According to Decrypt, Splitgate, a popular first-person shooter game, will soon allow players to earn Bitcoin through a new Lightning Network integration by fintech startup ZBD. The startup has partnered with Splitgate developer 1047 Games to introduce the Bitcoin integration for the PC version of the free-to-play game. An upcoming tournament, the Splitgate Winter Invitational, will showcase the Lightning payments functionality and award players a share of a 0.5 Bitcoin prize pool, worth approximately $19,000 at the time of writing.
The tournament will begin in December with 16 teams, featuring the first round on December 10-11, a second round losers showdown on December 16-17, and the grand finals on December 22. ZBD plans to beta test the functionality before the tournament. Interested players can find details and register via the ZBD Discord server, with registration closing on December 10. To participate, players must be at least 18 years old, have a ZBD account, and reside in the United States or Brazil.
ZBD has previously integrated its Lightning-based Bitcoin technology into other popular PC games, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft. The Splitgate integration marks another step in the growing trend of incorporating cryptocurrency and blockchain technology into the gaming industry.