Solana just notched another win for its play-to-earn gaming ecosystem. Nyan Heroes, a battle royale game on the Solana blockchain, has been listed on the Epic Games Store (EGS).
On Thursday, January 11th, the cat-themed AAA game powered by non-fungible tokens announced that it will be listed on EGS. Although there is no official release date yet, it already has a “coming soon” page on the store.
Nyan Heroes was launched in 2021 by the gaming studio Developer 9 Lives Interactive. It is a team-based hero shooter game featuring cat avatars in deadly robot mechs called ‘Guardians.’
Nyan Heroes has already launched several NFT collections, including 11,111 Genesis Nyan PFP avatars released in April 2022. Besides the game, there is also a philanthropic side to the project. According to the studio, Nyan Heroes donated $250K from its first NFT drop to animal shelters with the mission of “saving 1 billion cats.”
News of the listing on EGS coincided with an airdrop being teased by Developer 9 Lives Interactive’s official X account, though it is unclear if the airdrop will be an NFT collection or crypto token.
For now, fans of the game can sign up for the wishlist on EGS. The more people that sign up, the more likely the game will be listed on the site’s front pages and attract more players. The game will initially launch in an early access phase.
The news of the game’s release on EGS comes as the Solana blockchain and its native token have been soaring. The $SOL token is up over 300% on the year, and in December, the blockchain made history when it eclipsed Ethereum in monthly sales volume of NFTs.
Epic Games Store Embraces Web3 Gaming
Nyan Heroes’ arrival on the Epic Games Store is exciting news for fans of the game, and for the Solana blockchain in general. After all, the Epic Games Store had over 230 million users in 2022, and that number is likely much higher now. But the Solana-based game isn’t the first time we’ve seen EPS embrace Web3 gaming.
At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several stories about blockchain-based games hitting the popular video game digital distribution service. Here are the top headlines:
- December 2023. Epic Games Releases ‘Lego Fortnite’ to Millions of Users
- October 2023. WAX Drops Web3 Wrestling Game on Epic Games Store
- June 2023. Nike Teases NFT Sneaker Hunt in Epic Games’ Fortnite
- September 2022. SOL Based ‘Star Atlas’ Demos On Epic Games Store
- September 2022. Epic Games Store Lists First NFT-Based Game
A few years ago, Web3 games were viewed with skepticism by many people in the gaming world. But these days, it looks like the tide is starting to turn, and Nyan Heroes listing on Epic Games Store is more evidence of that fact.
Although fans will have to be patient for the game to be fully listed and ready to play, the listing is a big win for Developer 9 Lives Interactive and the Solana play-to-earn gaming ecosystem as a whole. At Rarity Sniper, we’ll be on the lookout for any updates to the story.