It’s been a while since we checked in on survival sandbox Life Beyond, huh? The last time we looked at the game was back in November when it added training levels and such for a playtest. Well, let’s take a look back in to see what’s happening, and… oh no, the developers were bought out by blockchain company Amimoca Brands and they’re hard pivoting to go all-in on blockchain and NFT nonsense. Something that Darewise CEO Ben Charbit is apparently also absolutely supporting. So this is not going to be a pleasant or encouraging check-in, then.
The official Darewise Twitter account immediately tweeted excitement about the company’s partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club, one of the most visibly prominent NFT organizations out there right now, although the initial tweet about the acquisition has been targeted by spammers. Darewise’s CEO Charbit states that the integration with Web3 and NFT technology will ultimately help the game, which is planning on another playtest this summer. However, his statements are long on vague promises with very little actual substance beyond repeated statements that the game will include NFTs and play-to-earn capabilities that will allegedly improve the experience for players in wholly non-specified ways.
If you’ve totally forgotten about Darewise up until now, it’s important to remember that the company (which is made up of former Ubisoft employees) was originally behind survival sandbox ROKH, with Life Beyond previously having been known as Project C. Darewise insisted that ROKH was not being abandoned in March of 2018, then officially suspended development on it in July of 2018 (which, to be fair, was because ROKH was doing the opposite of making money). Given the company’s track record, one would understandably be skeptical about its promises regarding Life Beyond no matter what; the inclusion of the notoriously shady and untrustworthy world of NFTs and blockchain should in no way allay that suspicion.
