Fortnite Creator Epic Games Launches First NFT Game on Its Store

Blanko’s Block Party, a NFT-powered online creation game, launching today on the Epic Games Store, becoming the first Web3 title published on the popular PC gaming market.

Mythical Games’ title was previously available from its own website after launching with an open beta in December 2020, and the company said in June of this year that Blankos had amassed more than one million total users to date.

The studio announced plans in June to bring the free-to-play title to the Epic Games Store this year, but it was unclear if it would be the first such game to hit the market. Gala Games previously announced that the western-themed shooter Grit would be the first Web3 game on the platformbut it is not available yet.

Blanko’s Block Party allows users to play and collaborate in a colorful online world, and is inspired by designer/vinyl toy culture. NFTs are used in-game to represent unique items such as avatar designs and accessories, which can be bought and sold through the game’s marketplace.

Since its launch, the game has brought in a number of brand and artist partners for limited edition drops including Burberry, Atari and musician Deadmau5. However, it is not necessary to own NFTs to play the game. An NFT is a blockchain token which represents ownership of an item, including video game items such as characters, weapons, and virtual land.

Epic Games Store, which claimed more than A total of 194 million users by the end of 2021, has taken a different approach to Web3 gaming than its chief rival, Valve’s Steam marketplace. Last fall, Valve said that developers could not publish game on Steam that used NFTs or cryptocurrencies in any way.

In response, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted that while the studio – which publishes the smash hit Fortnite – itself did not plan to use NFTs or Web3 technology, it would allow other creators to use them as long as they comply with laws and market guidelines.

“Epic Games Store will accept games that use blockchain technology provided they comply with the relevant laws, disclose their terms and are age-rated by an appropriate group,” he tweeted. “Although Epic does not use crypto in our games, we welcome innovation in technology and finance.”

The version of Blanko’s Block Party that was launched on the Epic Games Store today is functionally identical to the version that can be played from the game’s own website. Both are available in what’s being billed as an “early access” state, with the full game launching to hit platforms on September 28 with additional content in tow.

Blanko’s Block Party runs on the studio’s Mythical Platform, which is built on the EOS.IO blockchain protocol but has a bridge to the leading NFT network Ethereum. Mythical also develops several other games, including licensed NFL rivalsand now last raised $150 million to a valuation of $1.25 billion last November.