Pudgy Penguins, an NFT collection on Ethereum, unveiled a sneak peek of their upcoming 3D browser game, Pudgy World, at Art Basel in Miami. This game is set for an initial release in 2024. Following a change in leadership due to some controversy, Pudgy Penguins revamped things by forming an executive advisory board, securing $9 million in funding, and spreading plush penguin toys across 2,000+ Walmart and Hot Topic stores nationwide. They also gained massive attention with viral social media videos.
In the game’s lobby, fans will get their first taste of the virtual ice. When fully launched, folks who own Pudgy Penguin NFTs or plush toys can adopt a 3D character in the game, mirroring their real collectibles. Pudgy World is free-to-play, letting gamers explore, personalize their characters with bought features, and dive into a story-driven adventure, according to the official announcement.
CEO Luca Netz emphasized how important the alpha launch is, saying that Pudgy Penguin owners can enjoy their Pudgy Toys without needing to understand the complex blockchain stuff behind it.
Pudgy World plans to use Matter Labs’ Ethereum layer-2 scaling protocol, zkSync, which uses zero-knowledge (ZK) blockchain tech. ZK proofs ramp up user privacy compared to regular blockchain actions on public networks like Ethereum. Although they haven’t given specifics about how zkSync will work in Pudgy World, Michael Lee, Matter Labs’ SVP of Growth, hinted that their ZK tech will bring in fresh business models and gaming experiences for players.
