Zynga unveils Sugartown as its first Web3 game

Zynga, the big mobile game developer and publishing label owned by Take-Two Interactive Software, has unveiled its first Web3 game and platform called Sugartown.

With this release, Zynga becomes the first major mobile game developer to create a Web3 game from scratch. Sugartown is built on the Ethereum network, providing players with an immersive environment where they can earn rewards.

The storyline of Sugartown revolves around three farm animals who accidentally open a wormhole into Sugartown from another dimension, allowing peculiar beings called Ora’s to enter the city. These Ora’s use their creativity to transform Sugartown into a vibrant place filled with fun and games.

In the game, players use their ERC-721 Ora token as proof of ownership to gain access to Sugartown. By staking Oras, players can earn energy, which can then be used to play Sugartown games and earn Sugar, the in-game currency used to unlock exciting rewards.

“We’re excited to launch Sugartown both as Zynga’s first Web3 game and as the first new Web3 game with an original IP by a major mobile game developer,” said Zynga vice president of Web3, Matt Wolf, in a statement. “Zynga has always been on the forefront of innovation, and with Sugartown, our ambition is to empower players through a sustainable Web3 platform full of fun and enduring games. We created Sugartown to appeal to a native Web3 market but with the ambition of scaling much wider over time while we build a passionate and engaged community of holders we hope will enjoy this experience as much as we loved bringing it to life.”

Players will have the opportunity to mint their own Oras later this year. Owning an Ora will be a requirement to access free-to-play minigames within Sugartown. As a Web3 game, Sugartown will continuously evolve over time, catering to Zynga’s community of holders and players.

“As Web3 rapidly grows and evolves, it’s challenging to keep up with the shifting regulatory landscape and ensure that game economies operate in an ethical, compliant manner,” said Catherine Mylinh, chief growth officer at Forte, in a statement. “Zynga and Forte both share a commitment to robust compliance and proper licensing to create lasting, sustainable economic opportunities for the player community, and protect all parties involved in the ecosystem.”

The deal is a big one for Forte, which raised $725 million in venture capital funding in 2021 but has been quiet of late. Forte’s focus is on providing the infrastructure for blockchain games.

The announcement of Sugartown was initially made to the Web3 community through a strategic marketing campaign on Twitter and Discord. As part of the official announcement, Zynga’s Sugartown team will host a Twitter Spaces event featuring Wolf, providing an opportunity for further discussion and engagement.