Immutable to Allow Players to Avoid Transaction Fees on Upcoming Gaming Network

According to Decrypt, crypto gaming company Immutable has announced that players will be able to avoid transaction fees on its upcoming Immutable zkEVM network. This will be possible through a feature that allows game developers to 'sponsor' gas fees for players. Games built on Immutable zkEVM, a gaming-focused Ethereum scaling network announced in March, will have the option to enable this feature. This move could make it more affordable for players to try new games and potentially remove significant barriers to broader blockchain gaming adoption. Immutable Product Marketing Lead Michael Powell stated that to truly appeal to all gamers, Web3 games must offer a familiar and streamlined user experience, making the blockchain components as effortless and native as possible. Players using the upcoming universal gamer profile system, Immutable Passport, will be able to avoid gas fees for games sponsored by their developers. Immutable plans to sponsor gas fees for all games itself for a 'limited time' when the zkEVM mainnet launches early next year. To make their games gas-free, game studios can deposit funds into a special smart contract wallet, allowing fees from Passport users to be automatically paid without showing up for players. Immutable believes the cost to studios will be negligible compared to the benefits. The company aims to abstract gas fees from players and push for a monetization model where studios treat gas costs like infrastructure expenses, leading to smoother onboarding and higher transaction conversion rates. Over 200 games have committed to building within Immutable's broader ecosystem, with titles like Shardbound, MetalCore, and Space Nation set to launch on the Immutable zkEVM network.