Immutable Opens Its Platform to Traditional Game Studios—Ubisoft First to Sign On
Immutable, a major player in blockchain gaming, just made a move that could blur the lines between traditional and crypto-powered games. On Tuesday, the company announced it’s expanding its Immutable Play platform to include mainstream “Web2” studios—and Ubisoft is the first big name to jump in.
The shift means studios like Ubisoft can now offer crypto rewards, NFT items, and wallet integrations to players without fully committing to a blockchain-based game. It’s a middle ground, really—a way for big publishers to test the waters.
Why Open the Gates Now?
Immutable pointed to a few reasons. For one, the regulatory landscape is shifting. Courts and lawmakers are starting to chip away at the strict rules that have kept crypto and NFTs mostly locked out of mainstream gaming.
Take Australia, where a recent court ruling sided with Epic Games in its battle against Apple and Google over app store fees. That could make it easier for developers to bypass Apple’s 30% cut on NFT sales or crypto payments. Then there’s the CLARITY Act in the U.S., which might exempt certain in-game items from being classified as regulated digital assets.
But it’s not just about regulations. Immutable says the tech has gotten better, too. Onboarding new users into crypto is smoother now, and stablecoins make payments less volatile. For studios spending fortunes on player acquisition, blockchain rewards could be a cheaper way to keep gamers hooked.
Ubisoft’s Role—And What Comes Next
Ubisoft isn’t new to blockchain experiments. The company has already dabbled with NFTs in its *Might & Magic* series, and now *Might & Magic Fates* will be the first Ubisoft title to use Immutable Play.
The bigger question is whether other studios will follow. Immutable claims it’s already in talks with “multi-billion-dollar” publishers, though it didn’t drop names. The pitch is simple: try crypto rewards first, then maybe go deeper with tokens or full NFT economies later.
Still, not everyone’s convinced. Mainstream gamers have pushed back hard against NFTs in the past, and studios know the risks. But if Ubisoft’s experiment works—and if the legal hurdles keep falling—this could be the start of a much bigger shift.
For now, Immutable’s playing the long game. The goal isn’t to turn every *Call of Duty* into a crypto grindfest overnight. It’s about giving studios a way to dip a toe in, without diving headfirst. Whether that’s enough to move the needle? Well, that’s up to the players.
