Tribe Gaming expands into play-to-earn blockchain gaming

North American mobile-focused esports organization Tribe Gaming has committed to play-to-earn gaming on the blockchain.

The basics: Tribe has partnered with Skrice Studios, focusing on the developer's MMO strategy game Mavia.

• This is the first blockchain project for the organization, which has made a name for itself on mobile games since launching in 2017.
• The collaboration sees Tribe Gaming acquire "dozens" of plots of land in Mavia — all of which will feature its branding in-game.
• "We’ve been carefully examining the right P2E project to integrate Tribe IP inside of, and collaborating with Mavia is an exciting opportunity,” said Tribe CEO Patrick Carney.

On the chain: Play-to-earn is a small section of gaming but its popularity is rising.

• Play-to-earn games typically utilize NFTs (a controversial technology that assigns a unique identifier to digital assets) to provide rewards through gameplay.
• In the context of blockchain gaming, in titles such as Axie Infinity, NFTs are used to provide players with ownership of in-game items such as plots of land and clothing.
• Generally, these NFTs can be purchased by players and later sold outside of the game on a marketplace — in some cases providing the opportunity for players to make money.
• In the case of Mavia, the game is based on an island of the same name where players build bases on land and fight their neighbors. Victory results in earning resources, including Mavia's cryptocurrency RUBY, which players can use to upgrade their NFTs.