Immutable is an Ethereum network for Crypto and NFT games. This project stands out because it uses a layer-2 scaling network built on Ethereum through a partnership with StarkWare.
What’s the fuss about this innovative project? Compared to Ethereum, transactions cost zero gas fees, and the architecture can bundle transactions and process them faster than you will get on the Ethereum blockchain. It boasts a whopping 9,000 NFT transactions per second when Ethereum transactions take between 5 seconds and 30 minutes, with an average time of 5 minutes at a gas fee cost.
The project also stands out for revolutionising the game industry. Through the ERC-20 tokens, the developers of this project have tokenised in-gaming assets as NFTs. Compared to the one-sided traditional model where value exchange is between game players and organisations that create them, this innovation allows game players to own, retain, and financially benefit from their gaming activity.
Immutable’s Mission: Overcoming Barriers to Web3 Gaming Adoption
Immutable’s first gaming project, Gods Unchained, aimed to solve the problem of one-sided exchange. The game has amassed an all-time NFT trading volume of $398 million. However, despite its success, it revealed to the founders the gaming industry had more ground to cover.
This birthed the ImmutableX project, which intended to bridge the gap in Web3 gaming adoption by providing a blockchain gaming technology that allows other games to launch and scale without compromising Ethereum's security.
ImmutableX Explained
ImmutableX uses StarkEx, a fusion of StarkWare and Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Rollups. While STARK caters to blockchain scalability, StarkEx is an application-specific scaling engine. It contains several application flows that allow off-chain computation.
StarkEx retains the functionality of the STARK architecture, which means scalability and verification of bulk transactions are still possible through a STARK verifier that accepts the transaction on the chain. So projects can be built off-chain to ensure uncompromised security and scalable Web3 games, and transactions can still be achieved in the chain with StarkEx.
ImmutableX offers APIs and SDKs for seamless integration and uncompromised game quality. With ImmutableX, developers no longer need to speak with different vendors to build games. It is a one-stop shop for all the necessary tools to develop Web3 games, all at a cheaper cost and in an efficient environment.
Key Features of the Immutable Ecosystem: Tools, Security, and Accessibility
The Immutable ecosystem consists of its Marketplace, Web3 games, and Partners. StarkWare’s Ethereum layer-2 solutions make all these offerings possible. The marketplace allows for trading of NFTS, Web3games uses StarkEx to enable developers to build Web3 games seamlessly, and partners offer support tools for game development.
Immutable boasts partners like Earn Alliance, Kratos Studios, KAP games, the Ultra gaming ecosystem, and others. Earn Alliance educates teams on using NFTs for user acquisition and retention, and KAP games is a social-first distribution suite that helps players discover and engage with games.
The key features of Immutable Ecosystem are its tools, security, and accessibility. Let’s unpack each of these features and how they work:
Tools
Immutable has developer-centric tools for its Web3 gaming initiative. These tools include APIs, SDKs, a Marketplace, Royalties, and a Shared Order Global Book. Each aids the project's value offering.
APIs and SDKs allow Web3 game developers to build NFT-based applications focusing on user experience, which would have been difficult for the blockchain system. The Shared Order Global book facilitates transactions by allowing assets in the marketplace to be accessible across every platform integrated with ImmutableX.
Security
Immutable is built on Ethereum and automatically inherits the security of the blockchain system. Zero-knowledge rollups ensure data privacy and integrity while scaling the network, adding a layer of protection.
Aside from providing an extra layer of security, it also improves the transaction speed. Overall, building an architecture that is 100% carbon-neutral makes the project eco-friendly.
Accessibility
Immutable's commendable accessibility makes it stand out in the marketplace. Users and creators particularly choose it for its gasless fee charges for minting and trading NFTs through its ZK rollups.
Aside from a gasless charge, the architecture bundles transactions to reduce transaction costs. It does this at a speed of 9,000 transactions per second, which is ridiculously cheaper and faster than what is obtainable on the Ethereum blockchain.
Also, Immutable has simplified many complexities. Creators and marketplaces can seamlessly integrate into the architecture to offer their services.
Flagship games powered by Immutable
Immutable platform reviews show more than satisfactory remarks as The Game7 report recognises Immutable as the fastest-growing web3 gaming ecosystem. In 2024, the project signed more games than in previous years combined.
250+ games have been onboarded this year. Users have grown from zero to four million since the launch of Immutable Passport. The GG survivor game amassed 2 million downloads within weeks of its debut, and more to come.
Some of Immutable’s flagship projects are:
Gods Unchained
It is built for card lovers and has a design similar to Hearthstone but on a decentralised network. Gamers can trade their cards as NFTs.
Illuvium
The game puts a universe of famous, collectable NFT characters in your fingers, made by some of the world’s most creative artists. There are ultra-rare Illuvials in the game, created using never-before-seen 4D holographic shading methods. Illuvium provides a one-of-a-kind chance for players to gather, trade, combat, and gain uncommon in-game items.
Guild of Guardians
Guild of Guardians is a roguelite mobile RPG in a world on the brink of destruction. Players build their dream team of Guardians to battle against the corrupting threat of the Dread while earning epic rewards.
This game will feature a deep and sustainable economy where players can acquire a wide range of powerful Guardians that they can transform into NFTs. You can trade your Guardians with other players and upgrade your chosen squad or expand your roster to overcome any challenge you might encounter.
Benefits for developers and players
If you have followed the reading this far, you can make a wild guess and be right about the benefits of Immutable to developers and players.
For players, faster transaction speed at a lower cost and without gas charges is a clear benefit. On the gaming side of it, people can economise their gaming experience. It adds purpose and a reward system for doing what you like or consider fun (playing games).
For developers, Immutable provides an infrastructure for developing NFT gaming platforms for the Web3 gaming ecosystem. It constantly tries to improve its infrastructure and is a one-stop shop tool for developers.
With ImmutableX, developers can save ample time and develop games in a shorter time. The API and SDK functionality also provide the best visual quality during production. Even better, minting to the marketplace and third-party wallet integration are easier and more efficient. Game creators can easily liquidate through unparalleled access to the ImmutableX Marketplace and global-shared order book.
The creators' experience is at the core of Immutable's work. This explains why ImmutableX has doubled its pro-royalties approach, offering guaranteed royalties enforced protocol-wide on all marketplaces.
HODL Team
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