Studio369 has announced the launch of the third Closed Beta (CB3) for its massively multiplayer online game (MMO), MetalCore, set to begin on June 27.

This beta phase will introduce several updates, including integrating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Web3 technology into the gameplay.

Dan Nikolaides, MetalCore’s chief technology officer and former software engineer at Midway and WB Games spoke to Cointelegraph about the transition from Web2 to Web3.

“We built the game to be accessible without needing a wallet, aiming to attract both Web2 and Web3 gamers.” 

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NFT in-game implications

Introducing NFTs will allow players to own distinctive in-game items that can be traded, establishing a player-driven economy.

Nikolaides spoke about incorporating “blueprints” necessary for players to develop and progress in-game. 

“The scanning system is designed so you have to play the game to find rare combinations of vehicles and mechs and then scan them to get blueprints.”

This latest beta phase also introduces SHARDS, an offchain currency that enables users to purchase digital collectibles with fiat currencies. Nikolaides said:

“We’re trying to strike the right balance between those who are passionate about playing a lot and those who want to spend money to get ahead.”

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Web3 integration for Web2 users

CB3 integrates Web3 technology to improve in-game elements without requiring players to have a digital wallet.

Studio369 partnered with Immutable to implement this middleware layer to appeal to traditional gamers and those familiar with blockchain technology.

“We didn’t want the Web3 implementation to impact any of our game design.” 

Nikolaides explained that the team behind MetalCore “want to grow slowly” to grow the game “responsibly.” 

Related: Web3 games can explode thanks to artificial intelligence, says AI gaming CEO

Ronin unveils zkEVM for gaming

Parallel to MetalCore’s developments, Ronin recently announced that it expanded to support a broader gaming ecosystem through a zero-knowledge (ZK) Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) blockchain.

Jeff Zirlin, co-founder of Sky Mavis, stated that the innovation would support up to four billion transactions daily.

Ronin’s layer-2 zkEVM aims to improve user capacity and support game studio partners.

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