It looks as though Square Enix, the publishing powerhouse behind Final Fantasy, is yet another gaming company toe-dipping into cryptocurrency.
Decrypt reports that Zebedee, a blockchain gaming startup, raised $35 million during its latest round of funding. Of those investors was Square Enix, which contributed an unspecified amount (likely a significant chunk). Zebedee’s platform lets developers implement micropayments via its Lightning Network, allowing players the opportunity to earn Bitcoin through in-game activities.
Truthfully, none of this is that surprising. Earlier this year, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda expressed interest in blockchain technology. Specifically, NFTs. Insisting that “there will be a certain number of people whose motivation is to ‘play to contribute,’ by which I mean to help make the game more exciting.” The company also recommitted to this in a year-end report.
All of this comes mere months after Square Enix sold franchises like Tomb Raider, Thief, Legacy of Kain, and Deus Ex, along with studios such as Eidos Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montréal, to Embracer Group for $300 million. Stating that those funds would aid with blockchain investments. So this has been a long time coming, much to the dismay of long-time fans.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
