Ubisoft has released Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, a competitive turn-based RPG with Web3 functionality. While the game was first announced in June 2023, many expected Ubisoft to postpone or cancel the title as support for blockchain-based games and NFTs has dwindled.

The NFT market began to explode in popularity in 2020, with non-fungible tokens quickly finding their way into video games. In 2021, Ubisoft launched Ubisoft Quartz, an NFT project aiming to turn in-game cosmetics into collectible NFTs with real monetary value. Unfortunately, the NFT market began to collapse in early 2022, with an estimated 95% of all non-fungible tokens sold currently having zero monetary value. Understandably, Ubisoft Quartz quickly failed, with some estimates claiming that the project only earned around $400 in total. Last week, the company launched a new game for PC which has the gaming community baffled.

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Years after the collapse of Quartz, Ubisoft has released Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles for PC. In the free-to-play blockchain-based RPG, players are tasked with creating groups of three characters who then fight against various enemies in turn-based combat. Each of these character figurines can be purchased using in-game currency or cryptocurrency, with Ubisoft requiring players to link a valid blockchain wallet to their account. According to a report from IGN, the current highest-priced figurine is sitting on the game's marketplace for close to $63,000, while the cheapest heroes are listed at around $7.

Ubisoft Releases Blockchain-Based RPG Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles on PC

While the game gives players temporary characters to engage enemies with when signing up, it will eventually become necessary to purchase more. Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles doesn't feature a campaign or a PvE mode, instead being a fully PvP title, placing players at the whim of the in-game NFT marketplace and quickly promising to become fully play-to-win. The RPG is exclusively available to download on Ubisoft's website, as many platforms have banned cryptocurrency and NFTs, including Steam. Fans of Ubisoft titles have expressed confusion regarding the newly released blockchain title, with many other developers, including Sega and EA, ending their NFT efforts long ago.

The past few months have been exceptionally difficult for the game developer, with Ubisoft launching a review of its internal practices in September. Although initially planned to release in November 2024, Assassin's Creed Shadows was recently delayed until February 2025, while Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter XDefiant is rumored to be shutting down in the near future. Additionally, Star Wars Outlaws failed to meet sales expectations following its August release. The future of Ubisoft remains uncertain, but many fans feel that releasing a blockchain game in 2024 is a step in the wrong direction.