Gods Unchained Announces Immutable's Migration to the zkEVM Network! What does it mean?

If you follow Gods Unchained news closely, you're probably already aware that the game's team has announced a Future migration to Immutable's zkEVM network . This is a major change and it is worth delving into its implications.

I am JFA, promoter of GU Masters, and I invite you to reflect on What this will mean in the short, medium and long term .

Origin and evolution of the Immutable ecosystem

Let's start by putting ourselves in context... It makes sense to explain the evolution of this ecosystem in Three phases .

Phase 1: Operating on the Ethereum Network

As you surely know, Gods Unchained began its journey back in 2018 operating directly on the Ethereum network (layer 1). However, as time went by, the costs of operating on this network began to skyrocket, a circumstance that hindered the growth of the game. The response of the Immutable team was, following popular wisdom, "to great evils, great remedies". And so they decided to bet on a technological innovation that would be useful not only to promote Gods Unchained, but to create an entire ecosystem of web3 games (video games with a "crypto" dimension).

Phase 2: Birth of Immutable X

Like this Immutable X emerged in 2021 as a layer-2 solution for Ethereum specifically designed to address the main problems of the base network: high gas fees and limited scalability. Using the technology of ZK Rollups (zero-knowledge proofs), developed in collaboration with StarkWare, Immutable X made it possible to group numerous transactions into a single batch to efficiently validate on the Ethereum blockchain, significantly reducing costs and energy consumption. Among its advantages were the No gas fees for NFT trading, massive scalability of up to 9,000 transactions per second, instant confirmations, and the ability to retain the security of Ethereum. In addition, it was 100% carbon neutral, facilitated NFT transfers without losing custody of the assets, and offered user-friendly tools for developing decentralized applications, which consolidated it as one of the leading platforms for NFT marketplaces and blockchain games.

Phase 3: Launch of Immutable's zkEVM network

On January 30, 2024, the Early Access phase of Immutable zkEVM . It is a blockchain network developed in collaboration with Polygon , one of the largest scalability platforms on Ethereum. It combines the security of the Ethereum mainnet with a technology called Zero Knowledge Proofs , which allows for fast transactions at a lower cost. In addition, it is 100% compatible with Ethereum, which means that any smart contract or dApp that runs on Ethereum can be used here without any problems. The zkEVM is a significant improvement over Immutable X (IMX) , which until now was the scalability solution used by Gods Unchained . Although IMX was already fast and cheap, the zkEVM offers:

• More scalability: Supports a higher volume of transactions without congestion.
• Increased Compatibility: being "Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible", it opens up a huge range of options to integrate tools, contracts and utilities from the Ethereum ecosystem.
• Reduced costs: the rates will be even lower than in Immutable X.

This development highlights something that was influenced by the article dedicated to the release of the Gods Unchained Battle Pass : there is a serious commitment to the future of Gods Unchained .

What does this migration mean for Gods Unchained?

Immutable's move to zkEVM is a major technical change that should translate, in the medium and long term, into Tangible benefits for all . As stated in the official announcement on the Gods Unchained website ( “Gods Unchained Ascends to Immutable zkEVM” ), migration will make it easier to respond to many of the community's requests.

1. Long-term commitment

The fact that Gods Unchained is migrated to the more powerful Immutable network is a clear sign that there is a serious commitment to the game not only from the Gods Unchained team as a business unit, but from the Senior Management of Immutable. A migration like this is not exactly free and requires the participation of different technical profiles beyond the team dedicated to Gods Unchained: it requires time, effort and resources. Therefore, it only makes sense to undertake it with the aim of paying it off in the long term.

Surely you have already realized that this is a clear indication that Gods Unchained will continue to be an important piece in the growth of the Immutable ecosystem. We are, in short, faced with the proof that Immutable bet in a way decided by Gods Unchained as a product with future projection. And this, obviously, is very important.

