GSC Game World wants to offer its fans a unique meta experience
GSC Game World, the Ukrainian video game company behind cult classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R, has joined forces with Los Angeles-based non-fungible token platform DMarket to create its own metaverse.
Fans can now sign up for the upcoming non-fungible token drops that will be sold on DMarket.
The developer will auction three exclusive NFTs that will allow their owners to become “metahumans” in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, the much-anticipated sequel to the franchise that is going to be released in 2022. Winners will be able to appear as non-playable characters in the game (a comrade, a bartender, etc.).
Evgeniy Grygorovych, CEO of GSC Game World, told The Verge that future metahumans will need to report to the company’s Kiev studio for a detailed analysis.
The content of other NFT drops remains unknown, but Grygorovych says that they will not have any impact on gameplay.
Part of the money won during the auction will be donated to charities.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a survival horror video game that takes place in the post-apocalyptic Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, was released back in March 2007. It was met with critical acclaim and huge commercial success, selling two million copies around the world in less than two years. After releasing a sequel and a prequel to the game, GSC Game World shut down in 2011 and the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was discontinued.
GSC Game World reopened in 2014 to work on a new game before giving away tracker 2 another go.
While acknowledging strong anti-NFT sentiment in an interview with Wccftech, Grygorovych expects the community of fans to appreciate the new technology:
We believe our community will benefit and appreciate whatever the Metaverse brings. This includes rewards, winning assets, trading, and the ability to win and have fun at the same time. Indeed, there is some tension towards blockchain and NFTs, as a lot has been done wrong in space.
