Immutable Shifts Strategy, Embraces Open Gaming Ecosystem

Immutable, a gaming-focused crypto company, has been evolving its strategy over the years, learning from its experiences in the crypto space. The company now manages a portfolio of 500 games from various developers, which presents both opportunities and challenges.

Justin Hulog, Immutable’s chief studio officer, shared insights into the company’s ecosystem during a recent discussion. Hulog, who previously worked at Riot Games, acknowledged that the extensive roster of games makes it difficult to give each one the attention it deserves, especially with more games on the horizon.

Hulog highlighted the maturation of Immutable over the past three years, noting that while the launch of Guild of Guardians could have been better managed with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and more data on wallet spending, the free-to-play pixelated MMORPG Ravenquest has been a success. Ravenquest’s land sale sold out in December and the game launched this month, indicating a positive reception.

Immutable is increasingly pushing its games towards zkEVM, its newest chain. This shift is driven by the company’s belief in the future of Layer 2 solutions and their potential to enhance the value and use cases within the gaming ecosystem.

The company is also re-evaluating its approach to creating a walled garden ecosystem. Initially, Immutable believed that all elements of the gaming experience should be contained within a single, gated ecosystem. However, this strategy has proven ineffective for both games and gamers. The realization that different gaming chains, each with their own dedicated wallets, are emerging has led Immutable to adopt a more open approach.

Hulog acknowledged that the initial hypothesis of a walled garden was flawed, as it did not work for every game or gamer. This shift in perspective is partly due to the competitive landscape, where rivals like Ronin and Sui continue to grow. The complexity of managing multiple wallets for different gaming chains has also highlighted the need for a more flexible approach.

Hulog questioned whether the focus should be on competing with each other or on advancing Web3 gaming as a whole. He suggested that the industry should prioritize broader adoption and creating better experiences for gamers, rather than engaging in internal competition.