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God’s Unchained player base almost ‘tripled’ as a result of Blizzard’s Hong Kong fallout, according to developer Immutable.
God’s Unchained is a trading card game powered by blockchain, that takes the best features of the tabletop and the digital sphere to create a unique yet classic experience. It may share similarities to Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone, but its players own and trade the cards for real currency. It’s currently in development but boasts around 600 to 700 cards in the game, and the gods of God’s Unchained give rise to various gameplay advantages and playstyles. It also has a burgeoning competitive scene, and after Blizzard distanced itself from pro Hearthstone player Blitzschung, Immutable offered its two cents.
The Sydney-based developer said that it would compensate Blitzschung for his lost winnings that Blizzard took back, and that they would provide him with a ticket to the God’s Unchained grand finals. Immutable’s response went viral and resulted in a rush of players trying out its trading card open beta. Of course, Blizzard softened its stance and Blitzschung received his revoked prize money and his ban was reduced from 12 months to six months. However, players have gotten stuck in with God’s Unchained. CEO James Ferguson revealed the incredible numbers in an interview with Crypto Finder.
After Immutable showed its public support for Blitzschung, Ferguson explained that the player base ‘essentially between doubled and tripled’ in the subsequent days. ‘The response has been amazing,’ he enthused. ‘This is something which gamers care about, and at the same time, they love the game.’ Furthermore, Ferguson added that its announcement was not just a marketing stunt for God’s Unchained. ‘This was a perfect opportunity for us to showcase what true ownership and decentralisation in our game means,’ he said, referring to block-chain enabled gameplay.
‘It was a great example of why censorship resistance in games matters,’ Ferguson continued. ‘Not because games companies should be taking political stances, but exactly because they shouldn’t.’ Though he cannot play Hearthstone for a little while yet, Blitzschung has since joined pro team Tempo Storm. CEO Andrey Yanyuk lauded the player for his exceptional talent and ambition. ‘We believe first and foremost in supporting players and encouraging them to engage and to speak out on the things about which they are most passionate,’ he added.
The God’s Unchained open beta is available for PC.