2. Improvements in the onboarding of new players

One of the biggest challenges of any web3 game has always been Simplify the onboarding of new players as much as possible (and especially those who are not familiar with crypto technology). In fact, this is the reason why Immutable decided to create Immutable Passport, a wallet that allows you to create an account and log in by linking a pre-existing account (email, social media) and manage assets enrolled in the blockchain without the need to install a specific wallet (such as MetaMask). Thanks to the zkEVM all this becomes much easier.

Some of the Improvements sound:

• Simplified account creation : fewer technical steps to start playing.
• Easier asset management : thanks to the use of Immutable Passport as a custodial wallet for crypto-assets (i.e. in-game assets inscribed on the blockchain, such as cards).
• Zero upfront fees : Players can get started without worrying about paying high commissions.

With these improvements, Gods Unchained will be in Much more favorable conditions to facilitate the incorporation of new players.

3. Marketing of "real" envelopes

If you've been playing Gods Unchained for a while, you're probably aware that expansion card packs are nothing more than an "illusion", a visual effect. When an envelope is created, it is automatically "opened" and its contents are inscribed on the blockchain. Thanks to migration it will be possible to have envelopes that are true "containers" of NFTs again and that, as such, can be bought, sold, given away... The implications of such a change in the game economy and in the psychology of players are significant.

This could allow also:

• The definitive migration of the Safes of the Genesis and Trial of the Gods expansions, as has already been confirmed.
• The implementation of Pack-based game modes , such as the classic Magic The Gathering "Draft."

Believe me if I tell you that It's no small thing .

4. More possibilities for $GODS staking

The $GODS token remains a key piece of the Gods Unchained economic ecosystem and with the migration to the zkEVM network it will be feasible to introduce improvements in the strike , including new features and rewards. Will it be possible to take into account new parameters (let's imagine, say, one multiplier per collection)? Maybe distribute complementary rewards (e.g., cosmetic items when certain temporary milestones are reached)? We will soon know.

5. Simplifying the Forging Process

Let's talk about the forge, which has always been one of the least rewarding mechanics for players due to the enormous number of clicks to be made in a process that is tedious and slow. Migrating to zkEVM should translate into a Much faster and easier process , which should also be applicable to the crafting . Fewer technical hurdles means more fun.

6. Greater integration with Ethereum

Being a fully Ethereum-compatible network, the zkEVM connects directly to Gods Unchained with one of the largest blockchain ecosystems in the world. This means Increased liquidity , more swapping options for your NFTs, and interoperability that wasn't possible before in Immutable X. And, above all, the possibility of implementing smart contracts, something that is really important.

7. Optimization for Developers and Community

The zkEVM also makes it much easier to create and deploy new functionality. In other words, developers will be able to release new content faster and more quickly. Third-party creations will have fewer technical barriers . This is a big step for Gods Unchained Continue to grow in personalized content, events, and tools.

Oh, and this includes the release of Eucos Emporium , a store that will make it easier to buy and open card packs.

Challenges of this process

Naturally, a change of this magnitude comes with some challenges, starting with its technical complexity. This is a process that can generate performance problems or interrupt the availability of the game for a while (or even the network itself, as the TokenTrove team has pointed out), require some short period of downtime, may suffer some difficulties with the migration of assets (duplications, assets in inactive wallets), loss of transaction history, etc. Luckily the Immutable team already has experience in processes of this type (such as the migration of Guild of Guardians from the Immutable X network to the zkEVM network).

At the moment there are numerous Unknowns , which will surely be cleared little by little by the Immutable team (Vesper has collected the most important ones in This document ).

Conclusion

The migration of Gods Unchained to the zkEVM of Immutable is, without a doubt, news that benefits the entire community. From a smoother experience for new players to greater functionality for veterans, the entire ecosystem will be boosted by this transition. But beyond the technical improvements, what really stands out is the The team's firm commitment to promoting the growth and evolution of the game .

From my point of view, the future of Gods Unchained looks good right now . What do you think? Are you excited about this new stage? Share your thoughts with me and this information with other members of the community!

Images courtesy of Gods Unchained Pty Ltd.