⚔️ Might + Magic

Hey frens.

Most crypto prices are up in the past week. Are we back yet?

Today we’re talking about Ubisoft, Yuga Labs, Base, and more.

— Kate Irwin

P.S. Let me know how you’re liking The Drop! Send me an email at [email protected].

Ubisoft and Immutable reveal Might & Magic: Fates

A day after I reported that Immutable’s about to drop some news about its game with Ubisoft, a press release has been published announcing an upcoming game. 

The game will be an installment in the fantasy Might and Magic franchise called Might & Magic: Fates. It’ll be a trading card game (TCG), which also confirms what I reported yesterday.

Might and Magic is a series of retro roleplay games (RPGs) from New World Computing and 3DO that first released all the way back in 1986. Ubisoft bought the rights to Might and Magic for $1.3 million in 2003 when 3DO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Over a dozen Might and Magic games have been released since the 80s, including official spinoff titles.

TCGs have been the most obvious genre for crypto game developers to build in because each card can be an NFT. Players can buy and collect digital cards as well as frames or special card backs for their decks. 

Trading card games require fewer players to match up individuals in 1v1 matches (as opposed to massive battle royale games or team games, which can have much longer queue times). TCGs also don’t require players to be geographically close to each other for optimal gameplay, like fast-paced RPGs or shooters do.

TCGs can also make money — and can be made for less money than extensive 3D worlds like MMORPGs or shooter games. Ad firm Udonis estimates that Blizzard’s Hearthstone — arguably the most well-known TCG — has made over $900 million in total game revenue and makes millions of dollars per month (Key Banc Capital Markets said that number was $600 million annually in 2019).

Immutable reportedly made $110 million in 2024.

But the TCG market is also competitive, even in crypto, with Axie Infinity, Gods Unchained, Splinterlands, Parallel, and other titles already playable.

Immutable’s VP of Business Development Andrew Sorokovsky said in a post the Might and Magic TCG will use Immutable’s zkEVM chain, which also confirmed my reporting from Tuesday. 

The press release states that there will be “hundreds” of cards featuring different creatures and characters. 

Immutable cofounder Robbie Ferguson posted a minute-long teaser cinematic promoting the upcoming game, which features an armored skeleton brought to life with green magic. 

More gameplay footage as well as preregistrations are expected “in the coming months.”

Ubisoft is also publishing a noncrypto prequel installment in the Might and Magic series, called Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, that is expected to launch sometime this year.

Yuga Labs wants its $9M 

Yuga Labs is trying to collect funds granted as part of a settlement in the Yuga Labs v. Ryder Ripps lawsuit over copied apes on the blockchain.

An April 21 filing from Yuga Labs’ attorneys viewed by Blockworks requested a motion for turnover order and wants Jeremy Cahen (the second defendant in the lawsuit) to give Yuga access to the wallets “identified in records” from Gemini.

Yuga says it is owed over $9.043 million as of Feb. 26.

Base lead apologizes for supporting coined dating profile

ICYMI, Coinbase’s head of Base and Coinbase Wallet Jesse Pollak is facing more controversy online after he reposted an image from a woman’s dating profile that someone had “coined.”

Pollak called the image and corresponding coin “a hilarious meme.”

Almost immediately, users on X shared the concern that the picture was posted and reshared without the woman’s consent.

But Pollak told X users to “support” the creator of the coined image, who is not the woman in the image, “by buying the coin.” The “content coin” in question is called “Who is your Valerie?” (One Base token with that name only has a meager $6,000 market cap at time of writing.)

“What in the fuck are we doing here man,” Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz wrote in response to a screenshot of Pollak’s now-deleted post.

Offline Protocol founder Satvik Sethi called the reposted image-coin an “insane violation of privacy and consent.”

Hinge’s terms prohibit anyone on the dating app from copying, distributing or creating “any derivative works from any Member Content” without Hinge’s “prior written consent.”  

“While you will have access to Member Content, it is not yours and you may not copy or use Member Content for any purpose except as contemplated by these Terms,” the terms read.

Pollak repeatedly apologized in response to the criticism. 

But man, this really feels like a quick repeat of “Base is pimping” all over again.

• Pixelated MMORPG Calamity is migrating to Ronin. 

• Pudgy Penguins is releasing a custom hardware wallet with Ledger. The “cold storage” wallet has the NFT collection’s Penguin characters splashed across the matte black custom version of the Ledger Flex. They’re also selling a penguin-themed case. Both will be available on Ledger’s and Pudgy Penguins’ official websites starting April 28.