Immutable’s zkEVM Blockchain Eliminates Gas Fees to Improve Web3 Player Experience
In Brief
Immutable’s zkEVM gaming blockchain eliminates gas fees for developers, to help offer familiar gaming experiences to their communities.
Immutable announced a pioneering advancement in the gaming blockchain sector with the introduction of Immutable zkEVM.
Developed in collaboration with Polygon Labs, the company asserts that the next-gen zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-based scaling platform aims to streamline user experiences by eliminating transaction fees, addressing a significant obstacle to the widespread adoption of decentralized gaming.
Gas fees has primarily been a user friction point. According to Immutable, these fees — essential for incentivizing blockchain security, have posed challenges for mass adoption, particularly for players transitioning from traditional gaming communities.
“If players don’t need to pay fees to play your game, more people will play your game. But I would argue that the impact to the user experience is even more impactful than the cost element. Immutable zkEVM will enable game studios to completely remove the concept of gas fees from the player experience,” Michael Powell, Head of Product Marketing at Immutable told Metaverse Post.
“Traditional gamers aren’t used to paying fees for in-game actions (crafting, transacting, etc.) and, with Immutable zkEVM and Immutable Passport, they will get an experience they are familiar with,” he added.
Addressing Gas Fee Challenges to Ease Decentralized Gaming
Immutable asserts that gas fees not only complicates user experiences but also necessitate players to navigate various steps, from bridging to swapping — to ensure sufficient funds in the right wallet.
Immutable zkEVM has been designed for gaming with compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, scalability and enterprise-grade security, that promises to eradicate the concept of gas fees, enhancing affordability and accessibility for players exploring new games.
The company said game developers leveraging Immutable zkEVM can sponsor gas fees for Immutable Passport users, streamlining onboarding processes and boosting transaction conversion rates. The imminent mainnet launch of zkEVM in early 2024 will witness Immutable sponsoring gas fees across its gaming ecosystem for a limited time, ensuring a easy transition for users.
“Players sign transactions via their wallets to perform on-chain actions involving assets they own. If the transaction was signed from a Passport wallet, Immutable will validate the transaction against the application’s sponsorship configuration,” Immutable’s Powell told Metaverse Post. “If the 3rd party chooses to sponsor the transaction, Immutable will submit the transaction (gas free for the player) and recoup the cost from counterparty – be it a game studio, marketplace or Immutable themselves.”
Powell further added that in order to make their games gas free for players, games can create an account for gas fees through Immutable’s Developer Hub, which can be maintained through a variety of funding methods. If the player’s transaction is sponsored, the gas costs will be debited from this account.
Paving the Way for Monetization Innovation
Immutable’s efforts to optimize gas efficiency in zkEVM translate to negligible costs for game studios – approximately $500-$1,000 for every 100,000 users. With a well-designed game economy, the company believes that gas sponsorship will not only enhance player adoption and conversion but also generate substantial revenue, surpassing the incurred costs.
“Our belief is that games should treat the cost of this sponsorship like their traditional server costs. Just as you wouldn’t expect players to cover their own AWS costs, games should sponsor gas fees to remove this friction and convert users into profitable customers through other forms of monetization. With proper game economy design, gas sponsorship can increase player adoption, conversion, and overall revenue for a game studio,” explained Immutable’s Powell.
Treating gas sponsorship as conventional server or infrastructure costs, developers can introduce digital asset ownership models that mutually benefit players and game studios. The company’s forthcoming mainnet launch aims to be a game-changer, fostering a more inclusive and seamless gaming ecosystem.
“Balancing monetization with player satisfaction is the single greatest challenge facing the gaming industry. Only 5% of players make in-game purchases, and over 60% of those players regret spending money in the game. When blockchain technology and digital asset ownership are introduced, we’ve seen higher player engagement, an increase in average revenue per user, and reduced churn,” Immutable’s Powell told Metaverse Post. “By shifting a game’s audience from “user” to “owner”, game studios introduce a new revenue stream and players get to share in the success of the game.”
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.
About The Author
Victor is a Managing Tech Editor/Writer at Metaverse Post and covers artificial intelligence, crypto, data science, metaverse and cybersecurity within the enterprise realm. He boasts half a decade of media and AI experience working at well-known media outlets such as VentureBeat, DatatechVibe and Analytics India Magazine. Being a Media Mentor at prestigious universities including the Oxford and USC and with a Master's degree in data science and analytics, Victor is deeply committed to staying abreast of emerging trends. He offers readers the latest and most insightful narratives from the Tech and Web3 landscape.
More articles
Victor is a Managing Tech Editor/Writer at Metaverse Post and covers artificial intelligence, crypto, data science, metaverse and cybersecurity within the enterprise realm. He boasts half a decade of media and AI experience working at well-known media outlets such as VentureBeat, DatatechVibe and Analytics India Magazine. Being a Media Mentor at prestigious universities including the Oxford and USC and with a Master's degree in data science and analytics, Victor is deeply committed to staying abreast of emerging trends. He offers readers the latest and most insightful narratives from the Tech and Web3 landscape.
