The Ethereum NFT card game, Cross The Ages, is set to unveil a fresh card collection through a collaboration with Ubisoft and the popular Watch Dogs gaming franchise.
Starting April 3, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to acquire cards featuring iconic Watch Dogs characters within the realm of Artellium, a captivating new map collection within Cross The Ages.
The announcement of this release was made via Twitter by Cross The Ages, accompanied by a link to the official trailer showcasing the expansion.
Highlighted in the trailer is Aiden Pearce, the central figure of the Watch Dogs franchise known for his grey-hat hacking skills. Watch Dogs, reminiscent of an open-world GTA-style adventure, initially debuted on PC and consoles in 2014.
Cross The Ages distinguishes itself as an NFT card-battling game, leveraging NFTs minted on Ethereum scaling solution Immutable X. Despite Immutable’s standing as a leading layer 2 solution for Ethereum-based games, recent market fluctuations have seen it lose nearly 12% of its value over the past week. Presently, it is trading at $2.95, making it one of the few prominent cryptocurrencies to experience losses this week.
Beyond NFT’s: Ubisoft’s Path To Adoption
Ubisoft’s collaboration with Cross The Ages initially stemmed from a strategic investment when the gaming behemoth participated in a $12 million funding round in March 2022. Later that same year, Square Enix, the publisher behind Kingdom Hearts, also joined as a strategic investor in the game.
Presently, Ubisoft stands at the brink of unveiling its inaugural in-house NFT title, Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, a multiplayer turn-based RPG. The game was teased through an event held in December, granting early supporters the opportunity to mint playable Ethereum-based avatars and figurines.
Before venturing into in-house NFT development, Ubisoft had integrated certain NFT elements into Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. These NFTs were launched via Ubisoft’s dedicated NFT platform, Ubisoft Quartz, in 2021. Utilizing the Tezos blockchain, Ubisoft Quartz aims to introduce additional NFTs for its franchises through the platform.
Ubisoft’s keen interest in blockchain technology has been evident for some time now, marking a significant stride in its exploration of decentralized technologies within the gaming landscape.
In 2018, Ubisoft showcased its ongoing blockchain project, Hashcraft, at a crypto gaming convention in San Francisco.
Additionally, Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab collaborated with Sorare on an experimental playable NFT fantasy football venture named OneShot League. The Lab also delved into NFT experimentation within the publisher’s beloved Rabbids franchise.
Sorare, a beneficiary of Ubisoft’s Entrepreneurs Lab accelerator program, received support and investment from the gaming giant. This accelerator program has extended its aid to various crypto gaming startups, including the renowned Axie Infinity project.
According to a recent report by DappRadar, blockchain games constituted 34% of Dapp activities in 2023, attracting an impressive 1.1 million active users daily.
