Ubisoft is adding NFTs to its games, starting with Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Ubisoft has announced plans to add non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to its games, starting with Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

NFTs are unique non-interchangeable units of data stored in a digital ledger, which users can buy and sell.

Ubisoft is introducing NFTs to its games via Ubisoft Quartz, which it bills as “the first platform for playable and energy-efficient NFTs in AAA games”.

Launching this week in beta with the PC version of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, it will enable players to acquire ‘Digits’, which are collectible in-game vehicles, weapons and pieces of equipment.

Digits will be released as part of limited ‘Editions’, each made up of a fixed number of cosmetic items.

UPDATE: Ubisoft‘s plan to add to NFTs to its games has been met with an overwhelming backlash by viewers of the official Quartz reveal trailer.

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ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: Ubisoft said: “Digits are a new way to experience cosmetic items, combining the fun of playing with AAA quality assets and the thrill of owning NFTs that represent unique, collectible pieces of Ubisoft game worlds.”

Each Digit has its own serial number which can be viewed by other players in-game and comes with a certificate of ownership. Players will be able to sell Digits on third-party platforms outside of the Ubisoft ecosystem.

“Our long-term efforts led us to understand how blockchain’s decentralized approach could genuinely make players stakeholders of our games, in a way that is also sustainable for our industry, placing back into their hands the value they generate through the time they spend, the items they buy or the content they create online,” said Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab.

“Ubisoft Quartz is the first building block in our ambitious vision for developing a true metaverse. And it can’t come to life without overcoming blockchain’s early-form limitations for gaming, including scalability and energy consumption.”

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Ubisoft Quartz uses Tezos, a blockchain which the publisher says operates using much less energy than others like Ethereum.

Ubisoft blockchain technical director Didier Genevois said: “Energy-efficiency is a key requirement to propel blockchain technology into a future where it can be widely used by millions of players. We chose Tezos because of its original Proof-of-Stake network and its leadership on clean NFTs.

“One transaction on their network uses the same amount of energy as streaming 30 seconds of video, while the previous generation of blockchain networks can consume the same energy required for one year of non-stop streaming. This low carbon footprint means that both our developers and our players can prioritize innovation without compromising sustainability.”

Ubisoft Quartz will be available in beta starting December 9 at 6pm UTC / 10am PT / 1pm ET in the US, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Australia and Brazil.

It will launch with three drops of free Digits on December 9, 12 and 15, which will be available on Ubisoft Quartz and playable with in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, with further drops to follow in early 2022.