ZBD, a gaming technology company based in New Jersey and built on the Lightning Network, has partnered with indie gaming studio 1047 Games to introduce bitcoin payments for players of Splitgate, a free-to-play competitive first-person shooter (FPS). The collaboration will launch a PC-based tournament called “The ZBD x Splitgate Winter Invitational,” starting on December 10. The tournament will award the winning team with a payout of 0.5 BTC (approximately $18,000) directly sent to the ZBD wallets of the winners.
Splitgate, developed by 1047 Games, combines sci-fi elements, fast-paced gunplay, and vertical mobility via portals to create an action-packed multiplayer environment centered around movement and strategy. The game, which initially debuted in May 2019 as a competitor to popular titles like Call of Duty and Fortnite, has garnered 18 million downloads to date. However, development on the title was halted in September 2022 as the studio shifted its focus to a new game.
Despite this pause in development, 1047 Games continues to innovate by using bitcoin Lightning payments to instantly settle tournament payouts for its players. This move, while not entirely unique given ZBD’s previous integration of bitcoin payments in over 100 games, marks a significant milestone for the gaming industry, which has largely been overshadowed by Web3 hype. The seamless integration of Bitcoin into a competitive and well-designed game like Splitgate is indeed refreshing.
In a press release to Bitcoin Magazine, 1047 CEO Ian Proulx expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We’re always excited to hear innovative solutions to reward our players, such as what ZBD has done, and the tournament that they plan to hold later this month.”
This initiative to incorporate Bitcoin into a competitive FPS game may prompt other gaming studios in the genre to explore similar bitcoin-based incentives for player retention and in-game performance. Given the digital-native nature of gamers and their propensity to spend significant time online, they may be particularly receptive to Bitcoin and other internet-native currencies.
While Lightning payments have not yet become widespread in the gaming industry, ZBD’s entry into the competitive FPS arena signals a growing interest among gaming studios in integrating internet-native money into the player experience. Gamers interested in participating in the ZBD Splitgate tournament can register on the company’s website for a chance to win bitcoin rewards while showcasing their skills in the game.
