Australian indie recreation developer Grease Monkey Video games, a subsidiary of Animoca Manufacturers, has acquired acquired monetary assist from video-game large Epic Video games to develop a brand new blockchain-based motorsport recreation Torque Drift 2

Receiving an Epic MegaGrant from the Fortnite builders, the funding will probably be used to develop the motorsport title, which relies on drifting. The Unreal Engine is a 3D pc graphics recreation engine developed by Epic Video games, which has been utilized in many industries after it was first showcased within the 1998 recreation Unreal. 

Based on an Aug. 18 announcement from Animoca Manufacturers, the Epic MegaGrant, which ranges from  $5,000 to as a lot as $500,000, will probably be used to develop a practical gaming expertise that’s on par with different triple-A video games that additionally make the most of the Unreal Engine. 

Contemplating that Grease Monkey Video games is creating a play-to-earn (P2E) recreation, the Epic Video games grant represents a notable present of assist from the standard gaming sector, one thing which has typically been at odds with blockchain gaming.

Torque Drift 2 is an upcoming drifting motorsport recreation with a tuning storage obtainable to gamers from Q3 2022 and a full launch date set for 2024. The sport will make the most of nonfungible token (NFT) components, automobiles, decals, and gadgets that gamers can use to construct up their automobile and profile.

Gamers will even have the ability to create their very own paint job and automobile tune NFTs, which may then be shared and offered throughout the Torque Drift 2 market.

Grease Monkey Video games is a standard recreation developer that has been publishing authentic IP video games since 2014, which have over 45 million international downloads. They have been acquired by Animoca Manufacturers in February 2022 and Animoca will assist them as they transition to blockchain video games.

In contrast to conventional video games the place gamers usually purchase in-game gadgets with actual cash however are then prevented from pulling that cash again out, incorporating blockchain verifiable NFTs into video games is seen as a method to supply digital possession over in-game content material. As such it permits gamers to promote gadgets when they’re performed enjoying the sport or need to alternate their gadgets for brand spanking new ones.

This kind of mannequin is sometimes called P2E, with gamers being rewarded with financial worth for taking part throughout the ecosystem.

Associated: NFT video games have edge over ‘cash in, no cash out’ video games: Polygon’s Urvit Goel

Many critics of P2E video games corresponding to Udi Wertheimer level out that these video games require wallets and cryptocurrency purchases earlier than gamers can begin enjoying, and will not be as enjoyable as conventional video games.

Different critics corresponding to Minecraft developer Mojang Studios have pointed to the implementation of NFT’s inside video games as a software for speculative pricing, which inspires profiteering over recreation playability.

Animoca Manufacturers alternatively has been a prolific investor in blockchain-enabled video games, with a portfolio that features The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and Phantom Galaxies. The co-founder and Government Chairman of Animoca Manufacturers Yat Sui is a big proponent of digital property rights and believes it represents a paradigm shift towards a extra decentralized society.