The Web3 gaming company has unveiled its latest milestone, announcing the commencement of public testing for its fully Ethereum-compatible network.
Leading the charge in the Web3 gaming realm, Immutable has initiated public testing for its cutting-edge Immutable zkEVM in collaboration with Polygon Labs.
Initiated in March, the development of the zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) network followed Immutable’s strategic partnership with Polygon Labs. Notably, Polygon Labs’ own zkEVM, hailed as an Ethereum scaling breakthrough, successfully transitioned to the mainnet on March 27.
Immutable’s announcement on August 14 highlighted the zkEVM’s potential to empower game developers with benefits like streamlined development costs, heightened security, and access to the Ethereum ecosystem’s network effects. Immutable’s co-founder and president, Robbie Ferguson, emphasized the zkEVM’s mission of expanding ownership rights for Web3 gamers.
A promising sign of progress is that a dozen game projects have already embarked on building their Web3 titles using the zkEVM framework. Noteworthy titles such as CoinArcade, Galaxy Commanders, Medieval Empires, MetalCore, Meta Toy, DragonZ SAGA, Rune Realms, Shardbound, Infinite Victory, EF Defense, and SimWin Football are among them. Notably, MetalCore has announced plans for a beta launch on Immutable zkEVM, scheduled for September 15.
Immutable zkEVM’s testnet incorporates zero-knowledge proofs to ensure secure transfers between itself and the Ethereum network, offering developers the opportunity to thoroughly test the platform before its mainnet launch.
A key feature of the network is its full compatibility with Ethereum applications. This allows developers to transition their Ethereum projects smoothly to the platform with minimal adjustments, as underscored by Immutable. Additionally, the team is preparing to deploy an “Immutable Relayer for currency abstraction and gas sponsorship,” enabling developers to create gas-free wallet accounts.
Alex Connolly, Immutable’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder exuded confidence in the new network’s appeal to developers. He stated, “This chain, combined with our suite of platform products, is the first comprehensive EVM solution tailored exclusively for achieving success in the gaming sector. We are already witnessing a significant influx of interest from games, players, and partners, which is set to make the Immutable ecosystem irresistible for the upcoming generation of Web3 games.”
Immutable’s prominence rests on its role as the developer of the Gods Unchained Web3 trading card game, which initially debuted on the Ethereum platform. In April 2021, the company introduced Immutable X, a zero-knowledge-based layer 2 network aimed at curbing transaction fees for gamers engaged in its titles.
It’s worth noting that while Immutable X is innovative, it lacks complete compatibility with Ethereum’s core computation engine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Consequently, users of Immutable X must generate derivative keys via a web interface to access the network.
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared insights on zkEVMs, acknowledging their potential to introduce challenges such as data inefficiency and latency concerns, while also recognizing their transformative potential in enhancing Ethereum’s scalability.