The world of blockchain gaming and NFTs continues to evolve, as evidenced by Yuga Labs’ latest announcement of their upcoming workshop-building game – HV-MTL Forge. Some may recall the recent hype and controversy surrounding Yuga Labs‘ Dookey Dash, which generated $110 million worth of NFT trades and saw the winning player sell their reward NFT for a staggering $1.63 million worth of Ethereum. Despite the criticisms, there’s no denying the attention it garnered. The real question is whether Yuga Labs can maintain that momentum and build upon it with their new game.
Set to launch on June 29, HV-MTL Forge centers around the Bored Ape Yacht Club creator’s HV-MTL robot NFTs. Owners of Sewer Pass NFTs, which were necessary to play Dookey Dash, had the option to swap their passes for HV-MTL mech suit NFTs back in March. Now, these HV-MTL NFTs will grant access to the Forge game, where players must customize and enhance their workshops in an attempt to secure community votes for having the best space.
While NFTs (non-fungible tokens) represent digital goods such as artwork, avatars, and in-game items, skepticism remains regarding their value and future potential. HV-MTL NFTs, which are minted on the Ethereum network, currently have a starting price of 0.88 ETH ($1,570) on the OpenSea secondary marketplace. Though they have generated roughly $38 million in secondary trades thus far, one must wonder if these high valuations are sustainable in the long run.
Yuga Labs clams that playing the Forge game will allow users to earn customization features, but will the experience be as enjoyable as anticipated? Co-founder Greg “Garga” Solano expressed excitement about unveiling Forge next week. He promises more content to come in the lead-up to the launch, assuring players that the game “will just make sense once you’ve played for a bit.”
With its relatively compact design, HV-MTL Forge may resemble Dookey Dash, though Yuga Labs is also developing the Otherside metaverse game. This larger project, built around Bored Ape Yacht Club lore, will support avatars from other NFT projects.
As the blockchain gaming and NFT space continues to expand, games like Dookey Dash and HV-MTL Forge further blur the lines between technological innovation and speculative investment. Whether the popularity and valuations tied to these projects are fleeting or a sign of the future, only time will tell.
Source: Decrypt
