A new Ubisoft multiplayer RPG has just launched. Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles is a free PC game that allows you to build your own team of heroes and take on other players in strategic, turn-based battles. So what's the catch? It's also on the blockchain, and each of your collected characters is treated as an NFT. The launch of Champions Tactics comes in the wake of past criticisms leveled at the publisher for its use of the technology around some of its biggest game series such as Ghost Recon and Assassin's Creed.
Ubisoft describes Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles as "a PvP tactical RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Grimoria." It's a free PC game but, because of its use of the Oasys Blockchain, you'll need to have a compatible blockchain wallet associated with your Ubisoft account to play. Each of the game's champions - and there are 75,000 of them at launch - are treated as unique NFTs, meaning that only one player can have them at a time and that they can be traded or sold through the game's marketplace.
If you're not up to speed on the tech, NFTs are data units stored on a digital ledger known as a blockchain, effectively making them unique receipts to verify ownership of a digital product. They've caused plenty of controversy, in particular because of the high energy costs associated with their creation, but Ubisoft seems adamant about pursuing them. The failed Ubisoft Quartz NFT initiative implemented for Ghost Recon Breakpoint didn't prevent the publisher from committing to more such attempts in the future - and now here we are.
By winning matches and completing quests, you can earn in-game gold. You can then use this gold or other cryptocurrency to craft new champions through the Champions Tactics forge. While you can play using loaned "ethereal champions" if you don't own enough of your own, Ubisoft notes that "these non-tradable temporary characters can be used in battle for a limited amount of times before becoming unusable."
The developer says that "each champion has unique traits and abilities," and players have the option to combine two champions through the forge to create a new one. You can also sell these via the game's marketplace, where they can be bought either using cryptocurrency or by spending traditional money at a dollar price equivalent, which will be converted into the Oasys-based WOAS currency used by the game. Each sale results in a 1.5% fee going to the marketplace operator, Sequence, and a 6% fee taken by Ubisoft.
This latest project comes in the wake of a series of Assassin's Creed NFTs announced by Ubisoft in May 2023. In a statement to IGN, Ubisoft says that its Ubisoft Paris studio "partnered with Ubisoft's Strategic Innovation Lab and Oasys to ensure that our use of blockchain was done in service of delivering new and innovative gaming experiences for our players." It adds that the game's launch followed months of beta testing, and that it is "excited to keep expanding and enhancing the experience together."
Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles is out now and free to play via Ubisoft Connect. You'll need a blockchain wallet associated with your account to play, even if you aren't planning to use cryptocurrency in-game. For more details, visit Ubisoft's official FAQ.
Alternatively, take a look through the best free Steam games that you can enjoy without needing to brush shoulders with the world of crypto. Or go looking for your next favorite hobby with another of the best multiplayer games on PC in 2024.
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