the crypto gaming world.

Biggest News

Blast Games: A Tale of Two Extremes

Barely a month after Ethereum scaling network Blast's mainnet launch, games are making waves—for better and for worse.

On the bright side, DeFi farming game Crypto Valleys is thriving, with players eagerly opening randomized NFT seed bags, cultivating their crops, and hoping for a bountiful YIELD harvest. YIELD, the game's token, is currently the most traded asset on Blast.

On the downside, Super Sushi Samurai, a Blast-powered game hosted on Telegram, was hacked last week, resulting in the theft of $4.6 million worth of tokens. However, in a twist of fate, the hack turned out to be a "white hat" operation, and the funds were returned to the team after a reward fee. The game will be relaunched with a new v2 token.

Immutable x Polygon Fund: Powering Crypto Gaming

Ethereum scaling giants Immutable and Polygon are joining forces again, this time to establish a $100 million gaming investment fund led by King River Capital. The fund will invest in crypto games across platforms, although the first few games announced—including Pixelmon and MetalCore—run on their own networks.

Saga Mainnet on the Horizon

Layer-1 blockchain network Saga is gearing up for its mainnet launch in April, following months of play-to-airdrop campaigns. The token, currently claimable by eligible wallets, is expected to go live simultaneously. The company is also launching Saga Origins, its in-house game publishing division.

Additional News

• Square Enix Invests in HyperPlay: Final Fantasy creator Square Enix has invested in crypto-native game store HyperPlay and will bring its Ethereum NFT game Symbiogenesis to the platform.
• OKX and Immutable Team Up: Crypto exchange OKX has partnered with Ethereum gaming network Immutable to launch a GameFi launchpad and integrate other services.
• Xai's Gaming Expansion: Xai, a layer-3 Ethereum gaming network built on Arbitrum technology, is set to add over 100 new games this year through a partnership with The Media Indie Exchange (The MIX).
• Guild of Guardians Global Launch: Immutable's long-awaited mobile RPG Guild of Guardians will finally launch globally on iOS and Android on May 15.
• Portal Staking Goes Live: Cross-network gaming token Portal introduced staking features last week, offering exclusive benefits and perks to users who lock up their PORTAL tokens.
• Shrapnel Marketplace Debuts: Shrapnel expanded its Epic Games Store early access experience with an in-game marketplace for NFT weapon cosmetics.
• Coinbase Lists Ronin: Major crypto exchange Coinbase added Ronin (RON) trading last week, boosting the price of the network behind Pixels and Axie Infinity.
• Notcoin Surges: Telegram-based clicker game Notcoin has surpassed 30 million players as it approaches its token launch on The Open Network (TON).
• NIM Network Airdrop: NIM Network, designed to support AI gaming experiences, is distributing the first airdrop to Dymension (DYM) stakers and holders of Parallel and Pirate Nation NFTs.

GG Spotlight

Check out some of our must-read original stories from this past week:

• [Crypto Gaming's Breakout Year: What's Driving the Explosion?](https://decrypt.co/resources/crypto-gaming-breakout-year-whats-driving-explosion)
• [Blockchain Gaming: A Primer for Investors](https://decrypt.co/resources/blockchain-gaming-primer-investors)
• [The Rise of Play-to-Earn: How Crypto Games Are Changing the Industry](https://decrypt.co/resources/rise-play-earn-crypto-games-changing-industry)

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