As a traditional AAA game giant enters the market. Web3 As a pioneer, Ubisoft has built a blockchain ecosystem covering multiple chains and game IPs since launching its NFT platform Ubisoft Quartz in 2021. As of July 29, 2025, its strategic core focuses on free NFT distribution, low-carbon blockchain technology, and the development of original blockchain games, gradually promoting the transition of players from "participants" to "stakeholders."
Initial Exploration: Carbon Neutral Experiment of Quartz Platform and Tezos Blockchain
In December 2021, Ubisoft tested the NFT platform Ubisoft Quartz in the PC game "Ghost Recon Breakpoint," launching an NFT item called Digits (weapons, vehicle skins, etc.). Its technological approach highlights environmental considerations:
- Zero transaction fees and low energy consumption: Based on Tezos Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain, with energy consumption for a single transaction equivalent to streaming a 30-second video, avoids the carbon footprint issues of traditional blockchains;
- Free distribution strategy: Early NFTs can be unlocked through game achievements, such as receiving weapons, helmets, and other items for free upon reaching level 5, supporting trading on secondary markets like Rarible and Objkt.
Despite the initial sluggish trading volume, Ubisoft still positions it as "the cornerstone of the Metaverse vision," emphasizing the importance of decentralized technology in granting players ownership of digital assets.
Multi-Chain Expansion: From Gaming Public Chain Oasys to Ethereum L2 Ecosystem
In 2025, Ubisoft accelerates its multi-chain compatibility strategy, covering three major mainstream blockchain networks:
- Oasys Chain:
- The turn-based strategy game "Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles" will launch a free NFT minting event in February 2025, issuing 75,000 character NFTs with a zero Gas fee model, allowing players to participate with their Ubisoft accounts. As of July 29, the game has completed closed beta testing and is expected to officially launch in the fall of 2025.
- Polygon Chain:
- For Metaverse platform The Sandbox Provides cross-game NFT avatars, allowing holders to use character assets in both The Sandbox and Champions Tactics, enabling IP reuse scenarios.
- Arbitrum Chain:
- Launching the top-down shooter game "Laser Eagle Captain: G.A.M.E." in December 2024, combining Netflix animation IP, issuing 10,000 free NFTs "Niji Warriors," giving players voting rights in game design.
In addition, Ubisoft announced its joining on July 19, 2025. Cronos Become a validator node in the network, supporting interoperability with Ethereum and Cosmos, strengthening the foundation for blockchain game development.
Original Chain Game Product Line: From Experimentation to AAA Investment
Ubisoft has formed a layered NFT game matrix, covering experimental projects to fully on-chain AAA masterpieces:
- "Ghost Legacy": Launching on Immutable X in May 2025, it is the first fully on-chain game that supports NFT character upgrades, cross-game asset transfers, and a cryptocurrency reward mechanism, regarded by the industry as a milestone in traditional large companies’ transition to Web3;
- "Champions Tactics": Featuring hardcore PvP turn-based gameplay, NFT characters possess both collectible and practical value, with a floor price reaching $0.0308 (Warlords NFT series), and total trading volume surpassing $7.83 million;
- Normalization of free minting activities: Through phased NFT claim openings (such as priority minting for Warlords holders), combined with Aleph.im’s random allocation technology, fairness is ensured while maintaining player engagement.
Ubisoft’s Core Strategy for NFTs: Free Distribution, Multi-Chain Parallelism, and Player Empowerment
Ubisoft’s Web3 strategy significantly differs from speculation-driven NFT projects, characterized by:
- Lowering the barrier: 90% of NFTs are distributed through task rewards or free minting, avoiding the "Pay-to-Earn" model;
- Sustainable design: Choosing low-carbon chains like Tezos and Oasys to respond to players’ environmental concerns;
- Community co-governance: For example, Niji Warriors NFT holders can vote to determine the direction of game development, practicing the idea that "players are co-creators."
Industry Impact: The Web3 Watershed for Traditional Gaming Giants
Ubisoft’s exploration provides a key template for the traditional gaming industry:
- Technical Integration: Validating the compatibility of blockchain with existing games through diverse networks like Cronos and Immutable X;
- Manufacturer Camp Differentiation:
- Supporters: Epic Games (open listing for crypto games), Square Enix (invested $20 million in The Sandbox);
- Opponents: Steam bans blockchain games from being listed, believing they conflict with centralized profit models;
- Future Predictions: Ubisoft executive Nicolas Pouard emphasized that the core value of NFTs is "to make players stakeholders in the ecosystem," rather than short-term monetization tools. Analysts believe that in the next 5 years, AAA game NFTs will generally be free, with transactions primarily settled in fiat currency.
Conclusion: The Long-Term Journey of Metaverse Infrastructure
Ubisoft’s Web3 journey validates its logic of ‘experiment first, ecosystem gradually’ — from Quartz’s trial with Tezos, to deep participation in Cronos validator nodes, and then to the full-chain 3A product of "Ghost Legacy", every step points towards the ultimate goal of a decentralized gaming universe. With "Champions Tactics" officially launching in the fall of 2025, this NFT gaming revolution led by traditional manufacturers may become a key turning point for the realization of the Metaverse economy.
