Ubisoft releases Rabbids NFTs on Polygon in Web3 Push

Ubisoft is among the few traditional game publishers that have adopted NFTs. The publisher released in-game NFT items in Ghost Recon Breakpoint in December 2021. It has now announced the release of Rabbids NFT avatars for The Sandbox metaverse game.

Ubisoft releases Rabbids NFTs

Ubisoft announced the planned release of its popular Rabbids characters a year ago. The NFT characters have now been released on The Sandbox, and the sale has already started for the users within the allowlist. The public sale will start on Wednesday.

Ubisoft will release 2,066 of the Rabbids avatars on the Polygon layer two network. Each NFT is priced at 100 SAND. The theme of this NFT drop is inspired by the Lunar New Year, where 2023 is labeled the year of the rabbit, with the Rabbids NFTs featuring multiple designs.

The Sandbox will launch a Rabbids gaming world on February 28. The game is currently in the alpha testing phase, with limited playable experiences available. The avatars are being promoted as having utility and offering access to potential drops in the future.

In September last year, the Sandbox initially integrated Rabbids characters into its NFT institute experience. At the time, the project also released the Rabbids-themed NFT accessories and items. The recent mint will be the first time players can buy Rabbids avatars for use within the game.

Ubisoft’s venture into Web3

A majority of traditional game developers and game publishers have been opposed to the integration of NFTs and blockchain technology in games. However, despite backlash from players, Ubisoft is venturing into the Web3 gaming industry.

Ubisoft is one of the largest game publishers behind some of the most popular games, such as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance. The company was among the first video game publishers interested in NFTs. In 2018, it created an NFT game inspired by Minecraft known as HashCraft. However, it did not release this project to the market.

In 2020, Ubisoft announced the launch of a Rabbids-themed NFT testing project where the proceeds would go towards UNICEF. This collection would allow the users to collect or steal Rabbids from other owners. In 2021, Ubisoft partnered with Sorare for the One Shot League. This league is a spinoff from Sorare.

Ubisoft also announced support for NFT gaming projects such as Axie Infinity and Nine Chronicles. The company has also invested in Animoca Brands and the Horizon game publisher.

The major turning point for Ubisoft in Web3 gaming happened after the company released Tezos NFTs for the Ghost Recon Breakpoint PC version. Ubisoft named these NFTs “Quartz” NFTs that would allow users to collect and trade unique weapons that would later be used for the squad-based shooter game.

Besides Ubisoft, Square Enix is another gaming project that integrated digital assets. The square Enix President announced that the company would be doubling down on its NFT plans this year.