South Korean game studio Krafton, renowned for its popular battle royale shooter PUBG, recently announced its ambitious foray into the world of NFT-driven metaverse games. The project, previously referred to as “Project Migaloo,” now has an official name: Overdare. Krafton aims to soft-launch Overdare in December, with a full release expected sometime between January and July 2024. Notably, the company has developed its blockchain, known as Settlus, specifically for this game. Overdare seems poised to be a mobile game platform reminiscent of Roblox, powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.
Krafton unpacks the components of the NFT game
This platform will empower creators with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, enabling them to craft various game genres, including shooters, role-playing games (RPGs), and action RPGs, among others. Beyond game development, Overdare offers a social dimension by allowing users to create custom avatars and engage in virtual conversations. The teaser trailer provides a glimpse of an expansive open-world platform. Users can utilize AI tools to design games and environments, immerse themselves in a diverse selection of user-generated games, attend virtual concerts, and personalize their avatars, among other activities.
Krafton initially revealed this project as a collaboration with Naver Z, an augmented reality (AR) tech company. However, Krafton retains an 85% stake in Overdare, with Naver Z holding the remaining 15%. One of the standout features of Overdare is its “create-to-earn” game economy, where players can buy and sell in-game digital assets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The decision to embrace NFTs stems from their ability to provide transparency and secure transactions. To facilitate this, Krafton and Naver Z are employing the Settlus blockchain for Overdare’s in-game economy.
Navigating the crest-to-earn through gaming projects
Gamers will have the opportunity to earn funds in Coinbase and Circle’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, USDC, through the Settlus blockchain. This integration with Cosmos was unveiled during a Korea Blockchain Week event. The Settlus Twitter account has characterized it as a blockchain created by Krafton and has dubbed it “the future of the creator economy.” In a Medium blog post, Krafton’s Settlus hinted at the introduction of an “NFT licensing system.” However, the specifics of this system remain undisclosed. The post also mentioned ongoing efforts to address potential challenges with Overdare’s NFT economy.
This includes exploring the possibility of offering optional NFTs rather than mandatory ones, addressing issues related to item scarcity, and mitigating problems stemming from volatile token prices that can adversely affect gamers and creators. While Settlus currently doesn’t have its own token, the use of stablecoins like USDC is a strategic choice. These stablecoins offer less volatility compared to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum because they are designed to maintain a stable peg to the U.S. Dollar. This stability makes them more practical for transactions within the gaming ecosystem.
As Overdare gears up for its soft launch and eventual full release, the gaming and NFT communities will be closely watching its progress. Krafton’s ambitious project, combined with the integration of NFTs and blockchain technology, has the potential to reshape the metaverse gaming landscape. It emphasizes the increasing importance of NFTs and blockchain in the gaming industry, offering new opportunities for both players and creators. However, overcoming the challenges associated with NFTs, such as volatility and ensuring a positive experience for all users, will be a critical aspect of Overdare’s success. Ultimately, Overdare represents a significant step in the evolution of gaming, blending creativity, blockchain technology, and the metaverse into a compelling and potentially groundbreaking experience.
