How would you like to see your favorite character from one game incorporated into another? We all love crossovers, there’s no denying that. From the point of view of a developer, investing hours in crafting a character and having the ability to deploy it in multiple games is empowering. Due to cross-game characters, developers can collaborate and create something imaginary. With the advent of blockchain technology, practicing cross-game compatibility is no longer a fantasy.
Sure, the sci-fi genre is intriguing, and it makes us overthink whether these concepts can come alive. Multiverse gaming worlds is one such concept that has been a thought in the minds of gamers, whether it could be a possibility. Thanks to blockchain, it enables developers to make persistent, transferable game identities and assets.
Cross-game characters are entities that retain their identities in multiple game environments. These are characters whose abilities can be harnessed by the player in different gameplays. Traditional games did not allow this, for example, you cannot use the archaeologist from Temple Run to dodge the officer in Subway Surfers.
Now, imagine blockchain enters the scene and both Subway Surfers and Temple Run allow cross-platform gaming. Developers of both games can collaborate and develop cross-game characters that will allow characters from both games to be interchanged. You can hire a blockchain game development company to develop cross-game characters.
The cross-game interoperability is only possible because of blockchain technology. Being a decentralized ledger, it stores information about a player’s assets, identities, and interactions in a transparent and tamper-proof manner. All the items that you come across inside a blockchain-based game are made through standardized tokens like Ethereum’s ERC-721 or ERC-1155. Through these tokens, the in-game assets are converted into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which hold the power to be recognized across different platforms.
Smart contracts are one of the parts of blockchain technology for automated interactions between games or transactions. They are responsible for tagging assets to the users, which gives them true ownership of their assets. Smart contracts also allow you to use one asset from Game A in Game B.
The concept of cross-game characters is something that paves the way for future trends in gaming. Imagine a digital avatar of yours that migrates from one game to another, it’s possible with cross-game interoperability of characters. You can possess a digital identity that remains the same across different games. These personalities evolve, interact, and can be modified in multiple scenarios and worlds.
Traditional games did not offer users the chance to migrate their favorite characters to another game. Whatever elements you experienced in the game remained a part of the game’s ecosystem and were controlled by the developers due to the centralized nature of the game.
Gameplay isn’t the only thing that blockchain is responsible for reshaping. The technology also laid the foundation for unprecedented collaboration between game development studios and developers. By building on shared protocols and interoperable standards, studios can co-create expansive multiverse experiences. The trend is new, and soon interoperable games will rule the gaming market.
Gone are the days when new games brought in new objectives that players had to tackle from scratch. With the help of interoperability, players can now migrate their assets to another game and enjoy playing with the characters they spent hours building.
There are many benefits of blockchain-enabled multiverse gaming. We will shed light on the benefits of the technology in game development in this section of the blog.
Whatever assets players gather inside a blockchain-based game, they truly own them. True ownership means players can sell their assets independently without the interference of middlemen.
Players can use their assets in multiple games. This cross-game asset utility offers great enjoyment while gamers try new games. They can feel familiar with their characters, thanks to cross-game asset utility.
Blockchain-based games are the only titles that follow a P2E model, meaning users get paid simply by playing the game. The play-to-earn games reward players with NFTs or cryptocurrencies based on their performance in the game.
The benefits are not just limited to the players, it’s a win-win situation for both players and developers. Every time an asset or NFT is sold on the marketplace, developers get some part of it as royalty.
The smart contracts in gaming allow players to indulge in transparent transactions that have zero chances of going south. Players can trust the system when it comes to adding wallets and making online transactions.
Persistent identity and interoperability encourage users to become loyal to the gameplay, and spiked player retention is seen in such games.
Every technology has a few flaws, no matter how many perks it provides. The same goes for blockchain technology, it has some challenges and limitations. Developing a blockchain game with interoperable features is not a smooth road. We have listed down the major challenges one faces while developing blockchain-based games.
| Challenge | Description |
| Lack of Interoperability | No universal standards make asset sharing across games inconsistent. |
| Scalability Issues | Network congestion leads to slow transactions and high gas fees. |
| Regulatory Uncertainty | In-game tokens may be classified as financial assets, complicating compliance. |
| User Complexity | Wallet setup, seed phrases, and fees can discourage mainstream players. |
| High Development Costs | Building secure, scalable blockchain infrastructure is resource-intensive. |
| Security Vulnerabilities | Bugs in smart contracts can result in exploits or permanent asset loss. |
| Ecosystem Fragmentation | Different blockchains and standards split the developer and player communities. |
The end goal of blockchain technology is to connect all the gaming worlds inside a single metaverse. So that you can hop anywhere with a single avatar and play hundreds of games seamlessly. Many things have been predicted by gamers, and you might see them sooner than later.
The advancements in the gaming industry brought in by blockchain technology suggest that the future holds a universal avatar system. An industry model where all the games are interconnected, and you can play any game with a single avatar.
The character development inside a game won’t be linear for every game, instead, it may follow a dynamic path. Every player might go through different storylines based on their behaviors and choices in the game. AI will most likely control the narratives of the games.
If not a full-scale collaboration, inter-company metaverse alliances are most likely possible in the coming years. Game studios might collaborate and share ecosystems of their games.
Smarter in-game economies may emerge, allowing characters to earn, trade, and even negotiate contracts without the need for an external push. This phenomenon will be possible with the advent of AI-integrated smart contracts.
Blockchain is reshaping the gaming industry with its innovative changes, like player-owned digital identities. The technology also introduces cross-game character utilization for a deeper connection with your digital identity. The progress and developments in your character can be carried to other platforms as well. Moreover, blockchain game development services can be easily accessed as the future is leaning towards metaverse game development.
Ans. Cross-game characters are digital avatars or identities that players can use across multiple games. With blockchain, these characters retain stats, assets, and progress by being securely stored on a decentralized ledger.
Ans. Blockchain allows for decentralized asset ownership, transparent smart contracts, and interoperable game logic, making it possible for players to move items, characters, and experiences seamlessly across different game universes.
Ans. Some of the benefits of cross-game interoperability for players are:
a. Continuity in gaming experience
b. True ownership of characters and items
c. Enhanced engagement and personalization
d. Participation in multi-game economies
Ans. Game studios can use shared smart contracts, interoperable NFTs, and cross-chain protocols to build joint universes, economies, or lore, all while maintaining trust and ownership boundaries through blockchain.
Ans. Yes, challenges include:
(i) Lack of standardization between platforms
(ii) Scalability and transaction speed issues
(iii) Legal and intellectual property complexities
(iv) High development costs and interoperability hurdles
Ans. Popular platforms include:
1. Ethereum
2. Polygon
3. Immutable X
4. Enjin
5. Flow
Ans. The future points toward open multiverses, AI-enhanced NPCs, decentralized governance, and persistent player identities. However, this is only possible through advancements in blockchain and smart contract.
