Gods Unchained, the leading Web3 game in blockchain-enabled trading volume, will come to Android and Apple devices by the end of this year.
Launched in 2018, Gods Unchained is an early adopter of blockchain gaming. Its mobile gaming campaign follows the success of Axie Infinity and NFL Rivals, which released their mobile versions last year and March this year, respectively.
“The mobile dev team has already begun working in the background and we’re on track to bring the game to all (Android and iOS) mobile devices with a soft launch later this year,” said the developers on Tuesday.
Gods Unchained is a turn-based, free-to-play card game. According to game director Chris Clay, it is similar to the popular physical trading-card game Hearthstone.
With a collection of over 13 million NFTs and a dedicated player base of approximately 65,000 unique holders, the game provides players with real rewards in the form of $GODS tokens for their victories.
The developers released a pre-Alpha version for Android on February 24, 2023. Players can provide feedback to the developers so they can fix bugs and improve the overall gaming experience. The mobile version of Gods Unchained is seamlessly integrated with the desktop version, ensuring cross-platform compatibility.
Mobile segment for Web3 games
Entering the mobile gaming market presents blockchain gaming companies with the most direct route to attract a substantial number of players and establish the buying and selling of in-app digital assets as a mainstream consumer habit.
Gods Unchained executive producer Daniel Paez said the mobile gaming industry is like a “really, really big pie,” and the company wants to get a “good slice of the pie.”
“And it’s a different kind of player [compared to PC and console gaming]. You have a wider range of players you can target,” said Paez, who previously worked for gaming powerhouses such as Activision and Blizzard Entertainment.
Developers planning to tap into the mobile game segment must overcome tech giants like Apple and Google Play with their closed ecosystems. Currently, more Android users are playing mobile games than Apple users. However, Apple’s affluent customer base is not less attractive, and developers prioritize this segment.
Historically, gaining access to Apple’s App Store has been challenging. The company even implemented a 30 percent tax on NFT games.
Popular Web3 games that have stepped into the mobile gaming sector, such as Axie Infinity and Stepn, have recently achieved Apple’s approval to list their titles on the App Store. While Axie Infinity is currently limited to select countries on Apple iOS devices, it aims to expand its availability worldwide soon.
Another obstacle for developers to tackle is maximizing the gameplay experience, which affects commercial success. Users familiar with Web2 gaming experience will have difficulties transitioning to Web3, such as setting up wallets, learning cryptocurrency trading and purchasing NFTs. Developers need to provide a way for these users to seamlessly transition so they can enjoy mobile games.
Moving forward, Gods Unchained’s Clay expressed anticipation for a jargon-free era in crypto gaming, where players seamlessly trade NFTs and are unconcerned about the blockchain behind their favorite titles.
“We need to solve the friction if we’re really going to take blockchain gaming to that next step,” said Clay.
