Immutable Passport: The solution to mainstream Web3 gaming?
Immutable Labs, the Sydney-based crypto unicorn behind the Immutable X layer 2 solution, will launch its new feature, “Immutable Passport”, this month. The project’s goal is to offer gamers access to multiple metaverses with a single sign-on, potentially bringing in the next billion users to Web3.
Facilitating access for the next generation of web3 gamers
There are challenges hindering the mainstream adoption of Web3 games, including the high cost of entry, the lack of focus on quality gameplay, and the complexity of getting started in the space. The process of setting up a crypto wallet, acquiring a specific cryptocurrency, and purchasing NFTs can be quite daunting. That is where the Immutable Passport comes in.
While some additional features will be added in the following months, the Immutable Passport tackles the obstacles aforementioned by offering hassle-free onboarding and interoperability through a self-custodial wallet. Already available in early access, users can sign in with just their email and a one-time password to gain access to a seamless experience across multiple games.
The Immutable Passport is not solely limited to users, as it also caters to game developers by guaranteeing the integration of their projects within an interoperable gaming environment from the very beginning of the development process.
This eliminates the need for retrofitting the Passport into the code later on. Robbie Ferguson, the President and co-founder of Immutable, has characterized this concept as a game-changer for players, as it significantly lowers user acquisition expenses.
Immutable co-founders have an extensive background as gamers
Immutable Labs’ co-founders embarked on their venture at the onset of the NFT era, trading character skins and digital wearables for in-game items and characters on black markets for games like CounterStrike and RuneScape.
They recognized that these items could be traded as NFTs, providing a superior experience to what they had grown accustomed to while playing these games. Subsequently, they developed the widely popular Gods Unchained, which shares similarities with Magic the Gathering trading card game.
Throughout their journey, the team acquired valuable insights into the importance of off-chain gameplay after discovering that their initial game, built entirely on the Ethereum blockchain, cost approximately $100 per play. Consequently, they shifted their focus to prioritize fun and scalability, emphasizing the significance of NFTs through Gods Unchained, where community members can easily comprehend the importance of item ownership.
Alex Connolly, Immutable’s co-founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), asserted:
“We think that one amazing thing that gaming can do for crypto adoption generally, is actually giving people an incentive to use the technology. Like people who don’t even understand anything about crypto can usually understand, ‘I want to trade in-game items,’”
Special focus on security
Following the $625 million breach of Axie Infinity, one of the most well-known play-to-earn games, security concerns have emerged in Web3 gaming. Immutable Passport aims to tackle these concerns by providing secure entry to various metaverses. Additionally, because the Passport serves as a self-custodial wallet, users possess complete control over their private keys, significantly decreasing the likelihood of hacks.
