Ubisoft said it is no longer making updates or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.
The company confirmed that the March launch of its NFT-based Digit item for Breakpoint was the final update. Ubisosft said servers will remain available for Breakpoint and the earlier Ghost Recon: Wildlands.
Ubisoft stirred an uproar among fans when it announced the NFTs late last year. Ubisoft positioned it as a way to reward players who had put 600 hours or more into the game, and it enabled them to buy limited numbers of the NFTs and sell them as well. But it had a lot of restrictions on it, and gamers reacted negatively to the plan as a scheme to milk gamers, rather than providing NFTs with actual gameplay utility to players.
In that sense, the reaction to NFTs stirred a wave of negative reactions to blockchain-based projects at GSC Game World, Team17, voice actor Troy Baker, and various esports companies. In other places such as Asia and among crypto enthusiasts, however, NFTs are getting a much warmer reception as an opportunity for players to own digital goods and make money off them.
Ubisoft didn’t say whether it would drop NFTs altogether or pursue it with other brands that it owns. Ubisoft said Digits would continue with other platforms and projects. Ars Technica reported that there were just 96 successful resales from the thousands of Digits minted by Ubisoft.
We asked Ubisoft for comment and they issued this statement:
“At Ubisoft, we continuously learn by trying new things and encourage this attitude in our teams. Being first to take advantage of emerging trends and technology is more than core to Ubisoft’s strategy, it is part of our DNA. Ubisoft Quartz reflects this ambition and represents an incredible opportunity to learn with our community about what decentralization can bring to gaming. As the last Ghost Recon Breakpoint Digit was released on March 17, we will now look to continue our exploration by improving the value proposition of the platform with new projects and features.”
And in a message to players on its NFT page, Ubisoft said, “Thank you to all Ghost Recon Breakpoint players who claimed their first Digits! You own a piece of the game and have left your mark in its history. As the last Digit for Ghost Recon Breakpoint was released on 3/17/2022, stay tuned for more updates with features to the platform and future drops coming with other games!”