‘The Walking Dead’ Ethereum NFT Game Is About to Be Killed Off

An officially licensed “The Walking Dead” role-playing game based on the popular TV show will be shut down after July 31, according to blockchain game publisher Gala Games. 

The Walking Dead: Empires, a multiplayer survival game that was built around Ethereum NFTs, was playable in open beta for the last year after first being announced in late 2021.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to sunset The Walking Dead: Empires, with the last playable date set for July 31, 2025,” wrote Gala Games in a statement this week.

Available for playtests as early as 2023, the game challenged players to craft weapons, build bases, and fight for survival to keep safe from the “walkers,” or zombies. To enhance the experience, users could buy NFTs of supplies, weapons, or deeds to land to build a base. 

Unlike other in-game items that eventually disappear from a player’s inventory after so many uses, the NFT-based items in The Walking Dead: Empires were indestructible. 

While prices have cratered from their NFT bull market days, some in-game assets garnered major price tags a few years ago. For example, legendary land deed claims sold for as much as $67,000 in 2021, per data from the OpenSea marketplace.

In 2023, as the game was available for playtest, owners were still asking for top dollars, like $30,000 for an NFT-based handgun, and at least $1,000 for other lower-level items.

Now though, all those NFTs are essentially rendered useless as the game’s final play date approaches. As compensation, Gala will distribute other NFTs from its gaming ecosystem to users, aiming to provide those with “equal functionality” to their existing The Walking Dead: Empires NFT holdings. 

“While the game’s journey is coming to an end, we remain committed to ensuring that these NFTs continue to have utility,” its post reads. “As part of the sunset process, we will be distributing new NFTs of equal functionality in other Gala Games products to TWD:E NFT holders.”

Some didn’t take the message kindly. 

“The Walking Dead: Empires officially rugs on Gala,” said crypto gaming personality Jesus Martinez on X (formerly known as Twitter). “People paid upwards of $10K+ for lands and are now getting $2 mystery boxes.”

Any holders of The Walking Dead: Empires NFTs, as of an April 29 snapshot, will receive their mystery box containing items depending on the type and rarity of their Walking Dead NFTs. 

Gala Games did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment. 

The Walking Dead IP was also featured in NFTs on the Eluvio blockchain, and in a collaboration with Ethereum metaverse game, The Sandbox.

The post-apocalyptic zombie show—which is based on a popular comic book—ran for 177 episodes across 11 seasons, with multiple spinoff shows.

Edited by Andrew Hayward